A Love Letter to The Best Berry Lip Colours
"For all intents and purposes, it's become my life shade."
By
Lesa Hannah
Date July 9, 2019
If you were to track my lipstick evolution, you would see it started at frosted pink in my early teens, had a brief stopover with red (L’Oreal’s “British Red Coat”) during an angsty goth phase, and by my early 20s, I was fully committed to 90s brick red brown like everyone else. (Side note: before I knew magazine beauty credits were mostly fake, I hunted down whatever Cameron Diaz was wearing on the September 1998 cover of Jane Magazine.) But at some point in my mid to late 20’s, I settled comfortably into a plum berry, and there I have stayed. For all intents and purposes, it’s become my life shade. It’s the one I feel most me in and what I apply as a final test when I’m trying on something in a change room, and I need to know if the item will truly integrate with me.
Unlike red or nude, berry has never been one of those shades that seems to be trending, or is so classic and universally loved that it gets an entire collection devoted to it. In fact, it’s always felt more like a bit of an underdog, the one your eye searches for when sizing up a lipstick range to see if a good one made the cut. Like anyone who has a favourite shade, I’ve accumulated several of the years and keep multiple variants in my purse as well as my makeup bag. My friend Katherine is as equally devoted to this lip colour and it’s come to be our shade, which we one day started calling “dream berry”. It’s basically shorthand for not too red, not too dark, not too fuschia, just that glorious hue that’s on par with dark pink peonies. (It’s no coincidence we both wore MAC’s “Rebel” on our wedding days).
After much ruminating, and rummaging through drawers and forgotten makeup bags, these are the ones that make our ultimate list:
Best For Brunch
Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in "Crush"
($15, Amazon)
“I’d describe this as if frozen boysenberries took a spin in the blender with dark cherries. Apply carelessly in between bottomless mimosas to revive a sleepy Sunday face.” —Katherine
Best For No Mirrors
Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in "Grandest Grape"
($23, Clinique)
“Easy to apply because it’s so forgiving, I used this constantly when I was on maternity leave. It was my half-assed-the-most-I-can-muster-berry lip.” —Lesa
Best For Sad Lips
Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in "Orchid"
($32, Fresh)
“If your lips are down and out (i.e. parched, peeling), this cushiony lip treatment imparts a crushed grape cast while still ensuring they’re getting a re-up of moisture.” —Katherine
“Smoky with a bit of violet, this is good for holding berry lipsticks in place or blending with a clear balm for a flushed lip. It plays nicely with almost any fuchsia, red or plum, too. I like to leave this in my purse to amend or update any leftover Dream Berry lipstick that requires a touch up.”–Katherine
Best For An Epic Dinner Out
Burberry Lip Velvet Crush in "Rosy Mauve"
($34, The Bay)
“On its own, this isn’t quite dream berry, BUT when layered over one, it packs extra staying power.” —Lesa
“A classic and cool, blue-based raspberry that anchored my wedding look; it will always occupy space in my heart for that very reason. ‘Rebel’ leaves a satin, slightly glossy finish.”—Katherine
Best For Coffee Meet Ups
Powermatte Lip Pigment in "Give It Up"
($34, Nars)
“It delivers a high impact lip that won’t migrate after your oat milk latte. It’s cool, and little dusty, with a featherweight formula that paints on like water but dries down to a creamy, dense berry.”—Katherine
Best For The Office
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in "Jam"
($26, Bite Beauty)
“If it was still available, I’d be putting ‘Aquarius’ from the Astrology collection here. It is *chef’s kiss*. Instead I’ll give you the next best thing, which is ‘Jam’—looking far more dark in this image than what it is IRL—and what I applied with abandon before ‘Aquarius’ came into my life.”—Lesa
Best For The Office Too
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in "Eggplant"
($26, Bite Beauty)
“This is a mauve-forward hue packed with 12 different oils to keep lips moisturized well past lunch. It might not guarantee that pay well-deserved pay increase, but it will certain command during your presentation in the boardroom.”—Katherine
“Named after Linda Rodin’s mother, who wore this shade will riding her ten speed, this is the ne plus ultra of my collection. I keep it at home because the lucite cap always falls off and I don’t want it to get ruined in my bag. When you apply it sheer, it gives you that amazing popsicle stain effect and it just gets better when you build upon it. I often use it on cheeks too.”
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By
Lauren Knowles
Date April 19, 2024
By
Lauren Knowles
Date April 19, 2024
By
Lauren Knowles
Date April 18, 2024
 during an angsty goth phase, and by my early 20s, I was fully committed to 90s brick red brown like everyone else. (Side note: before I knew magazine beauty credits were mostly fake, I hunted down whatever Cameron Diaz was wearing on the September 1998 cover of Jane Magazine.) But at some point in my mid to late 20's, I settled comfortably into a plum berry, and there I have stayed. For all intents and purposes, it's become my life shade. It's the one I feel most me in and what I apply as a final test when I'm trying on something in a change room, and I need to know if the item will truly integrate with me.
Unlike red or nude, berry has never been one of those shades that seems to be trending, or is so classic and universally loved that it gets an entire collection devoted to it. In fact, it's always felt more like a bit of an underdog, the one your eye searches for when sizing up a lipstick range to see if a good one made the cut. Like anyone who has a favourite shade, I've accumulated several of the years and keep multiple variants in my purse as well as my makeup bag. My friend Katherine is as equally devoted to this lip colour and it's come to be our shade, which we one day started calling "dream berry". It's basically shorthand for not too red, not too dark, not too fuschia, just that glorious hue that's on par with dark pink peonies. (It's no coincidence we both wore MAC's "Rebel" on our wedding days).
After much ruminating, and rummaging through drawers and forgotten makeup bags, these are the ones that make our ultimate list:
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