While a red lip may be a moment, the brown lip is forever, and with fall in full effect, there’s no better season to pout the classic swatch. The 90s-derived makeup look has initiated its takeover, with stars like Rihanna stepping out in glossy, and probably, Fenty Beauty and Gabrielle Union rocking a lighter mattified version. Paired with a lip liner, the dangerous combo serves as the deluxe trend you won’t be able to escape.
Although a classic staple in Black households, social media attempted a history rewrite. In August, the controversial “Brownie Glazed Lips” craze, rooted from model Hailey Baldwin-Beiber, took the decades-long technique of lining your lips, adding lipstick, and topping it with lipgloss, and gave it a senseless rename. While Baldwin-Bieber never officiated the combo, both fans and Tik Tokers were quick to saturate the algorithm with “Hailey’s Hot New Trend.” Black and Brown content creators voiced their annoyance and frustration at the makeup mania because, once again, cultural traditions are being warped into an “unheard” or “never before seen” idea.
I remember going through polaroids, gazing at my mom in her 90s prime, and she couldn’t help but reminisce on her go-to Revlon’s Super Lustrous Iced Mocha lipstick and liner, which is still sold today. The sultry swatch worn by her, her homegirls, and almost every Black and Brown woman —from high school teens to grandmas — is a novelty that culturally cannot be taken away.
Want in on the look but not sure what to choose? Try Mented’s Dark Night Semi Duo or Fenty Beauty’s latest She A CEO that offers a hydrating matte look without sacrificing dry lips or for a creamy feel, maybe Chocolate Spritzer by The Lip Bar or Bombshell from Black Radiance. No matter how brown you aim to go, Black-owned beauty brands are a great start.
Like our wardrobe, it’s time to swap our summer makeup favorites to make room for neutral soft glam faces, and celebrities are ahead of the curve. Whether you’re going for a shiny bold pout, a lighter nude lip, or a dark matte rim, we’ve rounded up our favorite celebrity brown lip moments to add to your fall mood board.
