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A Guide to the Best Everyday Lip Colors for Brown Skin

A Guide to the Best Everyday Lip Colors for Brown Skin

Whether its frosted pastels, deep violets, or electric oranges, trendy lip colors can be fun to play with on the right occasion. However, it’s the everyday lipstick shades - the ones that closely match and enhance the natural color of your lips - that are the perennial favorites. Both versatile and complementary, these are the colors meant for ladies to carry around in their purse on the daily.

Here at Mented, we know the ins and outs of what makes the best lipstick for dark skin tones, so we created lipstick colors for brown skin of all shades. We want to share some of our expertise on makeup for women of color with you - check out this guide on everyday lipstick for brown skin and all dark skin tones.

The Go-To Nude

When it comes to everyday lip color, the nude lipstick is queen. The right nude will go with any outfit or makeup look. It fits in day or night, winter or summer, office or dance floor. If you’re ever unsure about which lip color to put on, you can’t go wrong with a nude lip. It's the perfect shade to create a beautiful look with a real natural lip.

Choosing a nude lipstick for brown skin and darker skin tones requires a little know-how. Traditionally, what was not-so-aptly called a nude lipstick wasn’t actually brown at all. Crafted for fair skin tones, it appeared too light and off-color on darker pigmented skin. Sometimes dark nudes were available, but they looked as if deeper and orangier tones were just added to the lighter nude shade, rather than a nude color made especially for dark skin tones.

The good news is that makeup lines like Mented are crafting lip colors, from concept to the tube, specifically for our darker skinned sisters. Women of color shouldn’t have to struggle with finding the right nude lipstick shade for their lips, so we’ve sought to change that. Our first tip for you is to check out lipsticks that are designed and pigmented for your skin tones.

When selecting a nude, here are some things to consider:

  • What’s your skin tone and undertone?
  • Skin tone is fairly obvious - it’s how fair or dark your skin is. Alternatively, undertone has to do with the warmth or coolness in your skin - as in orange-ish, yellowish or peachy tones versus pinkish, reddish or bluish tones. Knowing your undertone will give you a leg up in finding flattering makeup colors, including your best lipstick color match.

  • What’s the dominant color in the nude shade?
  • Nudes are designed to closely match your natural lip color. Some nudes have more brown colors, others are pinker, and some more purple. Which shade of nude you want is largely a matter of personal preference, as well as your skin tone and undertone. As a general rule, the darker your skin tone, the darker the shade of nude you can wear and still call it a nude. Similarly, the warmer your undertone, the bronzier or peachier you can go. Ladies with cool undertones can wear nudes with purple, along the lines of taupe, and still rock an everyday neutral look.

    Pro tip: Not sure on the nude shade that most closely aligns with your natural lip color? Go to a mirror and flip your lip down. The inside of your mouth near the lip line is going to be a tad richer in color than your lips. Finding a lip color close to that shade will, therefore, be a perfect complement to your natural glow.

    Everyday Lipstick Shades Besides Nude

    The hunt for an everyday lip color doesn’t start and end with nudes. Deeper and brighter shades can have a place as a stand-in when you want a work-appropriate, go-to color. Selecting these shades is much like choosing a nude lipstick: consider the dominant shade of the lip color and how it compares to your skin tone and undertone.

    Brown is Back Baby

    Slightly deeper than a nude, yet still a no-fuss everyday option, are shades of brown. Browns have come back in a major way in recent years, especially among women of color. Warm brown, in particular, is the easy button solution for a richer look when you want more than a nude. Going the way of cooler browns tends to create a moodier and edgier look. Go for a brown matte lipstick that matches your style to help you feel your most confident in an everyday lipstick shade.

    More Mauve Please

    Mauves are like nudes pumped up with purple. The cooler cousin of the nude, the mauve lipstick looks best on ladies with pinkish, reddish or bluish undertones. Women with warm skin tones can reach for a mauve too, but to keep it daytime friendly, go for a mauve leaning towards the pink end of the spectrum, such as a deep rose shade. As with nudes, the darker your skin tone, the deeper shade of mauve you can pull off for an everyday look.

    Forget-Me-Not Reds

    We all have that friend who considers red an everyday lip look. She’s rocking the red lip whether the skies are blue or cloudy, it’s Tuesday morning or Saturday night, or the sunniest day in July or the coldest day in December. And who can blame her? The right shade of red matte lipstick requires little else to look fabulous. For a daytime look, all you need with a red lip is maybe a dab of foundation, well-manicured brows and a touch of mascara. To get the right shade of red, once again ask yourself: what’s my undertone? If it’s olive or warm, reach for a red with yellow undertones. For example, Mented’s Red & Butter Matte Lipstick is the best lip color for olive skin. Our cooler undertoned ladies have their pick when it comes to reds - from a true red to those closer to pink or purple. If you have blue undertones, check our Red Carpet Matte Lipstick for your go-to red.

    Everyday Lipsticks Made Just for You

    Maybe you’re a makeup minimalist and need one perfect shade to be your no-nonsense go-to, or maybe you have an entire arsenal of lip colors that take over your bathroom counter at home. Whatever your relationship with makeup is, Mented has an everyday lipstick shade that is sure to look fantastic on your lovely brown, tan, olive and deep skin tones. Check out our whole collection to find the perfect shade for your everyday lipstick!
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