The Spice Girls, double denim and the exposed thong: we’re getting seriously nostalgic for the 90s and we don’t care who knows it.
As well as our Spotify playlists and wardrobes, the 90s is also infiltrating our makeup bags. The latest blast from the past trend? Brown lips.
Browns and beiges were the only shades to wear in the 90s, especially on the lips (here’s looking at you, Victoria Beckham), and the hue is making a much welcome return this season.
Loved by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Lily Rose Depp and Naomi Harris, brown lipstick has been dominating the red carpet, backstage at fashion week and our favourite fashion campaigns.
“It’s a universally flattering colour, so it’s easy to see why it keeps making a comeback,” says Makeup Artist Lan Ngyuen, author of the ProMakeup Design Book.
“The brown lipstick trend has its pros: sexy supermodel vibes (try soft brown lip liner with a pink hue tone in the centre), as well as street vibes (opt for dark brown with a glossy shine centre finish). With so much choice to suit all skin tones, it’s perfect for everyday wear. The cons though, would be choosing too much of a cold tone that can make the lips blend into the skin and look almost dirty and deathly.”
Lan says a good way to test for the right tone is to ensure it adds to your look and gives your skin a fresh contrast rather than draining it.
“Warm tones should be chosen for pale skin and cool tones for darker skin,” she advises.
“The lip liner should almost be a deeper tone to your natural lip colour to ensure the lips contrast and therefore pop. For a stronger finish, wear matte lipsticks, as the contrast will sit better. For more natural tones, you can wear satin and gloss finish lipsticks. Pairing the lipstick with dewy skin keeps the look modern.”
Bobbi Brown PRO Artist, Zara Findlay, is also a staunch fan of the brown lip trend, adding: “I love the 90s lip. It is a lip that can go with a natural or glam makeup look. It emphasises the lips without drawing attention away from the rest of your features.”
Here, Zara shares her 5 top tips for pulling the look off with aplomb.
- You’re perfect brown lip colour shouldn’t look chalky nor dull on your lips. It should always complement your skin tone. Rule is, your lipstick should never wear you.
- I would recommend the Crushed Lip Color in Bare or Art Stick in Brown Berry paired with a Nude Lip Pencil as the perfect 90s brown lipstick for a fair skin-tone.
- The perfect 90s brown lipstick on a medium skin tone is Bobbi nourishing Lip Colour or Rich Nude Art Stick paired with Coco Lip Liner.
- The perfect 90s brown lipstick for a deep skin tone is Haute Cocoa Crushed Liquid Lip or Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color paired with Chocolate Lip Liner.
- If you want to create that classic 90s lip, always make sure to pair your lipstick with a lipliner that is ever so slightly warmer.
