My Go-To Brown Lip Liners That Actually Work on Olive Skin

May 07, 2025

I’ve tested a lot of brown lip liners over the years, and a few have really stood out—especially because none of them go orange on my olive skin. Whether I’m going for a soft, natural look or something that lasts all day, these are the ones I keep reaching for. Here’s why they’ve earned a spot in my routine! In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Swatches are in order of the reviews below from left to right

Glossier Lip Line Enhancing Hydrating Longwear Lip Liner Pencil in Buff – When I was going through all my lip liners and picking out my favorite browns, I realized that this one is the one I end up wearing the most. The formula is super comfortable, lightweight and non-drying formula. It’s not the longest wearing because of that but as someone with pretty dry lips, that’s a trade off I’m willing to make. The formula is creamy and hydrating, making it easy to apply without tugging. Buff is a slightly warm leaning brown that doesn’t go orange, and I’m so excited to wear this even more in the summer.

Thrive Causemetics Lip Filler Long-Wearing + Plumping Lip Liner in Kackie – I don’t know how Kackie did it, but this such a perfect neutral brown shade for me. I can put any gloss or lipstick over top of it, and it looks great. The formula also manages to be creamy, not drying, and have great staying power. It’s the lip liner I use when I don’t want to worry about my lip look coming together, especially in the morning before I’ve had coffee and just want something I know will work. I think I started writing about this one in 2020, and I’m surprised how it continues to rise to the top of my lip liner collection.

Em Cosmetics Soft Blur Velvet Lip Liner in Mink – This formula blends so easily so you can get a soft, blurred, and diffused look. I find that creates a much more natural look that still defines my lips and helps prevent any feathering of the lipstick I use on top. Even with how soft and lightweight they are, they are very long lasting. Mink is such a perfect cool brown for olive skin tones that also works really well with my lip color and with my favorite lipsticks and glosses.

ELF Cream Glide Lip Liner In Baddest Beige – I can’t say I like these better than my favorite lip liners from Thrive or Victoria Beckham, but if you’re looking for an affordable, high-quality lip liner that competes with higher-end options, this is it. The formula is creamy enough to glide on effortlessly without tugging or patchiness. I was super impressed given these are $2, and really like the semi-matte finish that works beautifully on its own or as a base under lipstick. They wear surprisingly well without drying out my lips. Baddest Beige is light neutral beige that’s a little warm on me but doesn’t go orange.

Victoria Beckham Lip Definer in 02 – The formula is really stiff but is still relatively easy to work with as long as your lips aren’t incredibly dry. Because it’s so stiff, it dries down immediately and lasts an incredibly long time, so if you’re looking for something that really will stay put, this formula is great. Despite it’s dry texture, It’s quite agreeable, especially if you use lip balm ahead of time. That said, I find I don’t reach for it as much right now because it’s so dry here and it feels like I’m tugging on my lips in an uncomfortable way. I’m excited to get more use out of it in the summer. 02 is described as a neutral beige brown for light to medium lip tones, but I think it leans a bit warm and a bit pink, as you can hopefully see from the above swatches. Both Kackie from Thrive and Mink from Em Cosmetics are truer beigey brown tones. It’s still one of my favorites in this color group, but if you’re looking for something really brown, I’d go with one of the others.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.