Thrive Tries It: A Cruelty-Free Lipstick That Looks Good on Everyone

A swipe of the right shade of lipstick has the power to brighten a smile and give any face an instant lift. Lipstick can be empowering too—early feminists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman proved it when they painted their lips as a symbol of emancipation at the 1912 NYC Suffragette rally.

Is there a magic shade that can bring out the natural loveliness of people of every skin tone? To find out, I tapped five of the most vibrant gals (of all colors!) at Thrive HQ for the ultimate beauty experiment: to find the one lipstick that works on everyone.

Our muses:

Curtrice is an earthy bohemian woman who possesses smooth, medium-brown skin.

Toddre, a sultry and stylish Los Angeles native, has medium-brown skin with golden undertones.

Jill, a low-key lady, is radiant with a medium-tan complexion.

Catherine, with her fun-loving spirit, has a medium, slightly olive tint.

Megan is a model-esque and mellow fair-skinned, California-bred blonde.

The winning shade? All Night Long by Mineral Hygienics. Inspired by the dark hue of California raisins, the neutral shade gives lips the perfect pop of color for fall and winter, day or evening.

As each of our muses piled into the ladies’ room, puckered up, and applied, this color seemed to adapt to each skin tone—I was amazed and delighted by the results! On darker skin this lipstick reveals hints of pink. Medium skin is perfectly complemented with a brownish brick hue. And on fair skin it takes on a yummy berry tone.

The consensus: We were all crazy about this chameleon shade! It can go subtle or high-impact on just about any skin tone depending on the thickness of application. And Mineral Hygienics lipsticks are cruelty-free, contain no artificial ingredients whatsoever, and are inexpensive to boot. Bonus: the soothing formula glides on smooth and nourishes lips. Love, love, love!