Black Lipstick Is Trending For Spring 2016

There is something innately supernatural and incredibly moody about autumn's black lipstick trend, yet the fad has continued to rule the runways as we tread into Spring/Summer 2016 territory. Whether inky and heavily glossed or matte and stained, noir lips are a cosmetic mainstay this season in accordance with Fall 2015's gothic obsession. Regardless of its formula, black lipstick makes a much bolder statement than the average dark, monochrome ensemble and edgy eye makeup. A woman who sports black lipstick is unafraid of judgment, utterly avant-garde, and extraordinarily outre in her cosmetic choices.

Moreover, black lipstick is entirely versatile in its interpretations. One could don a dark lip to insinuate their rebellion, to demonstrate their sartorial prowess, or even to evoke a sort of rocker-inspired glamour. Each of these varied miens and more were on display for Fall 2015, and the Spring 2016 runways already promise to carry the trend through winter. However, one question about the trend remains: Would you wear black lipstick in your everyday life?

Black may be a notoriously adaptable hue in attire, but noir cosmetics are a bit rougher around the edges. While crimson lipstick is glamorous, pink is coquettish, and nude is utilitarian, black lipstick possesses that certain je ne sais quoi that renders the wearer almost godlike in their idiosyncrasy.

Designer Giles Deacon utilized this eccentric quality of black lipstick as a juxtaposition to bold prints and ultra-feminine bows, lending his Fall 2015 collection a whimsical quality.

For Spring 2015, Katie Gallagher channeled the atmosphere of New York's Chinatown to enhance her colorblocked collection, complete with matte black and red lips that matched her attire's beautifully insurgent vibe. Several audience members were similarly made up in stamped-on, inky lips, adding further fuel to the fire of the micro-trend.

Emanuel Ungaro's Fall 2015 collection took a similarly riotous route with graphic, androgynous black and white designs further enhanced by perfectly applied black lipstick. Could it be that the key to the tricky trend is pairing a black lip with binary black and white attire?

The rule of modes suggests that black lipstick, gloss, and stains will truly take the industry — and mainstream culture — by storm only when celebrities adopt the daring shade, and a select few brave souls have already attempted the hue. An ever forward-thinking Rihanna has been known to rock the color on occasion, as Beyonce famously also did in the music video for Telephone. Demi Lovato and Joan Smalls are additional proponents of the shady color, each having proven their devotion to riotous lip color on previous occasions.

While only time will tell if the trend will translate from the runway to the streets, you may find yourself encountering a greater proportion of sable lips in your everyday dealings. Black it seems, is still the new black.

Images: Cameron Bertron (2)