Rum Raisin Lipstick and the Brown-Berry Shades Like It

Rum Raisin Lipstick and the Brown-Berry Shades Like It

Rum Raisin lipstick is the brown-berry shade that has lived in handbags since the 90s. Here is the original with the lipsticks, liners and glosses that share its warm, wine-stained color.

Revlon began in 1932, when brothers Charles and Joseph Revson teamed up with a chemist named Charles Lachman, whose initial became the L in the name. The company started with nail enamel, then matched lipsticks to the polish, which was a new idea at the time. Decades later, its Super Lustrous line produced one of the most loved brown-berry shades ever made. Rum Raisin lipstick is a warm berry brown with a creamy finish, and it became a quiet favorite in the 90s, when brown lips were everywhere. It still looks right with a camel coat and a gray sweater.

The rest of this row shares that raisin tone. MERIT Signature Lip in L'avenue is a berry brown in a light formula. MAKEUP BY MARIO SuperSatin comes in Central Park, a raisin brown, and Downtown Girl, a deeper plum brown. The Bobbi Brown hydrating lipstick in Downtown Plum is a neutral brown berry. Valentino Spike in Dramatic Brown is a warm berry brown in a buttery matte. Anastasia Beverly Hills Berry Mocha is a rich brown with cool berry hues, and VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Jelly in Confiture de Figue is a sheer berry brown, the easiest way to try the color.

A quick test: raisin shades look best in daylight. Try one next to a window, and if your teeth look brighter, it suits you.

Swatch collage of Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rum Raisin, MAKEUP BY MARIO SuperSatin Lipstick in Central Park, MAC Lip Pencil in Cool Spice and Fara Homidi Soft Glass Lip Plumper Gloss Oil in Tawny
Rum Raisin Lipstick

Brown-berry lipsticks

Brown-berry lip liners

A liner makes a brown-berry lip look sharp and helps it last. These pencils all sit in the same family, so you can mix and match.

MAC Lip Pencil in Cool Spice is a deep brown mauve that people have paired with brown lipsticks for years. ISAMAYA Universal Lip Liner in Mocca is a brown-based burgundy that does not smudge. Kulfi Lassi Lips in Chellam is a berry brown that lines for hours, then fades into a stain. m.ph Overliner in Cherry Cola is a deep rose brown with peptides. Rare Beauty Kind Words in Proud is a waterproof plum brown. Saie Lip Liner 101 in Tease is a plum brown nude that blends easily. ONE/SIZE Lip Snatcher in Prime Fish is a soft matte brown berry, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Cinnamon is a deep mauve brown.

Pairing tip: use the liner to fill in the whole lip, then add a sheer brown-berry gloss on top. It looks like a lipstick without the weight.

What I would skip: a liner much darker than your lipstick with a hard edge. That look belongs in the 90s photo album. Blend the line inward with a fingertip.

Brown-berry lip liners

Brown-berry glosses and balms

Glosses and balms are the easy, softer way to wear a brown-berry color. They are what I would pick for a weekend or when lips feel dry.

Fara Homidi Soft Glass in Tawny is a translucent berry brown balm-in-oil. Hourglass Phantom Smoothing Blur Lip Balm in Mirage 35 is a berry brown with a soft blur. Glow Recipe PDRN Lip Blur Balm in Say It Anyway is a deep berry brown with a soft matte finish. BOB BEAUTE The Oil in Gloss in Mahogany is a plant-oil gloss. Good Weather Skin Daily Lip Sun Gloss in Iced Coffee combines mineral SPF 30 with shine. Lancôme Butterglow in Berry Glow is a warm berry burgundy with squalane. HUDA BEAUTY Faux Filler in She Fire is a sheer deep brown, and MAKE UP FOR EVER Super Boost in Limitless Brown is chocolate with a cool bronze shimmer.

How to use them: dab a brown gloss over a nude lipstick to warm it up for fall. It is the quickest seasonal change you can make.

What I would skip: a shimmery brown gloss on very dry lips. The shimmer sits in the lines. Use a balm first, or choose a creamy balm instead.

Brown-berry glosses and balms

Wearing it now

Start with the original Rum Raisin lipstick and a brown-berry liner like Cool Spice. Line, blend inward and apply the lipstick on top. That is the classic look, softened for now. If you want something easier, a brown-berry gloss or balm gives the same warmth with less effort. Keep the look fresh by blotting once and letting it wear in a little. Brown-berry shades look best slightly lived in, like you put them on at breakfast and they faded just right by lunch, so do not chase a perfect finish. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together MAC Frost Lipstick and the Shimmer Lip Shades Around It and Brown Lipstick for Fall, From Milk Chocolate to Espresso.