When it comes to weird and wonderful make-up, black lipstick is a seasonal exclusive. Usually bound to the constraints of witch costumes and gothic wardrobes, this dramatic hue has remained relatively unexplored in the spectrum of statement lip colours; unless you were a model at London Fashion Week SS24, of course.
From Burberry to Edward Crutchley, striking noir glosses and black lip liners (you know, the sort that have usually rolled to the back of our beauty drawers by the turn of November 1st) were rife on the runways of Spring's upcoming fashion season. Where previous seasons have presented unwavering matte textures, crisp lines and opaque coverage, SS24's pigments have high-shine at their helm. It's official, latex lips are the chicest way to wear black lipstick.
And as Rihanna famously said: 'I love black lipstick. It's daring, it's bold and there's a way that it can be really, really beautiful.'
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The black lipstick renaissance showed early signs during FW23, where Bora Aksu, Mark Fast and Rodarte showcased a set of seamless inky pouts. By SS24, the trend had transcended matte finishes, trading out transfer-proof textures for the ultimate vinyl glaze. Cue latex lips. Puppets & Puppets, Watanabe and Burberry all adopted the trend, debuting similarly glassy lip iterations just in time for... Spring?
And as per, the red carpet is following suit. On the stars side, Lupita Nyong'o recently debuted a glazed carbon lip colour for Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour. The epitome of chic, it's safe to say this statement lip makes a convincing case for festive lipstick. What better way to balance your sparkles than the most neutral tone in your make-up bag?
'Dark, almost black lips is a fun holiday alternative in a sea full of red lips during the holidays,' says celebrity make-up artist Nick Barose, who created Nyong'o's look. 'It’s glamorous, vampy and unexpected.'
Your typical dark lipstick pigments can veer plummy or burgundy, especially on darker skin tones, so Barose harnessed the power of eyeliner for a true black shade.
'On Lupita, I lined and filled in the whole lips with creamy black eyeliner pencil (my favourite is the Lisa Eldridge Seamless Glide Eyeliner Pencil in Black Treacle) then topped it off with burgundy tone gloss, the Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss, to add a hint of plum. For extra drama, it’s fun to pair it with matching black eyeliner, or a shimmery pewter tone eyeshadow. It’s all about the drama and strength.'
While this versatile trick might be alien to anyone new to a strong black lip, it's important to note that the switching of lip and eyeliners is nothing new; in fact, it's a make-up essential for many women of colour in the absence of appropriate shade ranges and it dates back as far as the 1990s.
Lupita isn't the only celebrity green-lighting the shade. The Everything Everywhere All at Once star Stephanie Hsu sported a similarly glossy hue for this year's Met Gala, while actor Sheila Atim opted for a softened ombré lip for The Fashion Awards 2023 on Monday. The make-up industry has also clocked onto the trend, with brands like Huda Beauty debuting grunge cosmetics with prettifying edge. Goth Gloss? Add to cart.
KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Liquid Lipstick
Gucci Rouge a Levres Satin
M.A.C Squirt Plumping Gloss Stick
Milk Makeup Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss
So, if you're tired of the timeless festive red, the all-out show-stopping latex lip is guaranteed to steal glances from Christmas to New Year.
Katie Withington (she/her) is the Beauty Writer, at ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar. Working alongside the ELLE UK Beauty Team, she covers all things beauty for both print and digital, from finding backstage make-up trends at London Fashion Week and investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, to unzipping the beauty bags of Hailey Bieber and Margot Robbie. Prior to joining ELLE UK in 2022, Katie studied (BA) Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion and has previously contributed to Red, Good Housekeeping and Prima.
