These Are the Best Dark Lipsticks for Every Skin Tone
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Beauty Is Boring
When the weather cools down, we find ourselves reaching less and less for pink, peach, and coral lipsticks and leaning more toward warm, vampy colors like oxblood and plum. But we've all had that moment where we daringly swipe on a deep hue, take a look in the mirror, and instantly feel less vampy and a little more vampire—which is great and all for Halloween, but not when it's the totally wrong shade and you're feeling a bit like an American Horror Story character in the office.
Never fear—dark lipstick can truly be worn by each and every skin tone, and we enlisted the help of some key players in the biz who explained to us which shades look best. And while we're all about experimenting and rocking whichever shade makes you feel confident, we think this guide will serve as a handy tool the next time you peruse the lipstick aisle. See their answers below!
Fair Skin
"For fair skin, my all-time favorite is Glastonberry from Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution collection. My makeup artist friend is as fair as can be, and this striking dark berry is perfection on her—it is long-wear and smudge-free," says makeup artist Rob Harmon.
"Fair-skinned ladies shouldn't be intimidated by dark lipsticks," says Honey makeup artist Min Min Ma. "In fact, I think this group is likely to benefit the most from this season's hottest trend as dark shaded lips make a bold statement against their fair complexion. Not to mention that it's incredibly sexy and chic. For the ultimate straight-off-the-runway look, go completely bare-faced when wearing this pout (make an exception for concealer when needed). Stick to blue-based reds or berry-tinted colors."
We also recommend Bite's new Kale shade—a blue-based green that will make your teeth look seriously white.
Honey makeup artist Azra Red loves plum tones for fair skin. This drugstore option from Rimmel will give you a perfect plum pout.
Medium Skin
"Medium-skinned ladies have lots of choices this season from brick, to rustic reds, to berry browns and deep berries—beautifully versatile! The important thing here is knowing how to balance your lipstick with the rest of the makeup, hair and wardrobe," says Ma, who recommends this crimson shade from Stila.
"For medium skin, I love Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Trust Issues. It's a long-lasting lip color that is so full of beautiful pigment and incredibly high-fashion," Harmon says.
As Ma suggested, this brick hue from Maybelline will look stunning on medium skin.
Dark Skin
"For darker skin tones, I suggest the king of all lipstick, Nars," says Harmon. "Nars Audacious Lipstick in Ingrid in the perfect blend of plum and brown mixing the cool and warm tones for a deeper shade."
"Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick is great if you are looking for feather-light texture with the staying power of up to eight hours," Red says. "Smashbox liquid lipsticks come in a variety of dark shades for every skin tone. I love Miss Conduct—it's a dark plum color but has enough warmth to it."
"I love seeing deep plums, mulberry, and deep rich browns for dark-skinned women," Ma says. "I recommend wearing the dark lipstick as the centerpiece during daytime or pair it with a soft smoky eye look for after sunset outings. For long-lasting wear, don't put lip balm before the lipstick. If your lips get dry, pat on sparingly a bit of the balm on top of the lipstick."
So tell us: What shade of lipstick do you love to wear? Sound off below!