These Brown Lip Glosses Will Turn You Into the Ultimate ’90s Cool Girl (2024)

If you’ve been searching in vain for a brown lip gloss that doesn’t lean too warm and orangey or too cool and gray, Ami Colé’s Lip Treatment Oil in Excellence is the answer to your prayers. Full stop. Plus, it’s an oil, so it’s not nearly as sticky or gloopy as other lip glosses, and it conditions the lips with various seed oils.

Key ingredients: Baobab seed oil, camellia seed oil, passion fruit seed oil

Size: 0.15 oz.

Ami Colé rating: 4.7/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I’m not exaggerating when I say that Ami Cole changed my life when they released this lip oil. I’ve always loved a glossy lip and would spend so much time looking for the perfect shade for my skin tone. This one was too pink. That one looks a little ashy. But this shade is the perfect subtle brown that looks amazing with any makeup look I try. Even though it hydrates my lips like an oil, it has the feeling and longevity of a gloss without being too sticky. Applying this oil is my favorite part of my makeup routine. I constantly repurchase it and love it when I notice other people using it. It makes me think, ‘Wow, you have great taste.’” —Tasha Smith, ELLE beauty assistant

The Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm is a TikTok sensation, and it’s not hard to see why. “It plumps, hydrates, and smoothes lips while delivering full-bodied, high-shine color,” explains McCormick. According to her, the best brown shades in the range include Trace (a lighter brown) and Rouse (a chestnut brown).

Key ingredients: TK

Size: TK

Sephora rating: TK/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I’ve probably gifted about a dozen of these glossy balms to friends, and they’ve all come back to me and raved about how beautiful and comfortable the product is. There isn’t a single shade I haven’t liked from the line, but Trace is my favorite by far. It’s officially trench coat season right now, and the milky brown shade and my tan jacket are a match made in heaven. I honestly have a few Traces lying around my apartment or in my handbags at any given moment—that’s how much I love it.”—Carol Lee, ELLE.com associate beauty e-commerce writer

Fenty glosses make lips so glossy that you can almost see your reflection in them. Combine that quality with Hot Chocolit’s universally flattering, deep brown hue, and you’ve got yourself a star that shines almost as brightly as Rihanna herself.

Key ingredient: Shea butter

Size: 0.3 oz.

Ulta rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “Brown glosses have a very special place in my heart, and so does Rihanna. So when Fenty released Hot Chocolit, I was first in line to purchase it. Of course, I was a fan of the original Gloss Bomb, but this deep brown shade looks amazing on deeper skin tones. This formula glides on so nicely and doesn’t feel too heavy or filmy on the lips. I especially love to use this when I want to add a bit of a shimmer to my look.”—Tasha Smith

When I think of a ‘90s cool girl, Victoria Beckham is one of the first ladies to spring to mind. She was always sporting a nude or cool-toned brown lip, so it makes sense that her eponymous makeup line carries all the tools you need for the ultimate brown lip combo, including this milk chocolate-colored gloss.

Key ingredients: Blackcurrant oil, vitamin E, capric triglyceride, lipids, aloe butter

Size: 0.13 oz.

Victoria Beckham Beauty rating: 4.6/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “Victoria Beckham Beauty never misses. When the brand first became available in-store at a Bergdorf Goodman near the office, I beelined there and bought Bikini, Tanline, and Poolside on the spot. I was not only impressed by the sophisticated shades (these tones weren’t as common at the time), but also how adept the formula was at adhering to my lips and staying put.”—Carol Lee

This lip tint is less of a makeup product and more of a treatment that infuses the skin with moisture and plumps your pout with the help of nourishing ingredients like shea butter, peptides, and cupuaçu extract. But it just so happens that the tint in the shade Espresso also adds plenty of shine and envelops your lips in a rich, sultry brown that’ll have passersby asking for product details.

Key ingredients: Shea butter, peptides, cupuaçu, babassu

Size: 0.3 oz.

Rhode rating: 4.3/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “I keep a Rhode Peptide Lip Tint on me at all times because it doubles as my lip balm and lip gloss in a pinch. Espresso, like Ami Colé’s Excellence, is the perfect neutral brown—a shade I imagine Liv Tyler or Devon Aoki would’ve loved in the ‘90s.”—Carol Lee

This bestseller from Saie comes in nine shades, one of which is Push, a soft medium brown. The formula is moisturizing and cushiony, thanks to a blend of castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, and shea butter.

Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, coconut oil

Size: 0.17 oz.

Saie rating: 4.8/5 stars

An ELLE editor says: “Glossybounce has a special place in my heart precisely because it isn’t sticky. I used to think it was impossible to create a gloss or oil that wasn’t gooey on the lips, but Saie proved me wrong. It feels more like a silky lip balm than a gloss, yet it still reflects the light and makes my lips look plumper every time.”—Carol Lee

Tower 28 has quite a few cult-favorite products, but one of its most iconic products is its lip gloss. Our shade of choice is Almond, a milk chocolate-colored brown with a hint of warmth. Personally, I’d throw it on by itself during the day and layer it over a deeper brown lip liner for a sexier vibe in the evening. The point is, it’s super versatile and looks incredible on pretty much any skin tone.

Key ingredients: Apricot kernel oil, raspberry seed oil, rosehip oil

Size: 0.13 oz.

Sephora rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer says: “This product was recommended to me by my sister, and it’s incredible. I’m picky, and I wanted something thin, pigmented enough, non-sticky, and with no flavor. I love them and I’ll be repurchasing forever.”

This gentle lip plumper-gloss hybrid from Gucci is formulated to volumize the lips, reducing the look of fine lines in the process. But don’t worry—the experience is pretty painless and much gentler than other lip plumpers on the market. Suzanne Brown is a slightly warm shade that can be sheered out or built up, depending on the desired intensity.

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, black rose oil

Size: 0.21 oz.

Sephora rating: 4.2/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer says: “I wasn’t interested in the whole ‘brown lippie’ craze that started, mainly due to not finding a brown I liked. And I loathe lip pencils, so that wasn’t an option. Decided to try this Gucci one and instantly fell in love! Finally found my perfect brown, and even better, the formula doesn’t disappoint.”

Round these parts, we love a metal applicator. Paired with this formula, it spreads the gloss evenly over the lips without a hitch, allowing for mess-free application. Plus, Sepia is the deep chestnut brown of our dreams.

Key ingredients: Hylauronic acid, jojoba oil, caprylyl glycol

Size: 0.44 oz.

Sephora rating: 4.1/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer says: “I’ve been using this gloss for a couple weeks, and it has turned into one of my most reached-for glosses. There’s such a sheer tint to it that it looks good for any look I do. I love the metal applicator as it feels more expensive and doesn’t get messy after use!”

Milk’s brown lip gloss actually contains crushed gemstones sprinkled into the formula to help soothe irritated lips. However, there aren’t any visible gemstone particles or glitters in the shade we’re highlighting here, but your lips will appear as smooth and shiny as glass.

Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, goji berry extract, cloudberry seed oil, crushed sapphire and ruby gemstones

Size: 0.2 oz.

Sephora rating: 4.8/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer says: “This is my new favorite lip gloss. The color is just gorgeous, and it’s a reddish brown, which is perfect for any season. It has a high shine, but it’s also made with nourishing oils, so it does not have a sticky finish. You can wear it on its own, or you can also put it on top of lipstick. Highly recommend!”

Alexandra McCormick is a makeup artist and the director of global artistry development at Hourglass Cosmetics.

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