The brown lip guide – 8 favorite brown lipsticks + go to brown lip liners and glosses

I’ve been on a bit of a brown lipstick deep dive for the better part of the past few months working on a swatch fest of all my brown lipsticks and my biggest takeaway after researching the most popular brown lipsticks and swatching over 60 lipsticks in my collection is that I’m not sure the beauty industry really knows what brown lipstick is.

The majority of lipsticks I owned that I thought were brown actually ended up having pink, mauve, or purple undertones rather than a true balance of red, yellow, and black shades. And I kind of get it – for most people, including myself, a brown that has some pink or mauve makes the shade much more wearable and complementary with the natural pink or rosiness of a person’s lip color. But in the process of trying to figure out what a true brown lipstick looked like I somehow convinced myself I didn’t even know what brown was anymore after coming up with lipstick after lipstick that had brown tones, but isn’t actually a true brown.

For my slightly warm olive skintone, the most flattering brown lipsticks lean a little bit warm but don’t have too much orange, or those that lean more purple. It’s easy to start drifting into mauve or red territory, but in order for me to consider a brown lipstick a brown lipstick it has to have a brown base, rather than having another color base with some brown tones.

Consider these generously inclusive of lipstick with a brown base and brown tones, but not strictly true brown lipsticks. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen a preview of these favorites in this reel, but don’t miss the second half of this post where I round up some of my favorite brown lip liners and glosses!

1. My holy grail brown lipstick is one of the most flattering lip colors I’ve ever worn and surprisingly almost more of a mauve lipstick, though it definitely has a brown base. The Rouge Allure Intense formula is also top notch, as is to be expected from Chanel. It applies evenly and is smoothing on the lips, plus it feels feather light while still being hydrating and longwearing. I’ve worn this lipstick everywhere from a trip to a grocery store to a black tie wedding and it’s one of those shades and formulas that feels right for every occasion.

2. This everyday more neutral brown instantly pulls my look together and somehow makes my entire face look more contoured, even if I’m wearing minimal makeup – the Kulfi Heirloom Satin Lipstick in Ma’s Misra is my perfect neutral brown that’s not too deep and not too light, and itl has a hint of mauve that It pulls my face together. It is also a delightfully creamy satin formula that melts into my lips without being too gloopy or slippy.

3. One of my most worn lipsticks is this buildable light glossy formula in a warm-ish rosewood brown that just goes with everything – in addition to being another knockout moisturizing Chanel formula that can be reapplied without a mirror, Moment is sheer enough for a light wash of color but even at full pigment it’s one of those neutrals I don’t have to think about. The shade has a bit of chestnut red that makes this so flattering with everything I wear, but isn’t too red or too bright. This is a travel essential because of how easy and versatile it is.

4. It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve talked about my favorite sheer balm, which means I’m overdue to talk about the Phytosurgence Calm Conditions Lip Balm again – The formula is pretty much perfection for a balm that hydrates and sticks around, but also isn’t hard and waxy or too soft, but the shade Distant Depths is a sheer brown that is the most approachable way to start wearing brown, simply because it is so sheer. Apply a couple layers for a barely there color, or add a couple layers for a my lips but browner look.

5. YSL Candy Glaze lipsticks are already one of my all time favorite formulas, and it also comes in the perfect chocolate glaze color. It’s a thick and nourishing formula that lasts for hours with a shiny gloss finish, and shade 14 Scenic Brown is a gorgeous liquid chocolate shade.

6. This balm like matte lipstick has only impressed me the more I’ve worn it since it launched last year and it also happens to come in one of the most flattering brown lipsticks I have. The Merit Signature Lip Matte formula feels weightless and also stays comfortable over time. Equestrian is a true warm brown that has a hint of red, but it also isn’t too warm and one of the most wearable browns that is actually a brown lipstick.

7. For a creamy and hydrating formula that rivals Chanel but at a nicer price point, look no farther than the Hourglass Unlocked Satin Cream Lipstick. This formula has a similar smoothing effect as my adored Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense and is similarly comfortable to wear. It doesn’t feel quite as light, but it is still a pretty lightweight formula. Shore is also a super wearable midtone warm brown that has a hint of caramel tones, though it doesn’t lean too orange. It’s one of those browns that I love reaching for in spring and summer that doesn’t look like too much and is one of those neutral shades that goes with everything.

8. This is truly the best long-wearing transfer-proof formula that is actually moisturizing, and it has a glossy finish: The Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue lipsticks are my go-tos for events or long days when I know I don’t want to be fussy about touching up. The dual-step formula of applying the color first, then the setting gloss on top, locks the color into place with a glossy shine and it will not budge for hours even through eating and drinking. The shine will wear down after a couple hours, but there is some magic in this formula that is still moisturizing and it’s really one of those apply it and forget it products. Light Brown is also a perfect slightly pinkish brown that is light and neutral enough for a casual day but also goes with anything.

   

It’s whole other undertaking to round up all of my brown lip liners and glosses, but if you’re trying to create an epic brown lip combo, these are some of my most reached for products:

I prefer my lip liners to be a little deeper than my skintone to give some contour and shape to my lips, but I rarely go for the high contrast deep lip liners with lighter lip color look, so keep that in mind.

My most worn brown lip liners these days are the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencils, specifically in the shades Anywhere Caffeine and Limitless Brown. Yes, they’re that good and worth the hype! Not only are the tones absolutely spot on, the blendable formula makes these absolutely seamless on my lips. They’re not the most long lasting lip liners, though I get a couple hours out of them.

For a longer lasting formula, I’m absolutely loving the Extreme Formula, which is waterproof and transferproof while having the same creaminess as the original formula, though the longest wearing lip liner I own is this Tom Ford lip liner. It’s well worth the splurge because I can get away with wearing this for 8 hours without a touchup. Irresistible is a perfect midtone warm tan-brown, while A-list is a beautiful deeper warm brown.

For more rosy tones, it’s hard to go wrong with Chanel Nude Brun, which has a great balance of rosiness and brown to add some natural definition while still mimicking the natural rosiness of my lips. I also find this to be really creamy and hydrating and longwearing since it kind of sets down.

However, long time readers know that the Victoria Beckham Lip Definers are my all time favorite formula for how seamless and natural they look on my lips, and 04 is another similar rosy brown that just seems to go with everything (see my lip liner roundup for all my favorite formulas!). The Lisa Eldridge formula is a close second, and shade 1N is a light brown with slight terracotta warmth that I love to use as a base for brown lipsticks.

Although it’s newer, I also have to add Brownstone from the new Merit formula to this list as one of the most easy and wearable lip liners. It’s a sheer gel with a bit of shine so you won’t get any harsh lines, and Brownstone is a beautiful neutral brown. Another soft contour product are the Rhode Lip Shapes, which add such a soft contour for my lips without any obvious lines or color. Twist is a beautiful taupe that is a perfect contour for my lips.

Finally, If you’re into a cooler brown, MAC Stone is a classic that is a cool taupe brown, while Greige is a neutral brown with a hint of olive tones, making it a perfect lip line for anyone with olive undertones.

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The ultimate brown lipgloss for me is this lip oil in the shade Excellence. It is a beautiful sheer true brown and the thick, but not too gloopy or sticky consistency is one of the longest wearing lip oils I’ve ever used. The milky brown shade also adds a touch of brown without being too much.

My holy grail lip gloss formula also comes in a perfect warm brown, Phantome. It has some red tones but is still heavy on the brown that is also just the right depth to bring some balance to my face. I’ve raved about this gloss time and time again and for good reason – it’s light and almost jelly-like, but leaves a nice cushiony glassy finish. The pigmentation is also just right, with enough pigment to wear on its own but not so much pigment that I need a mirror to apply it.

Brown tinted balms are everywhere these days, but I have 3 easy favorites:

1. my OG love is Brown Sugar from Summer Fridays, a deep brown with a slight hint of purple, and it’s thick enough to work as a night treatment but not so thick that I feel like my lips are suffocating. Vanilla Beige is one of my go to glosses for a lighter beige-brown, and Iced Coffee is a slightly warmer beige brown that also smells like the most enticing cold brew.

2. Formula wise, nothing has beat this formula and Boba Bounce is the perfect deep neutral brown, and the formula is just a cushiony nourishing blanket of moisture that lasts for hours. It also now comes in an adorable mini set as well! (ps use code BEAUTYUNHYPED15 for 15% off!).

3. To round out my holy trinity of tinted lip balms, the Rhode Espresso Lip Tint is the perfect cool-neutral deep brown that is exactly the shade of Espresso. However, it’s also such an easy shade to wear because it’s sheer and allows for the natural pinkness of my lips to come through.

Some additional brown-ish options that I’ve been reaching for lately include this sheer light taupey brown that is currently my go to lipgloss for when I need a touch of color (p.s. Rhode Lip Shape in Twist is a perfect match with this!). And in the recent Sephora sale, I finally picked up this cool brown lipgloss I’ve had my eye on for months and I’m so impressed with how the Refy lip glosses feel! They feel light but not slippy or thin and the pigmentation is just a touch more than a typical sheer lip tint, but not quite the opacity to make any shade feel like too much.

Finally, this cool taupe brown is almost not really brown at all since it also has a cool gray-taupe lean to it that makes it a dream for cool toned lovers. What makes this really special is light layer of lilac shimmer running through the gloss. The lighter oil formula is also such a delight to apply because it just feels so smooth and feels like nothing on. I say this about very few products but Rose Amber is a backup worthy shade for me.

While this isn’t a comprehensive roundup of brown lip products, it certainly covers what I reach for the most these days – aka the best of the best in my collection. I might be missing some cooler toned browns so please let me know any cool toned brown shades I need to try, along with any other of your favorite brown lip products.

Reminder that you can always find my product recommendations on ShopMy, including everything mentioned in this post from my favorite brown lipsticks to favorite brown lip liners and favorite brown glosses. And make sure you’re following me on Instagram to keep up on my latest beauty rambles!

As always, thanks for reading.