I think that the trick is begin with a ocre color(sometimes more yellowish, or more redish depent on the type of skin) and over it put darker colors, you have to think that the darker color tend to grey and they lighter to ocre.
And they use to have the shape of a “mask” around eyes and nose usually lighter and the lower part of the face(beard stiple and neck) almost grey in men and no so darker in women.
you were right saying don´t using reds.
Rmember that the shine on a black skin it is more evident and the skin is less transluced.
Anyway your lips are really cool and they have the feeling of black skin.
Good work,
Arturo
Pilou
if the lips are any indication this is gonna be good.
These lips look fantastic indeed 
jantim
thx’s for the comments.
Polaris30: yea I think Mic just might win that comp, he could swollow those lips with out a sweat. :lol:
joe: “Hey Joe where you going with that gun in your hand” Humm humm humm 
good to see you post here man. Thx’s glad you like the lips. Testing Testing is correct the neverending battle, testing is only half the battle! Speaking of this test also helped me gauge whats possible with my skin shader never really pushed it like this, but hopefully I can go further with it still in the final model.
DHARMAESTUDIO: Everything you say is so true, esp how darker skin becomes almost more dependent on the specular reflectance. Getting the tones is diffcult to capture. Yea also the translucent qualitys are different Iam assuming since the skin tone is darker it absorbs more of the light than scatter it inside than would say a peach light tone that scatters light more.
Frenchy: Pilou Pilou Pilou Pilou Pilou !!! 
1stbrother: Gonna try to do alot more than that test, well at least I’ll try 
jantim: Thx’s