The Subtle Side of Dark Lips

You know we love dark lips. Like, a lot (sorry, New York Times). But, we understand that ladies who don't try on lipstick for a living may be less inclined to swipe on deep blackberry lipstick on any given Tuesday. We don't blame them — dark colors can be difficult to pull off, especially if you're very fair, as the lighter-skinned among us tend to be in the middle of a polar vortex.

Which is why I had an epiphany recently when I tried the lovely Brown Berry shade from Bobbi Brown's Runway Beauty Secrets set. In the tube, the color is just a tad deeper than a neutral, but upon application, it gives an edgy, stained look that's slightly darker than my natural lip color. A lightbulb went off, and suddenly, I became obsessed with finding lip colors that allow me to get the suggestion of a wine stain without totally washing out my winter-pale visage. (Clinique Black Honey, get back in my makeup case!)

If you're as intrigued by this your-lips-but-more-badass look as I am, click through the slideshow to find versions of this lip look at every price point. (Welcome back, Wet n Wild!) Your next all-purpose lippy is right this way!