Brown lipsticks for tan 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 tan skin this page uses a reference lightness of L* 45. Contrast between lip colour and skin decides how strongly a shade stands out. Medium, medium-deep and deep shades are listed here; the lightest shades make a strong pale contrast against tan skin and appear on the fair, light and medium pages. Nudes are listed only when their lightness is within 18 L* points of the reference.

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

Last verified 24 October 2026. How we measure.