Lipsticks for Brunettes

I have a love affair with lipstick - I am 'obsessed' with finding the perfect lipstick colour.  I have gone through numerous lipstick phases, trying every colour imaginable, yet I always seem to return to my favourite 'brown-based' lipstick shades, which I am now convinced is the perfect colour family for Brunettes.  I've discovered something profound about lipstick - the perfect colour for you should pick up on the undertones of your hair, natural lip colour and skin-tone.  Brunettes often have a very 'rich' colouring to their hair (meaning it can often have a subtle reddish or chestnut tone).  The perfect colour will pick up on this subtle undertone.  It only goes to say that brunettes with that rich haircolour should try lipsticks that are brown based with red, plum and pink undertones.  Here are some of my favourite shades of lipstick - I've posted a picture of the colour itself, followed by a picture of me wearing that colour so that you can see how it brings out the natural tones in my hair, eyes and skintone.  I tried to keep the rest of my makeup neutral (wearing pewter eyeshadow my Laura Mercier on my eyes with a little black mascara and a neutral toned blush).  If you are a brunette, consider trying some of these shades - you won't be disappointed!

My absolute favourite brown toned lipstick is a colour called 'Baroque' by Chanel - it is the 'perfect' blend of brown-plum and red and will bring out the best in any brunette.  The colour may seem dark in the tube, but on the lips it morphs into the most amazing colour:

Another brown based plum colour that I love is a lipstick by MAC called 'Verve' - its such an amazing colour and perfect for any brunette:

I think that every brunette needs to own a brownish-pink colour - its the perfect go with anything 'everyday' colour!  My favourite bronwish-pink shade is 'Twig' by MAC:

Catherine Zeta Jones has always been an inspiration to me when trying to find that perfect 'brownish-red' colour.  This shade NEEDS to be in every brunettes makeup bag.  After seeing Catherine in 'No Reservations' it almost became my mission to find 'the' brownish-red lipcolour - I think I've come pretty close - the winner for me is 'Viva Glam 111' by MAC (note: this picture came out very dark for some reason, the viva glam doesn't usually look this dark on me - if you want the colour to come out more subtle, just blot on the colour or use a lipbrush):

I hope that you enjoyed my tribute to lipcolour shades that I think are the best for brunettes.  I find that Catherine Zeta Jones and Katie Homles are two actresses that have stayed true to wearing their favourite brown-based lip colour shades.  Check out Catherine and Katie in the following photos: