Mauve tones are in, especially in the world of K-beauty, and we love that the bolder, moodier look is finally taking centre stage after years of peaches and corals.
Mauve hues sit in between pink and lilac with a slight touch of grey and are particularly flattering for those with brown eyes. Whatever your skin tone, there’s a mauve shade out there to compliment you.
As always, Korean cosmetics are simply blowing the competition out of the water, which is why they dominate this list. Just when we thought we’d seen it all in terms of lip products, they’ve come up with newer and better lip tint and lipstick formulas that are even more lightweight and mask-proof than ever before.
Model wearing 3CE Blur Water Tint in Double Wind, Credit: 3CE
In general, those with warmer undertones (the veins in your wrist area appear mostly green) tend to suit mauves that lean more to the rosy or brownish nude side, such as 3CE Blur Water Tint in Double Wind and Aprilskin Mood Blurring Lip Tint in Rose Muhley. (Links to purchase can be found below!)
Park Sora wearing 3CE Cloud Tint in Fairy Cake, Credit: 3CE
Credit: Aprilskin
Those with cool undertones (your veins in your wrist area appear mostly blue or purple) look wonderful in the more saturated bluish-purple hues like 3CE Cloud Tint in Fairy Cake and Clio Dewy Blur Tint in Mauve Plum. (Links to purchase can be found below!)
Jeyu wearing Etude House Fixing Tint in Dusty Beige, Credit: Etude House
Those with neutral undertones (your veins appear both green and purple) can pull off a wide range of colours. If this is you, you can choose your lip colour for the day to match your outfit and accessories, or the rest of your makeup for a seamless, monochromatic look.
However, these are just general guidelines and you shouldn’t adhere to them too strictly! Feel free to wear whatever colours you like, as long as they make you feel good.
Besides the hottest Korean lip tints on the market, we do have some recommendations from luxury western beauty brands with great formulas, so stick around to find out which ones they are!
Peripera Ink the Velvet Nude Brew in #27 Strawberry Nude
Peripera lip tints need no introduction – they’ve achieved legendary status in the world of blurring lip tints with their affordable prices and blendable formula.
While their original “Ink The” line had very vibrant reds, corals, and oranges, we’re in love with the new Nude Brew range that features muted, latte-like tones that are super on-trend. It’s no wonder that the line sold out instantly at Olive Young stores upon its launch.
Despite its inexpensive price tag, this tint looks luxurious and high-end when worn on the lips. It has the same light flowery scent and thick creamy texture as the original Ink the Velvet range.
Due to the thicker formula, it’s not mask-proof and does leave stains on your cup. If this is a concern for you, you can minimise any transfer by blotting your lips a couple of times with a tissue before wearing your mask.
As its name suggests, Strawberry Nude is a “strawberry milk tea” shade that works perfectly as a base colour. Those with medium to deeper skin tones may either want to avoid this shade completely or pair it with a deeper tint to avoid a chalky look.
Peripera Ink the Velvet Nude Brew retails for S$10.05 (U.P. S$13.40).
Peripera Ink the Velvet Nude Brew in #28 Mauveful Brew
From the same Nude Brew series, Mauveful Brew is a greyish mauve with a touch of rose. It’s a milkier version of MAC’s More the Mehr-ier (also on our list) and gives a toned-down, moody vibe.
The colour is very subtle when worn in a light layer, and more of the purple tinge comes through when the tint is built up.
Peripera Ink the Velvet Nude Brew retails for S$10.05 (U.P. S$13.40).
rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint in #18 Petal Tassel
Another OG of the blurry velvet tints, the Zero Velvet Tint is also extremely popular in Korea. Described as “Bludging”, an amalgamation of the words “blur” and “smudging”, its lightweight formula disguises fine lines and gives lips a soft, filtered look.
Those who loved the purplish shades like Burnt Heart, Icy, and Polar from the original line would love Petal Tassel. It’s part of the Fall/Winter 2020 collection, which was developed in collaboration with rom&nd fans.
Petal Tassel is a very pretty diffused pink-mauve.
rom&nd Zero Velvet Tint in #18 Petal Tassel retails for S$13.55 (U.P. S$19.90).
3CE Cloud Tint in Fairy Cake
In terms of Korean lip tints, 3CE falls on the more luxury side of things. The packaging is a gorgeous squarish tube topped with a gleaming gold lid.
3CE’s Cloud Tint range gives an airy, “cloud-like” weightless feel and a semi-matte finish. This is a bolder medium shade that’s suitable for evening looks and would look great on photos.
3CE Cloud Tint retails for S$21.
3CE Blur Water Tint in Double Wind
The 3CE Blur Water Tint applies watery and dries into a soft-focus finish. The watery gel formula is enhanced with a light primer and adheres seamlessly to the lips, leaving it moisturised throughout the day.
Surprisingly, the formula is also transfer-proof, so it’s a good one to wear under masks! To avoid any clumping, make sure your lips are completely bare before application, and only use thin layers.
Double Wind is a muted berry hue. Do note that 3CE’s Blur Water Tints are less pigmented than most of the tints on this list, so your natural lip colour can greatly affect how it appears.
3CE Blur Water Tint in Double Wind retails for S$19.53.
Aprilskin Mood Blurring Lip Tint in Rose Muhley
This range was newly launched in January 2022 in Korea. When you think of Aprilskin, their popular Snow Cushions and skincare products may come to mind. While Aprilskin is not particularly well-known for its lip tints, the brand new Mood Blurring Tints may change that.
These tints have a unique texture – they appear more glossy and translucent when applied and turn into blurry tints when rubbed into the lips.
To get the best results, try not to layer too many times and allow each layer to dry first before applying the next. You can also buy the transparent lip primer for a smoother look and better adherence.
Rose Muhley is a rosy-mauve tone that those with warmer undertones can pull off well. It works well worn on its own, or as a base for the Plum Wine shade.
Aprilskin Mood Blurring Lip Tint retails for S$31.35.
AMUSE Chou Velvet in #08 Jadu/Plum
Amuse is known for its fresh minimalist packaging, and its Chou Velvet series is no exception. The opaque parts of the squarish bottles match the tint inside, with clear caps on top.
The Chou Velvet tints are vegan and the boxes are printed with soy ink. It features a comfort fitting technology formula that feels like choux cream and fills in wrinkles and fine lines. Those with dry lips would love that it contains nourishing ceramides and low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid.
It contains an “allergy-free fragrance” that gives a light and refreshing scent to your lips upon application.
The Jadu/Plum shade is a soft, pinkish mauve hue. This has been dubbed one of the “best” shades of the collection, and is also Seulgi from Twice’s pick.
AMUSE Chou Velvet retails for S$23.70.
B. By Banila Velvet Blurred Veil Lipstick in PK02 Smoke Mauve
House in a matching lipstick tube with matte gold accents, this innovative blurred tint formula contains moisturising cottonseed oil and mango seed butter for a smooth texture.
The silky formula applies evenly like a soft veil on the lips and has a blurred matte finish. It adheres well and doesn’t stain easily.
A calm, cool, muted mauve colour, Smoke Mauve is a see-through subtle shade with low saturation that’s great for every day. The colour leans neutral and suits a variety of skin tones.
B. By Banila Velvet Blurred Veil Lipstick retails for S$29.90.
B. by Banila Water Drop Veil Tint in PP01 Flower Shower
We can’t get enough of this luxurious, frosted matte pink packaging. The Water Drop Veil Tint has a moist, soft texture that doesn’t smear easily.
It applies like a transparent, moist gel, and transforms into a smooth velvety texture. The gel fills in lip lines and improves the appearance of dull and cracked lips.
Unlike the lipsticks, these leave a strong stain, which means you don’t have to worry about it fading too much throughout the day. Despite the name which makes you think of a moist, easily smudged type of tint, there’s barely any transfer onto cups or masks.
Flower Shower is a gorgeous medium bluish mauve shade, and we think the name’s a perfect match for the pretty hue.
B. by Banila Water Drop Veil Tint retails for S$29.90.
Clio Dewy Blur Tint in #8 Mauve Plum
The packaging of these tints is somewhat the opposite of the AMUSE tints, with an opaque top and clear bottom that shows the lip tint colour inside.
The pigmented formula applies like a watery tint and becomes matte and blurry if you press your lips together a few times. It seems to sink into the lips a little so the colour appears very natural and reminiscent of watercolour.
With moisturising ingredients like rosehip and rose extracts, it doesn’t clump up or leave lips feeling dried out. Do note that the colour of the tint seems to appear a little deeper once it sets.
Mauve Plum is a striking cool-toned mauve that is a more saturated version of 3CE’s Double Wind, and more purple in tone than Wakemake’s Orchid Bloom.
Clio Dewy Blur Tint in #8 Mauve Plum retails for S$20.18.
Romand Blur Fudge Tint in #6 Mauvish
If you like the original Zero Velvet Tint, you’ll probably love this. It’s thinner and lighter than the original formula and lasts longer, with a subtle chocolate scent to match the fudge tint name.
Its unique dense texture fills in any wrinkles and has a completely matte finish. While most matte lip products contain powder, this tint uses wax to achieve a matte look, making it less drying.
Mauvish is a classic greyish-mauve that suits cool-toned skin. It gives a mysterious vibe that would go brilliantly with ashy hair colours.
Romand Blur Fudge Tint retails for S$13.40.
Etude House Fixing Tint in Dusty Beige
With their non-drying mask-proof formula, the Etude House Fixing Tints have been a massive success globally. Fans of the Fixing Tint formula were overjoyed when the brand released three new colours in collaboration with popular Korean beauty YouTuber Jeyu, two of which are cool-toned.
The flexible doe-foot applicator makes it easy to do what Koreans call “over lips”, which is basically overdrawing your lips slightly for a fuller pout. For best, no-transfer results, don’t apply too thick of a layer and allow 60 seconds for the tint to set on your lips before wearing your mask.
Dusty Beige is an opaque, muted greyish mauve that works perfectly as a base for cool colours.
Etude House Fixing Tint in Dusty Beige retails for S$19.90.
Etude House Fixing Tint in Cranberry Plum
Cranberry Plum is a pigmented plum mauve with the slightest hint of grey that looks good on any skin tone. According to Jeyu, she created this colour based on the findings of researchers at Etude House and also revealed that this is both her and the researchers’ personal favourite colour in the collection.
She dislikes colours that are too dark, so she made sure this one was appropriately saturated without appearing too deep. It’s a pleasing colour that brightens her warm complexion.
This colour was created to be used in tandem with Dusty Beige, but you can use Midnight Mauve from the same series as a base and apply Cranberry Plum in the centre for a warmer, more neutral look.
Etude House Fixing Tint in Cranberry Plum retails for S$17.91.
Rarekind Oversmudge Lip Tint in Mauveficial
The Oversmudge Lip Tint from Rarekind is a favourite of K-pop celebs like Hwasa, and for good reason.
Its trendy packaging is instantly recognisable with its bold font and slanted lid, and the solid colours of the tubes correspond with each shade.
The formula is smooth and easy to work with, even on dry lips, as it disguises any flakes and leaves a powdery finish.
Mauveficial is a muted dried rose shade.
Rarekind Oversmudge Lip Tint retails for S$24.90.
MAC Cosmetics Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in More the Mehr-ier
The whipped mousse texture of MAC’s Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour gives your lips a diffused, soft-focus look. It promises 10 hours of wear with “stay-true colour” that will not flake, crease, or fade.
It has a unique hourglass-shaped applicator that perfectly hugs the lips for a flawless application.
MAC Cosmetics Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in More the Mehr-ier retails for S$43.
Bite Beauty Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon in Pastille
Bite Beauty is known for its edible lippies which are made with healthy ingredients that nourish and protect your lips.
This crayon features pomegranate oil, wild African mango, and orange peel wax, which moisturise your pout and seal in hydration. It’s fragrance-free and paraben-free, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin.
Pastille is a muted, medium-dark mauve with neutral undertones that suits a variety of skin tones.
Bite Beauty Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon in Pastille retails for S$38.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Secret Salma
Created in honour of the sultry Salma Hayek, Secret Salma is a muted, mid-toned rosy mauve with slightly warm undertones.
For some magical reason, this shade looks absolutely beautiful on every skin tone. In fact, you can see it worn by women with diverse skin colours on the Charlotte Tilbury website.
The formula contains antioxidant Lipstick Tree and Orchid extracts that soften, protect, and hydrate, while “3D glowing pigments” create a fuller look.
The finish is opaque, cashmere-soft, and the colour lasts throughout the day. It can be paired with the iconic Pillow Talk lip liner for a plumper pout.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Secret Salma retails for S$50.
Gucci Rouge de Beauté Brillant Lipstick in #214 Call it a Day
A pigmented hybrid lipstick and balm, the Rouge de Beauté Brillant lipsticks give a luminous glowing finish for those who prefer some shine.
Formulated with flower oils, fruit butter, and hyaluronic acid, this is a lippie that claims to provide moisture for 24 hours. It is infused with black rose oil, peony oil, jojoba seed oil, and karité butter, which smooth the lips and give long-lasting hydration. It’s perfect for days when you don’t want to deal with exfoliating dry and chapped lips.
Call it a Day is an understated mauve MLBB shade with slightly warm undertones.
Gucci Rouge de Beauté Brillant Lipstick retails for S$59.
