Many people throughout their life have discovered themselves through makeup. Whether it be a bold red lip or a crazy eyeshadow look, makeup is seen as a way to express yourself and has given confidence to many people in their day-to-day lives.
In the last couple of years, there has been an influx of new brands and products in the makeup industry all promising to do different things. Brow gel that can give you a “laminated” look or mascara that makes your lashes 10 times longer. But something that’s been recurring in the makeup scene is the use of inclusive or “universal” marketing on a range of different products.
As someone who is of an olive-toned complexion, I often find it hard to use these “one size fits all” products, as I find that they’re not at all universal and don’t match my undertone. Not to mention, many of these products can cost an arm and a leg and not everyone is able to pay for products that give empty promises.
The best example of this is the Clinique Almost There Lipstick in the shade Black Honey. When I first heard of this product I was all on it, spending the $22 price tag to see if the hype was true. Unfortunately, this was not the only universal product that I’ve had issues with. So over the years of my makeup journey, I have gathered a small collection of my favorite lip products that work for olive skin tones, are actually universal, and arranged them from High End to Low End.
High End
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat Luminizer – Hot Chocolit – $24
One of the smoothest applications that I’ve seen in lipgloss. It lasts for such a long time and is the prettiest brown-nude shade. Not only does this plump up your lips to give you that pouty look but it also doesn’t have that unbearable sting that most lip plumpers have.
Middle/Average Price
Glossier Generation G Lipstick – $18
The Glossier Generation G lipsticks are probably a cult classic for many natural makeup wearers. The sheer, buildable coverage allows the user to apply the color to as dark or light as they would like it to be. It’s a soft, buttercream consistency that just melts into your lips for a MLBB (My Lips But Better) look. This lipstick just added three new beautiful shades and has a fantastic lineup of shades that complement all skin tones.
Low End
NYX Butter Gloss – Praline – $5
This shade is my absolute holy grail lip gloss shade. It has a medium coverage that allows your natural lip color to shine through the product. Also, another brown neutral shade has gotten me through the day and kept my lips ultra-hydrated. If you’re not looking for a nude color, the shade range for this product is absolutely insane! There are so many colors to choose from and for $5 you won’t be able to get enough of them.
NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner – Maison – $4
Another one of my holy grails. This lip liner applies effortlessly smoothly and it’s the perfect neutral brown for olive and medium tone skin. The color payoff is amazing and it lasts me a good 18 hours with and without eating. There is also a multitude of shades that would suit anyone of all skin tones so definitely would recommend it to anyone beginning or heavily in their makeup journey.