THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINDING THE PERFECT NUDE LIPSTICK

  • 02 Jan - 08 Jan, 2021
  • Mag The Weekly
  • Beauty

You can never go wrong with a nude lip. It can be the perfect balance to a glamorous smoky eye, or serve as the final touch to a barely-there beauty vibe. But for a shade that's seemingly easy to pull off, finding the perfect natural shade can be surprisingly difficult. If you go too cool, you risk washing out your complexion; too warm and you can wind up looking like you accidentally applied beige foundation all over your lips.

Since we, too, often find ourselves swatching different nude shades in the process of finding our perfect match, and we know the struggle pretty well, so we decided to help you find the perfect shade of nude lipstick for your skin tone.

Start with your skin tone

The word "nude" will mean something different to everyone, so the first place to start your own nude lipstick search is by looking in the mirror. If you're in the lighter skin range, create a nude lip based on your natural lip colour. Don't go much lighter, because you don't want your lips to disappear.

If you're in the medium range, look for a caramel or a deeper pink. People with darker skin tones can begin their search with deeper berry nudes, in addition to exploring options that don't have pink undertones: Deeper skin tones can pull off a lip colour that's a shade lighter than their actual foundation colour, any browns or caramels with a hint of orange and red would also do.

Consider your undertone

Anyone can wear nude lipstick, you just have to find the shade that flatters your complexion. The right nude lipstick should make you look fresh, not washed out.

Got an olive complexion? Stick with nude shades that have warm undertones that mimic your own. Cool nudes can start to make the complexion look too dreary. Additionally, try to avoid shades that are lighter than your skin tone to avoid looking like you're wearing concealer on your lips. If your skin tone is medium to tan, go with nudes that have peach undertones.

Dark skin tones look great with milk and dark chocolate nudes. Another option? Look for shades with berry undertones or a frosted finish.

Factor in your natural lip colour

If you think finding the perfect nude is only about flattering your skin tone, think again. The colour of your lips also affects the payoff. Anyone with a lot of natural pigment in their lips tends to have a challenge finding the right nude. You want something that's either identical to or a shade lighter than the natural lip tone. Find a colour that has a bit of peach or even gold in it. The yellow undertones neutralise the blue in your lips, so it appears lighter than your lip tone. It's also nice to pick up the natural colour in the center of the lips, which tends to be lighter than the outer corners.

Take a sec to prep

Why, might you ask? It can emphasise lip texture and fine lines. The trick is to exfoliate first using a lip scrub to eliminate any rough spots and ensure smooth application.

Texture is everything

If you prefer a nude lipstick that is similar to your skin tone, you'll still want to differentiate your lip colour from the rest of your face. If you're going nude, a creamier or glossier formula will give the lips more texture. Especially if you're fair, you don't want your lips to disappear. For medium skin tones, do a nude berry. Look for satin or creme finishes that will give your lips just a hint of sheen.

Look for balance

Now that you know how to pick your nude, it's also important to know how to wear it. The most important thing about wearing a nude lipstick is balancing it with the rest of your makeup. If you have medium olive skin and you want to do a really light look, you need to balance it out with your eye makeup. If you are fair and you want to do something more beige, you need to balance it out with a blush to bring a little bit more colour into the face.

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