Bold lips for different skin tones: Should you wear dark, statement lipsticks in Singapore?

Unsure about wearing dark lipsticks in Singapore? We decided to put it to the test by applying deeper shades of matte, liquid and metallic lipsticks on four Honeycombers with different skin tones of different skin tones. Here’s what they have to say…

Let’s get this straight: brooding, dark lips aren’t just for goths and Halloween. Besides long-lasting matte liquid lipsticks and Insta-famous beauty brands, lipsticks in darker shades are also a hot trend amongst beauty bloggers, celebs and are all over fashion runways. And they do work IRL. A fan of non-traditional lip colours, I find the dark lipstick an absolute game changer that takes me from au naturel one minute to total badass after application. Though bold, statement lips may seem quite intimidating at first, with the right shade for your skin tone – and a boost of confidence – you’ll be able to rock the vampy look in no time. Regardless, dark lips tend to make heads turn, so you better work it.

We had four of our Honeycombers team members with various skin tones step out of their comfort zones and apply vampy shades that they normally wouldn’t wear. Whether you’re fan of dark lips, or simply looking to dip your toes into this trend pool, never fear – you can totally wear dark lipstick in Singapore.

For fair skin

The juxtaposition of dark lipsticks on fair skin looks spectacular when you’ve scored the right shade. Go bold with blue-based reds or berry-tinted hues such as raspberry and blackberry colours that will give you a vampy, Renaissance look. However, try to avoid shades with too much brown in them as it tends to look less flattering on pale complexions.

Tracy (Lifestyle Writer) is wearing: Chanel’s Le Rouge Crayon De Couleur in No. 8 Cassis which is a plummy, berry-wine purple shade. The easy-to-apply lipstick gives Tracy’s lips maximum coverage with a satiny shine in a smooth comfy texture.
What she has to say: “I did fear that the mega dark lippy would take me (screaming) back to my gothic youth when, in retrospect, black lips really weren’t a good look on me. Turns out fast-forwarding 15 years (okay 25 years) that now the black locks and vamp make-up have gone, the dark plummy lips are actually rather nice on me! I would usually walk straight past this sort of colour and plump for a pink or red, but I’m loving this new look for sure. *Off to reapply Chanel lips*”.

For medium skin

If your golden beige skin tone ranges from fair to medium, berry and rich terracotta hues are your best bet. Reddish browns and plum colours fair well on skin tones that can lean towards the neutral or warm side to give a more sultry, sexy chic look without going overboard.

Chelsia (Creative Services Editor) is wearing: Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Sanctuary which is a nude, coffee colour. The creamy formula gives Chelsia’s moisturised lips a true matte finish that is highly pigmented.
What she has to say: Chelsia wasn’t fond of the result. “It’s a nay for me. Girl, ain’t nobody’s gonna tap that.”

For brown skin

Blessed with gorgeous caramel-toned skin? Deep plum or purple – or even dark chocolate brown – shades should be on top of your lipstick shopping list! Medium to bronzy skin tones tend to look gorge with darker, bolder colours.

Nafeesa (Beauty Writer) is wearing: Bobbi Brown’s Crushed Lip Color in Blackberry, which is a deep chocolate berry shade. This semi-matte lipstick gives Nafeesa’s lips that just-kissed, stain effect which nothing but sultry.
What she has to say: “When I was younger, I loved hot pink or red lipstick – the pop of colour made any makeup look instantly show-stopping. But I’m a sucker for trends, and have stopped wearing them altogether because I favour my nudes or dark lippies now. The latter’s my favourite for a night out (when my eyes aren’t covered in smokey eyeshadow) because they’re man-repelling, and it sounds silly, but striking fear into the hearts of men empowers me.”

For tan skin

Opt for deep burgundy or mahogany colour if you’ve got olive-toned skin like me. Lipsticks with brownish red bases are the most flattering. Note that the warmer the skin tone is, the better it goes with red-based lipsticks.

I’m wearing: Faux Fayc’s travel-friendly Fauxstix Liquid Xtacy in Mental, a metallic brown shade. Though it looks great, the lip stain tend to peel after a while.
What I have to say: As a long-time wearer of dark lipstick (yes, I’ve worn black lippies a couple of times to channel my inner Siouxsie Sioux), I’m pretty unfazed walking out and about in the city with dark lips. However, it does take a few trials to master the dark lip application and build up enough confidence to rock even the darkest shade. Just be prepared to touch it up after a few sips and bites, and to take more than a few minutes to remove it entirely at the end of the day.

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