#xoTribe: We Found The Best Berry Lipsticks For Your Skin Tone
What are colder months without a poppin' berry lipstick?
Just as you equate Pumpkin Spice Lattes, chunky sweaters, and Uggs with fall and winter, you know that you can always count on your favorite berry-hued lipstick to get you through. For me, lipstick is a surefire way to look like you give a damn even when you don't. Luckily, as a Black woman, it's not as hard to find your desired berry shade as opposed to the struggle in the foundation department.
It's sometimes the opposite because there are SO many options – from blackberry to cranberry to grape to beyond. The key is to find which berry is the most flattering on YOU. Berry shades are wildly versatile and make it that much more fun to explore the variety.
First, find out your undertone. Cosmopolitan says, "An easy way to see if you have cool or warm undertones is to ask yourself if you think silver or gold jewelry suits you best. If gold makes your skin look brighter, then it's likely you have warm, yellow undertones, whereas if silver makes you look fresher you probably have cool, pink undertones. If you can wear both – you're neutral."
While berries aren't as bright as the pinks you don in summer, you still need a certain level of confidence when rocking them. In this season, let your lips do the talking with subtle natural makeup and a beautiful berry lip. The #xoTribe has gathered to show you our favorite berry shades and how we rock them. Take a look and throw some in the bag while you're at it!
Joce Blake
My Lippie: E.L.F. Cosmetics Moisturizing Lipstick in Wine Tour, $3
"I like my berry lippie like I like my wine – deep red. E.L.F. is one my favorite beauty companies. This color makes me feel alluring and sultry because of its velvety, satin texture. It also provides a vibrant color and luminous shine. Another key in pulling off this color in this dry season is to give your lips some love by using a primer before painting it on."
Kandice Guice
My Lippie: The Lip Bar in Prima Donna, $12.99
"I'm obsessed with the purple hue of this matte lipstick. It looks great on any skin tone and makes a statement every time it's worn."
Sheriden Chanel
Managing Editor Sheriden Chanel
My Lippie: Know It All by The Lip Bar, $13
"I'm not a big makeup wearer in general, but every now and then, I do get my fix fulfilled with lipstick. I think Know It All is perfect for me because it complements my skin. I naturally gravitate towards darker shades and even though it's a purple lippie, its brown undertones go very well with the deepness of my skin. I also love it because it makes a statement but is also understated, which is me to a T, a walking contradiction."
Ashley J. Hobbs
My Lippie: Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick in Fearless 70, $4.19 & Jordana Lip Pencil in Coco Loco, $2.49
"It complements my skin tone well. I wanted a deeper berry shade with a blue undertone because other brighter berry colors don't flatter me as well."
Zoe Hunter
My Lippie: Wet N Wild Sugar Plum Fairy, $2.49 paired with Ulta Brilliant Color Lip Gloss Rich Plum, $7.99
"The combo is a perfect blend of a poppin' pink with subtle hints of purple and red. It's the bold berry color I'm looking for in the winter months, when I'm unable to go to the extreme of summer pinks and bright reds."
Shanelle Harris
Feature Writer Shanelle Harris
My Lippie: Tarte Cosmetics Tartiest Creamy Matte Lip Paint , $20
"I'm obsessed with it because it's just the perfect darker red for me. The warmer undertones in it complement mine and I literally wear it almost every other day."
Krissy Lewis
My Lippie: MAC matte lipstick in the color "Sin" , $18
"I love this color and I think it matches so perfectly because it's a deep red with a little pop. I don't feel like it's too dark to the point that it blends in and sometimes it's hard for me to get a dark color that pops! I also love that I can do a glossy look with it to just by adding a a layer of lip gloss."
Lydia Lee
My Lippie: Victoria's Secret Velvet Matte Creme Liquid Lip in Drama, $18
"I love wearing dark reds and plum shades during the winter months. It's my no-fail choice to add a pop of color to an outfit or take a look to the next level. I originally found this shade while digging through a bin during a Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual sale and now it's become one of my favorites."
Taylor Honore
Associate Editor Taylor Honore
My Lippie: Kareemah - Sabreen Cosmetics, $20
"It gives me a warm and sultry look without washing me out. Normally dark tones make me me look like a banana, but this one complements my tone well while giving off some serious bad gal vibes. I also love this brand because it's Black and female owned and has a great cause."
Kiarra Sylvester
My Lippie: Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil in Train Bleu, $27
"I think the warm tone brings out the best of brown in me. But, I only really know that it's a fave because I go back every time despite the small size and large price."
Featured image by Shutterstock
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Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images