“Brown or neutral shades have always been a staple in every makeup artist’s tool kits because they are grounding colors. Often color trends are cyclical, and we see this trend resurfacing from the early 90’s,” explains Myricks. “These shades are perfect for sculpting, lining, and defining all areas of the face, but when applied to the lips they provide emphasis without taking over the entire look.” And haven’t we seen a 90’s comeback in the last year? Brown lips combos have been spotted on countless celebrities on and off the red carpet; even sparkling online discourse as to where the credit for the popularization of brown lip combos truly lies.
Loiz agrees, highlighting the history behind the trend with a reminder for artists to give credit where credit is due. “Trends come from those being inspired by something from the past and making them look current,” she begins. “We see this over and over again and now with the brown lip combo, which came from the Chola culture and Black girls in the late 80’s and 90’s, has become the latest must-do lip combo.” So, which brown lip combos do pro makeup artists actually use and how are they created?
