Add a touch of warmth to your makeup with the ‘milk tea lips’ trend

The idea with milk tea lips is to evoke a cozy cup of tea with a splash of cream or milk, like a bubble tea drink sans tapioca pearls. From Aperol spritz makeup to blueberry milk nails, the beauty realm is no stranger to food-inspired trends. With autumn in full swing, it was only a matter of time before warm tea colors made their way back into the makeup world. 

So, here’s what this trend is all about—it’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s your cup of tea.

What do milk tea lips look like? 

As with many beauty trends, the term is more about the vibes than specific features. In practice, it encompasses warm-toned lip colors in general. You’d think that “milk tea” would be more of a light brown color, but the shade that’s gone viral is really a dusty rose or mauve hue. Think Clinique's Black Honey.

@tammymlbb_ Fall time mocha lippie????@Braye_Global #kbeauty #koreanmakeup #liptint #liptintviral #lipbalm #lipbalmaddict #fyp #creatorsearchinsights ♬ Mantra - JENNIE

That said, there are vampy and nude brown variations, too. In fact, you can take inspiration from different types of milk tea, like taro milk tea.

@withaerin TARO MILK TEA LIP???? Lips Of The Day No.237 #GlossyLipCombo #LipCombo #Lipsoftheday #LOTD #Liptint #LipLiner #MakeUp #KBeauty #fyp #오버립 #오버립메이크업 #코덕 #촉촉립 #립조합추천 #립조합 #kbeautymakeup #lipstain #Lipcombos #beautytok #glossylips #glossyliptint #lipcombotutorial #nyxliplinerpalepink #nyxlipliner #lilybyredglassylayerfixingtint #lilybyred #romandlipgloss #롬앤립글로스 #릴리바이레드 ♬ Worth It. (Sped Up) - RAYE

And while the “milk” descriptor suggests a creamy finish, it’s also pretty common to find glossy or blurred tint finishes in this trend.  

Where did the trend come from?

The milk tea lip trend emerged from a renewed interest in glowy, warm, and brownish makeup. Though the look is trending now, it's been around for a while—think the nude-tone lipstick trend from the ‘90s and 2023’s latte makeup. And as TikTok creator @italyssaskins points out, milk tea lip colors have always been popular on Chinese social media (like Xiaohongshu), so they're not exactly unique to 2024.

@itsalyssaskins the perfect fall lippie ✨???????????? Ive been loving the formula, it doesn’t make my lips look crusty either which we always love ????⭐️ #alyssatryon#lipbalm#maccosmetics#milktea#millard#xiaohongshumakeup#xiaohongshu#falllipcombo#falllipcolors#lipbalms#glowbalm#fyp#foryou#vancouver#fallmakeup#fallvibes#boobasketideas ♬ love you twice - HUH YUNJIN

In fact, we’ve seen “milk tea” makeup as early as 2020. (YSL Beauty actually released a limited-edition Milk Tea collection that specific year.)

Here's a milk tea lips video all the way back from 2020:

@phefeellc Milk tea color #lip #lipmakeup #lipstick #lipstickshow #makeup #foryou #fyp ♬ What If (I Told You I Like You) - Johnny Orlando & kenzie

Flashing forward four years later, the Thai beauty brand Mistine officially dropped its Thai Latte collection in May 2024, and the warm lip look surged once more. Naturally, the trend picked up around autumn, which, as we all know, is the perfect season for warm, brown-based lip shades like burnt orange, brick red, and muted pink. 

Milk tea lip shades

Say you’re hitting up Sephora or the beauty section at your local drugstore. What should you look for if you're into the soft milk tea look? Take notes from these swatches for your next makeup run. Even better, rifle through your own collection. Chances are, you may even have similar colors lying around in your beauty bag. 

Let’s start with the Mistine Thai Latte collection, which arguably resurrected this warm-toned makeup look. If you love a glossy finish, this lip tint is perfect for adding that final glazed touch.

@beansauna This is the MOST underrated packaging and I can’t believe I found it on TikTok shop! It also comes in matte colors too ???? I’ve always wanted to try Thai makeup and I see the hype now! #mistine #mistineliptint #liptint #thaimakeup #thaibeauty #sgneauty #tiktokshopfinds #chayen #thaimilktea #makeupaddict #makeupaesthetic #cafeaesthetic #milktea #lippies #hiddengem #smallbrand #lipgloss #lipglosscollection #cutemakeup #cute #sgtiktok ♬ พี่ชอบหนูที่สุดเลย (Speed Up) - PONCHET

Scour Reddit and you'll find that one of the greatest hits in the milk tea lip trend is the Rom&nd Milk Tea Velvet Tint. Products from this line come in deep- and warm-toned shades, such as Rose Tea and Black Tea. (And apparently, they smell like chocolate!)

@alphaheauxx when you want a more pigmented matte lip that’s not drying, reach for a velvet tint! ???????? #kbeauty #koreanliptint #makeupforblackwomen #lipswatches #romandliptint #milkteavelvettint #rosetea #longlastinglipstick ♬ you guys r such cuties - ♩ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི

A beloved milk tea lip favorite on the social media platform Xiaohongshu is MAC’s Lustreglass Sheer Shine Lipstick in the shade Hug Me. 

@itsjennze I swear the xhs girlies always make me spend money on lippies ???? Trying the viral milk tea lip color from @maccosmetics! MAC lustreglass 508 Hug Me #lipstick #viralmakeup #douyinmakeup #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen ♬ original sound - JennZe

For those partial to a pinky mauve look, there are also the lip tints from the Dasique Rose Milk Tea collection for a juicy and dewy finish. 

@ayas.channel dasique rose milk tea collection try-on ????☕️ use code AYASCHANNEL1 on @YesStyle & @OLIVE YOUNG Global ????️ (gifted) thank you @Dasique Global #fullfacemakeup #makeuptime #dasique #dasiquemakeup #dasiqueliptint #liptint #kbeauty #koreanmakeup #dasiqueeyeshadow #violetknitpalette #berrysmoothiepalette #pinkmakeup #pinkaesthetic #koreanmakeupproducts #koreanmakeup #makeupproducts #makeupreview #kbeautyreview #moodblurlippencil #juicydewytint #dasiquejuicydewytint #overlippencil #blushrecommendations ♬ original sound - aya♡

It's up for debate whether any of the colors in this trend remotely resemble your typical cup of milk tea, but they're certainly flattering and versatile shades that can round out a simple makeup collection!

More beauty explainers:

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• Viral goth makeup looks from different goth subcultures are making waves
• In a chaotic world, the clean girl aesthetic attempts to channel order
• ‘Beetlejuice lips’ beauty trend inspires backlash: ‘An influencer’s nightmare’
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• 2014 Tumblr is back in full swing: Here’s what to know about all things Tumblrcore
• What is ‘fake’ vs. ‘real’ coquette, and how has the definition changed over time?

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