Nude lipsticks seems to be a source of endless fascination for women. Probably because the word ‘nude’ covers a whole colour spectrum, from pink to brown to peach to purple. It’s everything and anything. It’s nothing, but it’s definitely something.
A great nude livens up your face, sun kissing your complexion and harking back to time before you wore makeup, a time when you just glowed because you were thirteen, a time when you wore Vaseline on your naturally highly pigmented lips without realising that one day you would want to recreate that look, but you’d need help to do it.
If your immediate reaction to the prospect of a nude lip is ‘Ew...Casper The Ghost’ or it’s giving you ‘90s flashbacks, you need to get with the times. Trust us, there’s a flattering nude hue for you. Today we’re bringing you 8 of the best nude lipsticks.
#1 The Everyday Nude
Honolulu Honey is a beautiful nude lipstick by Nars in a very wearable peachy shade that suits a variety of skin tones. This is a true flesh toned nude, i.e. it has the balls to show up your mouth but comes in a satin smooth finish that’s creamy and delicious. Slightly opaque, the hint of sheen in the formula gives the lips a lift and stays put all day. Love.
Nars Satin Lipstick in Honolulu Honey at Mecca Cosmetica
#2 The ‘60s Throwback
Like all of Tom Ford’s delicious lipsticks, Nude Vanille is a highly moisturising formula—an essential for a good nude lipstick, where dreaded dry lips will swiftly ruin your look. A creamy pale pink, this lippie contains a massive amount of pigment and has great staying power. While Nude Vanille offers a good balance of peach and pink tones, it is on the paler end of the spectrum, so better suited to warm skin tones—this is the nude lipstick for those seeking a retro 60’s pout. (If you’re after an everyday, less-theatrical Tom Ford nude, Sable Smoke—a caramel, honey nude—is a good option.)
Tom Ford Nude Vanille at Tom Ford
#3 The Real-Life Nude
Long wearing, silky soft, and bursting with colour, Giorgio Armani has done it again with his Rogue Ecstasy line, and the 104 Skin shade is a dead ringer for flushed healthy lips. This nude lipstick imparts a lifelike sheen to the mouth, and, thanks to its realistic hue, is suitable for paler skin tones, too.
Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick in 104 Skin at Giorgio Armani
#4 The Glossy Nude
Gloss is making a comeback—you heard it here first kids. Far from the sticky goop your tween years, the silky formula of The Nude Slip is like sexy lingerie for your lips, adding a subtle, mutli-tonal nude sheen that works with a variety of skin tones. Pop this one in your handbag for easy nude touch ups.
The Nude Slip One Luxe Gloss by Sara Happ at Lulu & Lipstick
#5 The True Nude
A true nude, K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Nude Kate is a flattering warm beige flesh-tone that will take your natural lips and turn them up just enough so they stand out, without taking them to in-yaw-face territory.
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Nude Kate at Charlotte Tilbury
#6 The Sheer Nude
If you’re lipstick adverse, Marc Jacobs line of sheer lip gels might be your jam. Moody Margot is a pale beige nude that has just enough peachy pigment to not wash out your face. Prep your lips beforehand as this nude lipstick performs best on a smooth kisser.
Marc Jacobs Sheer Lip Gel in Moody Margot at Sephora
#7 The Mauve Nude
A beautiful nude lipstick, Terrybly Nude is a friendly beigey, pinky mauve. The nod to purple can look dull on warner skin tones, so it’s a perfect option for paler lasses.
Terrybly Nude 100 at Mecca Cosmetica
#8 The Pink Nude
A great nude lipstick for chapped lips, Nude Beige by the ever-impressive YSL is a nourishing lippie in a beautiful tube. The thin, veil like formula doesn’t have the staying power of a thicker matte lipstick, but what it loses in wear it gains in its poutiness enhancing properties. This nude does veer strongly to pink, and is a good choice for pale skin tones.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Silky Lipstick in Nude Beige at Mecca Cosmetica