Every year there's one specific morning when I put on my coral tint, look in the mirror next to my brown coat and think, nope. That happened last week. So I cleared out a drawer, swatched way too much on the back of my hand on the bus, and narrowed down the fall lip tints I'm actually reaching for this season.

These are all Korean tints, so they lean sheer and stain-y rather than full lipstick. That's kind of the point. Darker shades look softer when they're blurred into the lips instead of painted on.

Picking a fall shade without overthinking it

I sort fall colors into three piles. Berries and plums (wine, black cherry, grape) are moody and look great with cooler undertones. Brick and brown (terracotta, pecan, cocoa) are warmer and feel cozy with camel and rust colored clothes. Then there's mauve and dusty rose, which honestly suit almost everyone and are the easiest to wear to work.

If you're scared of dark lips, tap the color in the middle and smudge it outward. It's way less intense than it looks in the tube.

The scarf-proof one

A pile of ETUDE Fixing Tint tubes in red and rose shades on a pink background — ETUDE Fixing Tint

My biggest fall problem is lipstick on the inside of my scarf. ETUDE Fixing Tint was made so it doesn't transfer onto masks, and it turns out that works on chunky knits too. It's a hydro-matte texture, so it sets matte but doesn't feel like it's sucking the moisture out of my lips.

16 Baked Pecan is the warm toasty brown I wear most. 07 Cranberry Plum is the berry one, and 05 Midnight Mauve is the shade for when I want something a bit darker. 12 Salmon Brick is a softer terracotta if pecan feels too brown on you.

Velvet, but not the crusty kind

Rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint tubes on a red background — Rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint

I used to avoid velvet tints because they'd go rough and flaky by lunch. Rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint is light and airy and doesn't feel dry, and it spreads really easily, so a blurry gradient lip takes about ten seconds.

The shade names alone are very sweater weather. 20 Berry Knit is a soft berry, 14 Pecan Tarte is a warm nude-brown, and 19 Earl Grey Shawl is a muted, greyish rose that's perfect for the office. If you want drama, 06 Deepsoul.

My plum for going out

Model with a blurred berry lip holding OFFLOW Knot Sleek Blur Tint — OFFLOW Knot Sleek Blur Tint

OFFLOW Knot Sleek Blur Tint goes on creamy and sets into a soft, airy matte. It doesn't clump or smudge, which matters a lot with dark colors because any patchiness shows. It also has hyaluronic acid and ceramides for moisture, plus bakuchiol and niacinamide, so it feels more like lip care than a typical matte.

D08 Plum Noir is the one I wear to dinners. For daytime, A05 Dusty Earl is a quiet mauve, and D07 Void Brown is there if you want a 90s brown lip.

Shiny on top, stain underneath

Rom&nd Glasting Water Tint bottles lined up on a pink background — Rom&nd Glasting Water Tint

Not every fall lip needs to be matte. Rom&nd Glasting Water Tint has two layers, a color layer and a glassy top layer, so you get that wet look and the color sticks around after the shine fades. It isn't sticky, which I appreciate when my hair keeps blowing into my face.

One tip from the instructions: after you apply it, press your lips together a couple of times and then leave them alone. Rubbing them too much breaks the glossy film. 03 Brick River is the brick red I'd start with, then 14 Mauve Moon or 16 Figrise.

The cold plum I didn't expect to like

Two models wearing 2aN Dewy Fit Tint in pink and berry shades — 2aN Dewy Fit Tint

2aN Dewy Fit Tint feels like fruit juice on the lips, light and a little moisturizing, and the stain comes out true to the color in the tube. Most of the range is peachy and summery, but the last two shades are pure fall.

11 Mahogany is a red-brown that my sister immediately stole. 12 Cold Plum is what I wear on gray days, and 06 Maple Syrup sits in between if you want warm but not too dark.

For a sheer grape stain

hince Raw Glow Gel Tint tubes in a glass on a pink background — hince Raw Glow Gel Tint

If dark lips still feel like a lot, hince Raw Glow Gel Tint is the gentle way in. The color is translucent and buildable, so one layer just looks like your lips got cold, and it leaves a glowy, plump finish without stickiness.

R006 Raw Grape is my pick. It's a berry that doesn't scream berry. R010 Raw Cherry is a little redder.

Glossy, and a bit vampy

lilybyred Bloody Liar Coating Tint tubes stacked on a red background — lilybyred Bloody Liar Coating Tint

lilybyred Bloody Liar Coating Tint starts out super glossy and then settles into a soft, see-through color. Apply it to the inside of the lips for a gradient and it looks like you just ate a handful of berries.

14 Bitter Podo Chewing Gum is the deep grape one (podo means grape in Korean), and 09 Indifferent Fig is a softer, MLBB kind of fig rose that works for literally every day of the week.

If I had to keep just two, it'd be one matte brick and one glossy plum, and I'd switch between them all season. You can browse every shade in our lip tint collection.

MAKEUP

The Fall Lip Tints I Keep Grabbing: Berry, Brick, Mauve and Plum

FAQ

What lip tint colors work best for fall?

Berry, brick, mauve, plum and warm brown nudes are the classic fall lip colors. If you're unsure, start with a muted mauve or a my-lips-but-better rose and go deeper once you're used to it.

How do I wear a dark lip tint without it looking harsh?

Tap it into the center of your lips and blur the edges out with your finger instead of drawing a sharp outline. A gradient lip makes even plum or wine shades look soft.

Matte or glossy tint for colder weather?

Matte and blur tints last longer and don't transfer as much onto scarves or high collars. Glossy tints feel more comfortable on dry days. Plenty of people carry one of each.

What does MLBB mean?

MLBB stands for my lips but better. It's a shade close to your natural lip color, just a little deeper or rosier, so it looks like you're not really wearing anything.

Written by Hyerin Park

Hyerin has always loved shopping—fashion, beauty, and pretty much anything worth adding to cart. Since starting Baerry, that habit has turned into testing dozens of new beauty products that land on the team’s desks in Seoul, plus plenty she buys herself. An ISTJ with a very high bar for what makes the cut, she treats her own face as the testing ground before recommending anything.