Usha Vance's Chic Maroon Lipstick Shade Is Perfect For Christmas

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If you're looking for a lipstick shade to try out for the holidays, you might want to look at Usha Vance for inspo. During a visit to the military base Camp Lejeune with First Lady Melania Trump in November 2025, she showed off a winning smile while wearing a noticeably sumptuous shade on her lips. The color coordinated perfectly with her maroon turtleneck dress, underscored the power of monochromatic styling, even when it comes to your makeup. 

While there's certainly an appeal to dark, vampy lips, maroon lipstick can be intimidating. This is mostly because opting for a shade that is too dark on one's complexion can appear harsh. In Vance's, case, though, the shade she's wearing appears just a few shades darker than her natural lips, which makes her pout look defined and natural.As we saw with the biggest winter makeup trends for 2025, bold shades work best when they lean on traditional themes — like red and berry tones — without getting too experimental. Because Vance appeared to keep the rest of her makeup natural and understated, the bold, Christmas tone shined without overpowering her overall look.

Although we are unable to confirm exactly what brand of lipstick Usha Vance used for her November 2025 Camp Lejeune visit, there are several products you can use to recreate a similar look this holiday season. One comparable option is Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, a beloved lip color that offers a sheer wash of pigment. For a richer sweep of color that's perfect for a maroon lip at Christmas, Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Rock With You is another way to achieve this look. Lipstick layering is a useful technique that helps to craft a makeup look that's personal, so keep in mind that a bold, maroon lipstick followed by a maroon liquid lip can make a unique lip shade that's just right for you. Remember to start with matte textures and work your way up to glossy finishes. It also gives you control, as you decide how bold you want it to look. 

Because the color is so bold, make sure to prep your lips before applying any pigment. Smooth lips with a lip scrub and follow with a good moisturizer so there's no dry skin, making the lips a receptive canvas. Then, go in with a coordinating, maroon lip liner to give the lips a shape and keep the color from bleeding. Finally, go in with the maroon lipstick either from the bullet or using a lip brush.