No longer restricted to Goth kids and Halloween costumes, black lipstick is now appearing everywhere from catwalks to cosmetic stands—Rachel McAdams even wears it on the cover of the New York Times fall issue of T Style Magazine. Though the look is not exactly the easiest trend to pull off, when done right, it’s at once modern, slightly sinister and fashionably eye-catching.

On YSL’s autumn/winter ’08 runway, the models’ eyes were shrouded by jet-black hair, bringing all attention to their black lips. Seemingly certain that these onyx-colored pouts will become a cult hit, YSL Beauté is exclusively selling limited edition Pur Gloss in Noir (now sold out on their website).. The shiny, ink-like formula is transparent enough to be layered until the desired intensity—whether a shade of rich plum or jet black—is achieved. Though NARS discontinued their run of Times Square (a plum-based black lip color) as this niche trend came around the corner, Lancôme has already filled the void. The cosmetics powerhouse is launching a black lip-gloss within its new Color Fever lip duo—and the waiting list at Bloomingdale’s is already filling up.

Black may not be the new pink in the world of lip color, but it’s a refreshing alternative to playing it safe.

—Jessica Dang