Why we have a taste for chocolate brown beauty
Chocolate tones are the flavour of the season, deliciously influencing our taste in hair, nails and make-up.
Brown shades were long considered boring in beauty, but this season the underrated tones are finally getting their share of attention.
Rich cocoa lips, soft brown eyeliner and chocolate milk nails are just some of the trends being explored on the autumn/winter runways and on a local front, hair colourists and make-up artists are seeing a boost in all shades brown.
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“Browns will always be timeless in my opinion,” Melbourne based make-up artist Marie Poulos says.
“Some might label brown as safe because it’s earthy and neutral, but it’s such a flexible colour and that gives me the power to create so many looks.”
If you want to introduce the brown trend into your make-up, but don’t know where to start, here are some beginner-friendly make-up ideas to get things rolling.
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Luscious chocolate brown lips
Having a pop of colour on your lips is hardly revolutionary, but a brown statement shade has an edgier, modern feel; a stark contrast to classic tones of red and pink.
“Matte browns are having a moment right now due to ’90s trends making a comeback as well as the ever-influential Kardashians and their glam team,” Marie says.
“The perfect brown lip always starts with a cork toned lip pencil because it’s so flattering on all skin tones.
“It also creates really nice shadowing and contouring to the lips for that perfect pouty look.”
Marie says lip liners are one of the easiest ways to work brown into your make-up.
“My favourite method gives a softer approach to brown lips and this involves using a brown lip liner, softly smudging it in the lips and then pairing it with a lighter nude lipstick dabbed in the centre of the lip.”
How to create beautiful, soft brown eyes
Brown is also being reimagined is on the eyes.
Rather than a traditional black cat eye, make-up artists and TikTokkers alike are substituting the look with brown eyeliner, which gives a softer edge on the trend.
“I live for using smudgy brown eyeliners, smoking it out with brown eye shadow and then layering a darker gel liner to create a smoldering, gradient effect,” Marie says.
“This will elevate your eye make-up, keeping it more edgy elegant and less 2016 glam – plus, its super alluring.”
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Brunette is the new black
Dimensional hair colour with sun kissed highlights won’t disappear, just expect to see less of it as more people embrace their brunette roots for a healthier, richer hair colour during the cooler months.
Chocolate brown has become one of the most requested hair shades in salons this season, as well as other brunette tones such as chestnut, auburn and walnut.
If you want to go brunette without committing to a solid, flat shade, ask your colourist for a dimensional brunette colour treatment that gives you brown-based highlights; a hair technique dubbed “expensive brunette”.
“I’m a natural brunette, so I know first-hand that hair colour really does influence your make-up in terms of what colours and tones flatter you best,” Adelaide make-up artist, Jemma Millar says.
When Jemma was bleaching her hair, she favoured pink-toned make-up that enhanced the bright, blonde tones in her hair, but now she embraces more dramatic eye make-up.
“Darker hair shades give you more flexibility with eye make-up and you can go more intense on the eyes without it appearing harsh or unnatural.”
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Written by Charlotte Brundrett.
