2026’s Hottest Makeup Color Is Surprisingly Easy to Wear

With the rise of vampy makeup, smokey eyes are having their moment again. “A chocolate smokey eye complements your features rather than overpower them,” shares Christian Briceno, celebrity makeup artist. If you have fair skin, consider caramel or milk chocolate hues (only using deeper brown for the outer corners), while those with medium/olive skin should opt for warm browns like espresso for a dimension look. On the flip side, dark cocoa and mahogany work best for tan to deeper skin tones. Once you have your shades, Briceno recommends blending the edges for a soft and lifted look. 

FYI: Placement matters, especially when it comes to your eye shape. “If you have hooded or deep-set eyes, I would place the darkest brown slightly above the crease so you still see the shape when the eye is open, and I keep the lid a little lighter so it doesn't look like one dark block,” explains Briceno. “On round eyes, I always drag the shadow out and up into a soft wing so the eye looks more elongated, and I keep the inner corner cleaner and brighter.”

If a smokey eye isn’t your thing, brown eyeliner will also define 2026. “Brown liner is about to be everywhere, but not in a big graphic way. Think soft chocolate wings that sit a bit lower and more diffused than the classic black cat eye,” says Briceno. “Or brown tight lining on top of the waterline to make lashes look fuller without an obvious liner. You can also lightly smudge the chocolate color along the outer third of the lower lash line instead of a harsh black pencil all the way around.”

Eyeliner aside, you can take it up a notch by swiping on some brown mascara. As Bodnar explains “We’re already seeing brown mascara become a hero trend on its own. Beauty influencers and tastemakers are calling brown ‘the new black’ when it comes to mascara, because it gives you definition without harshness and looks beautiful in no-makeup makeup looks.” 

I’ve been rocking this tip for years and it’s super simple to achieve. Known as the ‘90s supermodel lip,’ all you need is a brown liner (that matches your undertone) and lipstick or gloss that complements your skin tone. “Brown lips are seeing a resurgence, and the biggest lip trend happening alongside chocolate eyes is the ‘neutral but defined lip.’ It gives balance without competing. Think ’90s inspo but softer, more wearable and more inclusive,” says Bodnar. 

Briceno suggests a soft cocoa color with a hint of rose and mauve for fair skin so as to not “eat the whole face and look like a throwback costume.” When it comes to medium/olive skin, consider chocolate brown with a mix of beige or peach, whereas those with deeper skin tones can try dark chocolate, espresso or red-brown tones in their lipstick. 

Our experts have already predicted toasty blush to be a hit for winter—and adding bronzer to your look is a nice touch. “Bronzer is your best friend for this monochromatic, toasted aesthetic. The secret to a toasted brown cheek is definition without heaviness. Start by applying your bronzer lightly with a large, fluffy cheek brush, beginning at the apples of your cheeks and brushing upward toward your temples,” explains Mat Wulff, celebrity makeup artist and Ulta Beauty Pro Team Member. “Next, layer a blush that leans more toward a bronzy tone instead of a traditional rosy shade. This adds a subtle wash of color that keeps the look cohesive.”

When it comes to finding a bronzer, look for two shades deeper than your skin tone. Briceno explains, “I use a light caramel shade on the cheeks for very fair skin, neutral chocolate bronzer and cinnamon blush for medium to tan skin and espresso or red-brown tones for deeper skin tones.”