Trendlet: The berry lip

Let's face it - red lipstick is always on trend. Sometimes the hue of the moment is a mahogany-tinged maroon; other times, it's a clear claret.

This year, the most glamorous of holiday partygoers will likely opt for some deep fruity shades in a range of raspberry and cranberry tones.

Berry lips. We like them matte with just a hint of gloss. Luckily there is no shortage this fall - from the berrylicious Blood Roses by the late makeup-artist-to-the-stars Kevyn Aucoin to New Jersey-based Suede salon's private-label lipliner Sweet Berry. On Wednesday, MAC will release a makeup collaboration with designer Prabul Gurung that features a strawberry-ish Ultra Marine Pink.

Like all lasting trends in makeup, lipstick goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians, who used red dye extracted from gemstones and berries to enhance their lips. Tubes of lipstick started selling in the early 1900s, and in the 1930s Elizabeth Arden became the first company to offer other-than-red tones, including magenta and redwood. During the same decade, Max Factor developed a creamy, light pink named Strawberry Meringue. And from that moment on, rosy to ruby mouths have been in and out of style - all berries included.

The same woman who swore by coral last year and Valentino red the year before. She prefers a bold lip over a smoky eye. Nudes bore her, and she would never, ever forsake her lipliner.

Too berry can be too much because of my skin's yellow undertones. I prefer my lips more burgundy. I'm thinking, though, that cherry might be my happy berry-medium.

The berry lip is definitely for evening. Carry a tube in your purse to turn your cubicle-friendly face into happy-hour haute. Cooler complexions can wear berry hues with relative ease. However, if you have a warm complexion like me, consider blending wine or burgundy with cranberry and raspberry shades.

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