Brown lipsticks for medium skin

Brown lipsticks are deep, muted shades on the warm side of red: chocolate, cocoa, espresso, chestnut and brick. They are darker than nudes and less saturated than deep reds. A brown with more red reads like brick or cinnamon, while one closer to yellow reads like coffee or toffee; the deeper the shade, the stronger the contrast it makes. For medium skin this page uses a reference lightness of L* 55. Contrast between lip colour and skin decides how strongly a shade stands out, and medium skin sits in the middle of the range, so shades of every depth are listed here, from very light to deep. Nudes are listed only when their lightness is within 18 L* points of the reference.

99 brown shades listed for medium skin, grouped by undertone.

Last verified 24 October 2026. How we measure.