BROWN GIRLS GUIDE TO K-BEAUTY

: FALL FAVOURITE LIPSTICKS

MANAHIL RANA on NOVEMBER 18, 2019

Three years ago, I was introduced to K-beauty, because 3 years ago I moved to Seoul, and in efforts to homogenize myself with the city I turned my attention to what I knew and loved best; Beauty! K-beauty is a well-known phenomenon but I hadn’t seen it first hand. I knew that sheet masks were the rage and there were the peel-off lip tints that left your lips stained for days, but I realized the enormity of the market when I scanned it for myself. As a fast-growing business and one of Asia’s biggest exports, you would imagine there would be a plethora of items to choose from. Skincare was easy to embrace but the makeup department came with its challenges.

You would imagine with the diversity of items it would cater to a diversity of people, but that wasn’t quite true. However, amongst the shortcomings came the hidden gems that I found and currently love. Variety is a virtue in K- beauty and I just had to dig a little deeper to discover that. Lucky for me I did!

There are colours, textures, finishes, and styles I have found that are POC friendly, and even compliments my olive-skinned complexion.

Here are some of my top picks!

1. MISSHA DARE ROUGE VELVET LIPSTICK IN MOULIN ROSE

MISSHA Dare Rouge Velvet 3.5g

My next pick is the Missha Dare Rouge Velvet Lipstick. Spoiler: this is my favorite pick. The lipstick comes in a traditional bullet and the experience of putting it on is super luxurious. The formula is designed to glide on the lips like butter and the finish is truly like velvet. It’s a powdery satin finish that sits well on the lips without being too dry. The whole range of Missha is excellent. I can say with confidence that the range of colours available is very brown girl friendly. The colour I’ve been using and loving is no.24 Moulin Rose. It’s a dusky rose, grounded well with deep undertones so it doesn’t scream orange, but has enough warm tones to appear like a muted grapefruit shade.

I pair this on its own as a tint and also use a dark brown lip liner to give it more definition. The colour is so opaque that one swipe is enough to cover the whole lip. Given that my natural lip colour is dark, sometimes lighter colours like these don’t settle well enough, and I have to apply a few layers. However, the Missha dare rouge velvet glides on and stays on.

I always blot my lips with a paper towel to ensure it’s longevity and have seen it last me all day. Buy it here.

2. MOONSHOT REVE DE PARIS COLLECTION IN IN THE CITY

moonshot reve de Paris Eyeshadow Palette 9g

What’s a makeup collection without a statement red lip colour? I’m a MAC Ruby Woo or a NARS Dragon Girl -kinda girl. Although the reds are relatively easy to shop for I found that much of them were blue-toned, which means that it doesn’t matter how dark or light the actual colour is, sometimes blue-toned lip colours don’t really compliment people with warm-toned skin. A classic contrasting example is Russian Red from Mac. Although it’s dark enough to suit me sometimes I don’t gravitate towards it because it ‘just’ doesn’t look right. So I was pleasantly surprised that the moonshot lipstick in the shade ‘ In the City’ is a rich brick toned red with warm undertones, to the extent that I often pair it with my other lighter reds for an ombré look.

The component is the cutest little 3-inch lipstick bullet, so it’s very compact and easy to pop in the bag for quick touch-ups. The formula is similar to that of the Missha one and I have noticed that most matte lipsticks have a soft velvet finish. This one though, is more dry, not on the lips but in its formula which means that it won’t budge easily. It’s here to stay whilst still being moisturizing enough on your lips. Buy it here.

Source: Moonshot

3. ETUDE HOUSE CHERRY MOISTURE LIP GLOW IN RD 301 & TONY MOLY AUTO LIP LINER IN RED WINE

ETUDE HOUSE Cherry Moisture Lip Glow 4g

My last pick comes in a duo. Although I’ve used these two products on their own I find it most satisfying together. I’m an avid lip liner user. My lip routine consists of a lip liner and a lip-gloss. Ever since the lip gloss trend has brought the early 2000’s back, it’s safe to say I along with other people have retired from the matte liquid lipsticks. This lip combo in specific is reminiscent of the classic cherry flavoured lip smackers. The Tony Moly auto lip liner in no. 03 is a deep burgundy colour with pink tones and the complimenting lip gloss is the Etude House Cherry moisture lip gloss.

TONYMOLY Easy Touch auto lip liner 0.2g

The name in itself is so fitting. The colour, at first looked a bit daunting because it was a bit too pink and gimmicky for my liking but the gloss in itself is soo sheer and the colour complements the darker lip liner perfectly. I wear it on days where I’m particularly feeling nostalgic of the 2000s but the combination in itself is wearable with all kinds of makeup looks.

The longevity is of the combo is impressive. although the gloss does fade away if you drink or eat anything, it still leaves a stain on your lips. It helps if you use the lip liner and smudge out the liner on your lips with your finger and then use the gloss on top.

The lip-gloss is not your regular sticky formula, it’s more oil-like, as I’ve observed with many of the K-beauty products. Something that differentiates them from western brands. It’s comfortable to wear on the lips and still gives the high shine look without being too thick and sticky.

Buy the gloss here and the lip liner here.