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How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick (+ My Faves)

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

Dear friends, a good nude lipstick can be hard to find, but never fear for I am here to make things crystal clear! #quarantinepoetry

To find the best nude lip shade for you, three things need to be taken into account:

1. Skin tone (e.g., fair, light, medium, dark)
2. Skin undertone (e.g., cool, warm, neutral)
3. Natural lip color (e.g., beige, pink, brown, tan, etc)

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

SKIN TONE

Newsflash! Humans are different colors. One person’s “nude” might be another’s rosy brown and vice versa. When you think about it, the word “nude” in terms of lip color really has nothing to do with the color itself and everything to do with its similarity to your own skin tone. That’s why “nude’ lip colors can be pink, brown, beige, caramel, etc.

So! When looking for a nude, keep this tip in mind. In general, it’s advised that light and medium skin tones should look for a lipstick or gloss 1-2 shades darker than their skin color and darker skin tones should go 1-2 shades lighter than their skin tone to get that nude effect.

SKIN UNDERTONE

However, it’s not just about the color of your skin, it’s also about undertone. Make sure you know if your complexion is cool, warm, or neutral to help find your best nude lipstick shade. The easiest way to figure that out is to check the veins on the inside of your wrist. Look blue/purple? You’re cool. Look greenish? You’re probably warm. Can’t really tell? Join the neutral club with yours truly! (It’s a great club to be in because you can wear shades across all color families.)

NATURAL LIP COLOR

This might the most important of the three! The perfect nude lipstick will very often mirror the color of your own lips. Have you ever taken the time to assess the color of your lips? Like, really given them a good, long gander in the mirror? Sometimes that can be your best hint as to what your nude shade should be.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your natural lip tones, you can boost or tone down the color of your lips. So when considering a nude lipstick, think about just altering your natural lip color a bit with a warmer or cooler tone, depending on your skin.

GENERAL TIPS

Testing lipsticks on the inside of your arm or hand can be misleading because that skin is usually a very different color than your face. You really need to look at it on the lips.

Lip glosses are a perfect way to wear a nude lip without worrying if it’s the exact right tone. When you wear a translucent lip shade like most glosses, the natural pigment of your lips shows through and it takes much of the guesswork out of finding the “perfect” shade.

In general, fair or light-skinned individuals look great in pink and rose-based nudes, whereas medium and olive skin tones can pull of beiges, browns, and berry-nudes. As for dark and deep skin tones, dark caramels to rich cocoa-based nudes are lovely.

But wait! To throw you for a loop, many think that warm skin tones look best in pink, rose, and mauve (cooler shades), and cool skin tones look best in beige, peach, and tan (warmer shades). Opposites attract kind-of-thing.

THE BOTTOM LINE

These are general tips to aid you in your search, but it really comes down to how you feel when you put a nude lipstick on. If you feel damn good and your face instantly brightens, who cares about the rules? I can promise you one thing…makeup artists and beauty experts are all over the board with conflicting advice when it comes to finding the right shade, so YOU DO YOU.

Here are my personal faves! For reference, I have a light-medium skin tone, neutral (leaning towards warm) undertone, and pink pigmented lips.

MY FAVORITE NUDE GLOSSES

Lip gloss is such an easy way to stick your proverbial toe in the pool of nude lip shades.

fitglow go lip serum

Fitglow Lip Serum in Go – This is the lightest shade I own. A true pale, baby pink nude.

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

Fitglow Lip Serum in Buff – A neutral, slightly brownish nude.

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

Fitglow Lip Serum in Nudie – My most-worn gloss. A true pop of creamy pink in this nude.

If you are looking for warmer-toned lip glosses, I highly recommend Fitglow Bare (a sheer nude cream) and Gleam (a beige nude).

MY FAVORITE NUDE LIPSTICKS

Ilia Color Block High-Intensity Lipstick in Amberlight – This is my all-around favorite nude because it feels truly neutral to me. It has a bit of all tones – a little pink, a little beige, a little coral. Love this one!

Gen See Pick Me Up Matte in Margaret – this brownish neutral is great and I love the matte texture.

Kosas Weightless Lip Color in Vegas

Kosas Weightless Lip Color in Vegas – This is the shade I go for when I’m wanting a warmer, caramel beige nude.

Clove + Hallow Lip Creme in Desert Rose

Clove + Hallow Lip Creme in Desert Rose – This nude has a nice pop of coral in it that I find very brightening.

THREE EVERYDAY PINK LIPSTICKS

For a little extra credit, here are three pink-toned lipsticks that are so gorgeous, day or night.

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

Kosas Weightless Lip Color in Rosewater – Described as a “sheer, cooler tone on the pinker side of nude,” this color is simply stunning.

Gen See Pick Me Up Matte in Rosie – I’m obsessed with this matte warm pink.

How To Find the Best Nude Lipstick

Kosas Weightless Lip Color in Stardust – If you want to brighten your face in a snap, look no further. This medium-sheer warmer-toned peachy pink illuminates my entire face with one swipe. Love!

There you have it! Tell me…what are your favorite nude lipsticks in clean beauty?

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2 comments
  1. Christa

    May 26, 2020 at 11:28 am

    I’ve tried the Fitglow Nudie and the Ilia Amberlight at your recommendation. LOVE them both. Thank you! A girl can never have to many lipsticks!

  2. Lauren Litteken

    May 27, 2020 at 12:25 am

    I thought I was an Amberlight girl until I tried Ilia’s Forever. It’s now my holy grail lipstick. It’s warmth suits my medium olive skin.

    I was once told that the best way to find your nude lipstick is to match it to the inside of your lip. It’s always worked for me!