Beauty Mythbuster: Can Brown Lipstick Really Work as an All-in-One Makeup Product?
The claim: That one single tube of brown lipstick can act as a one-hit makeup wonder and be used all over the face in a pinch. From using the lipstick as a way to bring color to your cheeks to lining your eyes to even using it to contour your face, I was on a Beauty Mythbuster mission to see if I could really rely on this one throwback (but totally trendy) product for multiple uses to create one look, like a beauty Swiss Army Knife for lazy girls. I turned to Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in shade #671, Mink ($7) and began my investigation. For my base makeup, I wore what I consider the bare minimum: just Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water ($42), a few coats of mascara and powder to fill in my brows. Then it was just me and the brown lipstick. Here’s what went down when I put brown lipstick all over my face.
STEP 1: CONTOUR YOUR FACE
The first step is adding a bit of shape and definition to your face by using the lipstick as contouring product. Apply it to the sides of your nose, right under your cheekbones, along your hairline, under your bottom lip and on your jawline/neck. Yes, you will look crazy at this point. Use a damp beautyblender ($20) and blend it all in. See? No more crazy, just a face with a little more color and shape.
STEP 2: BRING OUT YOUR EYES WITH BROWN
Swipe the brown lipstick over your lid up to your creases as you would with normal powder eyeshadow. The slight sheen on this lipstick makes for a really, really gorgeous shade on your lids. Tap with your fingers to blend it in a bit. Then, using a tapered eyeliner brush, line your upper and lower lash lines with the brown lipstick. The shape of the eyeliner brush will hold on to more product, so the liner should look noticeably darker on your lash line than on your lids.
STEP 3: SWIPE IT ON YOUR LIPS
Now is the time to use lipstick for its intended purpose! Slick on a couple coats of this flattering shade and blot using *paper* (NOT a tissue!). Done and done.
REVEAL: CAN YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE?
It’s pretty easy to see the difference between my before and after photos. The brown lipstick added some healthy color to my face and definition to my cheekbones, and really brought out my eyes. It’s natural looking but still has a little oomph.
WOULD WE ACTUALLY DO THIS IRL?
A thousand times YES! I carry this brown lipstick with me in my purse all the time now in case I need a quick pick-me-up on the fly. The best part of this look is that when you swipe the color on your lips for the final touch, it really pulls everything together. It looks coordinated without being overly matchy-matchy, can be worn for a bunch of occasions (you can go casual or dramatic with this technique) and can be a total lifesaver when you’re in a pinch. Lazy girls, THIS is the modern way to wear a throwback ’90s trend.
Would you give this technique a try? Tweet us @britandco with your thoughts!