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As a brown girl who’s always loved makeup, I grew up trying on makeup that didn’t quite fit me. My skin tone wasn’t always something I could find a foundation shade for; too pale for my skin tone or completely different than what was advertised or shown on the white model. I know the rule: use a brown lip liner.
And nude shades look really good on so many girls. For the ones that rock it, all my love. But for me, it never felt right, even with a brown lip liner to add some dimension. Nude lipsticks made me feel washed out; I love deep, chocolate, or dark cocoa brown: colors that are perfect for fall and winter. I also love berry-colored or almost purple lip shades—the ones that make it look as if you’ve eaten the first berries of the season.
So, for those of you that hate nude lippies not suiting you—I got you. Â
For one, you should understand whether your undertone is warm, neutral, or cool. The way you figure that out is by looking at the vein on your wrist. If it’s green, your undertone is warm. If it’s blue, your undertone is cool. If it seems like it’s a mix or you cannot tell, you have a neutral undertone. Once you know your undertone, you can find what colors work best with it. You want to bring out your skin’s richness, not hide it.Â
If you’re still confused, walk by the paint samples at a store and take a video. For example, my undertone is neutral, so I tend to go for more berry shades. My favorite lippies in the berry range include the Nyx Hydrating Gloss lip stains in the shades “Drippin’ in Rose” and “Berry Thirsty”, the Milani Color Fetish Hydrating lip stain in “Bitten Berry”, and the Mac M·A·Cximal Silky Matte Lipstick lipstick in “Diva”. I will acknowledge that the Nyx lip gloss, the Milani lipstick, and the Mac lipstick are deeper than the other shades. Regardless, they still are well suited for the fall season.
The next thing is: know your style, or at least what you genuinely find joy in. Makeup feels horrible when you use it like a mask. If you’re an alt girl that loves graphic eyeliner, wear it! If you like to stick to the basics, feel free! And if you like matching your makeup to your outfits—I understand. It should be about what feels right to you. If you like lip combos that have an almost ombre effect, I would recommend the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Luminizing lip oil in the shade “Razzberry Jamz” as a topper to add some dimension, sparkle, and in general pigment. I just want to give other options that can really suit the brown girls, but also the other girls who see themselves in this article, even if it’s a little.Â
Sometimes to add more whimsy to my makeup, I use the Makeup Revolution Enchanted Icon Eyeshadow Palette or a highlighter. Some examples include a Rare Beauty highlighter for a more natural highlight or a Nyx highlighter for more sparkle to add to my cupid’s bow.
You can also go into makeup stores like Sephora and Ulta and try different lipsticks to see what best fits you, after sanitizing of course! The problem with these stores is the lighting may give an illusion of a fitting shade when it doesn’t. When that happens, just return the makeup!
If you want more dark brown, cocoa-y lippies, I’d recommend the Nyx Butter Glosses in the shades Fudge Me and Lava Cake, the cocokind Ceramide Lip Blur Balm in “Be You”, and the Holler and Glow Glaze Over tinted lip serum in the shade “Cocoa Donut” (this one is more sheer, but smells amazing!)
And if you want something still somewhat close to a nude, but more pigmented, mauve lippies are also a good option.
Regardless: girl, you got this.Â