Top 13 Lipstick Shades For Women With Dusky Skin

Browns, reds, and nudes - lip shades that complement your caramel skin beautifully.

Reviewed by Favour Akinjiyan, Makeup Artist
Written by Jyotsana Rao, BE
Edited by Madhumati Chowdhury, MA (English Literature)
Fact-checked by Anu Pallavi, BA  • 

Discussing various lipstick colors for women with dark skin is a conversation that we can go on for hours. Dusky beauties are blessed with a sexy, glorious, and beautiful skin color. But it can be somewhat tricky to accentuate it with makeup. You have to pay a lot of attention to the shades of makeup you use on your skin. And lipsticks can be the biggest challenge of all. That is why we have compiled a list of lipstick hues that beautifully complement dark skin tones. Swipe up to check them out.

protip_icon Keep In Mind
  • Skin Tone: Skin Tone Try darker tints of mauve, deep pink, and deep red for cool undertones. Wear orangy-red, terracotta red, and warmer shades of pink for warm undertones.
  • Attire: Skin Tone Pair brown or peach lipstick with a red dress, mauve with a blue outfit, magenta and cherry red with a white outfit, and taupe with olive or pastel outfits.
  • Small Lips: Skin Tone Wear nude shades of pink and red for small lips and dark matte shades for big lips.
  • Occasion: Skin Tone Fuschia, peach and red are great for parties, while copper brown, rose pink, and taupe ideal for formal settings.

Best Lipstick Colors for Women with Dark Skin

Remember, earthy colors are your best friend! However, many other colors too can work with dark skin. Try these lip colors and be ready to rock the show!

1. Copper Brown

Copper brown looks highly appealing and sultry on dark women. Different shades of copper brown naturally blend with this complexion. This shade works with all kinds of dresses and events.

2. Red

Close up of a woman with dark skin applying red lipstick
Image: Shutterstock

Red is a universal favorite. It looks equally enticing, hot and seductive on darker women. Line your lips with a matching lip liner and fill the red shade inside. Add a little glitter on top and you are ready to set some hearts on fire! Red adds a lot of drama to the already striking features of dark skin. If dark red isn’t your thing, go for shades like brick, wine, cinnamon, rust, ruby, garnet, or terracotta. Ignore your uncles and aunts and enjoy the mystery of red on your lips.

3. Rose Pink

Close up of a woman with dark skin with pink lipstick
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Yes, vivid shades of rose are shades exclusive to your skin. Charm the world with slightly lighter and creamier shades of coral pink/rose pink. You will find a range to explore between the different shades of rose. Customize your street look and become the girl next door with an array of rose pink lip shades.

4. Taupe

Close up of a woman with dark skin applying taupe colored lipstick
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Taupe will highly complement your skin if your complexion is a little deeper. This shade is perfect for dark skinned beauties. Adding glitter to taupe sets up the party stage for dark skinned women. Make sure to use lip liner for smooth application of pink and taupe lip shades.

5. Magenta

Don’t get confused between rose pink and magenta. While rose pink addresses the lighter and calmer shades of rose, magenta is its louder counterpart. This shade goes hand in hand with Asian dark, African dark as well as African-American dark skin tones. Slight varying colors such as berry, mauve, and plum also go well with dark skin tones.

protip_icon Quick Tip

Pick highly pigmented lipsticks for dark skin as they stand out better against this skin tone as compared to lipsticks that are chalky or pastel-colored.

6. Fuchsia

Are you still worried about pink lips and fair skin? Put your worries aside and try this amazing shade of lipstick. You can explore all the shades of this color ranging from lightest to darkest. This lip color adds mystery to the dark skin. Surprise the world being a mysterious dark princess with the spectacular shades of fuchsia.

7. Chocolate Brown

Chocolate brown is different from copper brown. While copper brown is lighter, chocolate brown is deep and dark. It matches the dark skin tone and looks natural. If you want to stick to a simpler look someday, try the chocolate brown shade on your lips. It looks trendy and sophisticated. You can also opt for slightly lighter colors like mocha or espresso.

protip_icon Quick Tip
Dark nudes also work well for dark skin tones. Always apply lip liner in a darker shade than the lipstick (and closer to your skin color) to smoothen the transition between your skin and lips.

8. Peach

Close up of a woman with dark skin applying peach lipstick
Image: Shutterstock

Just like natural pink has always been considered an exclusive color for fair skinned women, there is one color that is generally used by dark skinned women. It is the royal peach color. Peach complements every variation of dark. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best lipstick shades for dusky skinned ladies!

9. Bronze

This metallic shade is the lifeline of women with dark skin tone. It looks elegant and is not loud. It looks enticing and doesn’t look unnatural or overdone. You can wear bronze during the day and can also use it as an evening shade. However, it is still fun to stick to red, the party color, for nights.

10. Nude

Close up of a woman with dark skin applying nude lipstick
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Do you like to keep it soft, simple, and formal? Do you still want a diva look sans the loud makeup? Then nude is the shade for you! You can add a lot of drama, depth, and desire to your looks by making a fusion of bronze and nude. Other nude colors like toffee, beige, sand, ivory, pearl, champagne, and sable also complement the dusky skin. Line your lips with bronze and fill the rest with nude.

11. Rust Red

Young woman with dusky skin applying rust red lipstick
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Rust red lipstick shades can look absolutely stunning on dusky skin tones. Rust red hues’ rich, deep tones accentuate the natural attractiveness of the skin’s dark undertone. You can wear rust-red shades on different occasions like casual outings or formal events.

12. Deep Plum

Young woman with deep plum lipstick
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Rich plum tones contrast beautifully with the warmth of dusky skin, giving the entire makeup look a greater depth and quiet glamor. Deep plum hues highlight your natural features, and lend the lips additional dimension for bigger, more defined lips. It’s an ideal shade even in professional settings.

13. Vivid Orange

Vivid orange lipstick shade
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Yes, that’s right, bright orange is a great shade for dusky skin. This orange shade has warm undertones that help accentuate the richness of the dusky skin tone, producing a stunning and radiant look. In addition to enhancing the dusky complexion, this shade can bring attention to the lips by making them appear larger and more defined.

Infographic: 5 Best Lipstick Shades To Complement Your Dusky Skin Tone

Choosing a perfect lipstick shade, one that matches the skin tone and outfit, is a difficult task for women. But here’s the good news – you can now determine which shades are suitable for your dusky or dark skin tone in multiple ways. We have curated the five best lipstick shades for dark skin. Check the following infographic.

5 best lipstick shades to complement your dusky skin tone (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

How amazing are all these shades! We are sure you cannot wait to try them on. While you can be that mysterious lady with fuchsia, the bronze shade will invite uncountable compliments! While we’ve already listed a variety, you can also experiment with a few other popular shades like- purple (eggplant, aubergine), gold, honey, silver, pewter, gunmetal, and black. So, without any further ado, give your lips the love and shine they deserve, and get ready to be a showstopper with this amazing range of lipstick colors for women with dark skin. Just make sure to cleanse your lips before you apply any lipstick. Also, make sure your lips are smooth. Scrub them gently before applying lipstick if required.

Which is your favorite lip color? Share your choice with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Lakme lipstick is best for dark skin?

There are many we love. Shades like Scarlet Surge, Maroon Mix, Burgundy Break, and Ruby Result are great options for darker skin tones.

Does royal blue lipstick suit dark skin?

Yes. Royal blue is an experimental lip color and suits people of all complexions and undertones. Just rock it with confidence!

Does orange lipstick suit dark skin?

Yes. You can go for bright and deep orange lipstick as most shades look great on dark skin tones.

Key Takeaways

  • Highly pigmented and dark lipsticks look enticing on women with dusky skin as compared to lighter, pastel, and chalky hues.
  • The universal favorite red can add drama and oomph to dusky-skinned features.
  • You can experiment with peach, chocolate brown, bronze, and nude shades if you want a soft, simple, and formal look.
  • Shades of copper brown can blend beautifully with dusky complexions and gel with almost all outfits and occasions.
  • Rose pink and magenta are stunning pink shades that can complement your skin if you’re on the duskier side.


Looking for a lipstick shade that will complement your skin tone perfectly and can be worn on any occasion? Check out this video for the deets!
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