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When it comes to makeup bag staples, you simply can’t go wrong with the best nude lipstick that perfectly complements your skin tone. Whether you’re after a casual look or something altogether more dressier, our roundup and guide will help you find the best nude lipstick for you.
Of course, nude lipsticks encompass a range of different shades, with some veering towards a pinky nude to beiges, dusky browns and taupes. Truly, there is a nude lipstick shade and formulation out there for everyone, and to suit every budget.
Whether you have the fairest or darkest of skin tones, prefer a creamy and hydrating finish or a more matte option, we have put countless nude lipsticks to the test to discover which work best. Read on for our buying guide covering the key information to consider before you make a purchase, followed by our roundup of top picks.
Taking your skin tone and even the undertones of your skin into consideration is particularly important in making sure that the shade of your chosen lipstick both flatters and enhances your skin and doesn’t look too light or too dark for your complexion.
While your skin tone should be somewhat easy to ascertain, it may be a little more difficult to tell what your undertones are. But these undertones can determine if you suit warmer or cooler shades of nude lipstick.
Whether you prefer gold or silver jewellery can in part help to determine your skin’s undertone. If gold suits you more, you have warmer undertones. If silver is preferential, you have cooler undertones. Consequently, if you like to wear and look good in both, you have a neutral undertone to your skin.
For warmer undertones, slightly browner or mauve coloured shades may work best, whereas those with cooler undertones may want to opt for pinker hues. The same can be said for darker and lighter skin tones. If you have darker skin, bronze and brown nudes may suit you and your skin best, while pinkier and purple-tinged nudes may work best for lighter to medium skin colours. But, as with all makeup, rules are meant to be broken: these are only a guideline to use when attempting to pick through many varied nude colours.
While we’ve mostly focused on lipsticks in stick form for this list,you’ll also find liquid lipsticks, glossier formulations and balms, crayons and tints, all of which have their own merits. But if you’re after a classic nude lipstick, we find that traditional lipsticks are best for a combination of wearability and great colour options.
You can either apply the lipstick directly to your lips or you can use a lip brush to soften the look. To ensure that your nude lipstick lasts all day, we do recommend lining your lips with a similar nude-toned lip liner and potentially even using it to colour in the entirety of your lip to almost act as a primer for your lipstick.
There really is no need to spend more than £30 on a nude lipstick, with many great options coming in at around the £20 mark. That’s not to say that there aren’t any more budget friendly options. Our best value nude lipstick is just over £5 and is a great option for a vast array of skin colours.
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Price: £26 | Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury
There’s a reason why this is one of the most talked about lipsticks currently on the market. When it comes to a shade that almost everyone can wear, this is it. Even though it is dubbed a matte lipstick, don’t worry about it being too dry, especially if you have naturally dry lips. Its cushiony finish leaves a lovely natural sheen to the lips.
The slightly pink hue of this nude lipstick looks flattering on a whole range of skin colours and undertones. But if you are looking for something a tad deeper, check out Pillow Talk Medium, which is available in the same exact formulation.
Key details – Vegan: No; Cruelty free: Yes
Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury
Price: £30 | Buy now from Bobbi Brown
If you suffer from dry lips, you should look out for a nourishing lipstick. We really like the richly hydrating formula of the Luxe Shine Intense Lipstick from Bobbi Brown. And as the name suggests, this leaves lips with a lovely and healthy shine to them. With hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, this lipstick is also buildable and has a lot of pigmentation to it too.
The shade featured here, Bare Truth, is a lovely combination of mauve, light pink and beige undertones to create a nude that works on the fairest of skin tones right through to darker skin.
Key details – Vegan: Yes; Cruelty free: No
Buy now from Bobbi Brown
Price: £22 | Buy now from Boots
As pinker shades can often complement fairer skin tones, this light pink nude works particularly well on freckled complexions. The formulation of this lipstick is also impressive, working to smooth and condition lips at the same time as packing some serious pigmentation.
Even though we’re recommending this specific shade for fairer skin tones, there are also some great shades available in this range for medium and darker skin tones and they are buildable depending on how much of an impact you are looking to make.
Key details – Vegan: Yes; Cruelty free: Yes
Price: £20 | Buy now from Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty has several chocolate-y brown shades, all of which look incredible on darker skin tones, but our favourite has to be Cookies & Cocoa. With a buildable, creamy texture, this is also another great option for those who struggle with dry or cracked lips.
We love the shine that this lipstick gives to complement darker skin tones. And the fact that it is almost a combination of a lip colour, balm and shiny gloss means that it is pleasant to wear for multiple hours.
Key details – Vegan: No; Cruelty free: Yes
Buy now from Fenty Beauty
Price: £5.99 | Buy now from Look Fantastic
A great budget option, this Revolution Pro lipstick mixes satin and matte finishes to provide maximum comfort, and the soft and creamy formula blends nicely to give a natural nude look to the lips.
We’re also impressed with the quality of the tube itself, which makes it look a lot more expensive than its £5 price point: the golden leopard print design and magnetised closure really elevates this great value lipstick even further.
Key details – Vegan: Yes; Cruelty free: Yes
Buy now from Look Fantastic
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