Berry Lips: Lipsticks, Stains and Glosses in Deep Berry Shades

Plum, wine and black cherry are the lip colors that make a fall outfit look finished.

Berry Lips: Lipsticks, Stains and Glosses in Deep Berry Shades

Berry lips range from sheer everyday tints to rich, saturated color for evening, in lipsticks, stains, glossy balms and liners. I start with a few easy ones, then add more to consider so you can find your berry.

Every fall, lip color seems to darken along with the leaves. Berry shades are the easiest way to look put together with almost no effort, because a deep lip instantly reads intentional even when the rest of your face is bare. The range is wider than most people think. Sheer stains and tinted balms give a just bitten flush that works for school runs and long workdays. Satin lipsticks in plum and raspberry sit in the middle, polished but still soft. Rich wine and black cherry shades are the drama option for dinners and holiday parties. The trick is matching the depth to the occasion and the finish to your comfort level. Glossy formulas feel younger and more relaxed, while matte reads sharper and lasts longer. A liner in a similar tone keeps darker colors from feathering and makes any berry shade look more precise.

Glossy berry and raspberry lips

Where To Start

If deep color feels intimidating, start with a stain or tinted balm and blot it into your lips with a fingertip for a soft, diffused edge. Build up from there as you get comfortable. For bold shades, line first, fill in with the pencil, then apply lipstick on top so it lasts through dinner. Keep the rest of the face simple: clean skin, groomed brows and a little mascara let the lip do the talking.

Deep wine and black cherry lips

More To Consider

Finding your berry

We think every makeup bag needs one sheer berry and one deep wine shade, since between them they cover nearly every fall plan. Our tip for finding your shade is to look at the inside of your lower lip and go a few steps deeper. Cooler skin tones tend to shine in plum and blackberry, while warmer tones look great in brick and cherry. A matching liner is worth the small extra spend. It makes deep color look deliberate instead of messy and quietly doubles how long your lipstick lasts. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Baby Lips Still Has Something to Teach the Fancy Balms and Plumped Lips, Explained.