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Nude lipstick has made its debut and is here to stay. The nude lipstick trend can be found in any makeup counter and is promoted by so many celebrities.
Nude lipstick can come in the form of a traditional creamy lipstick to liquid lipstick and lip gloss. Liquid lipstick was really popular in 2017 – 2018 but now in 2019 many are staying away from liquid lipstick because it is really drying on the lips. There are only a handful of companies that make a good moisturizing liquid lipstick. Keep reading to find out who they are later on in the article.
I was doing a lot of searching in order to find the best nude lipstick you’ll ever need. Let me tell you, it was tough finding the perfect nude lipstick for my skin tone. I have light skin and although it seems like a lot of nude lipsticks are made for lighter skin, I find that finding one that doesn’t wash me out or was too pink/orange was a challenge.
Keep reading to find out what I think are the perfect nude lipsticks for light, olive and dark skin tones. I’ll also tell you the best nude lipstick for dry lips and the best cheap nude lipsticks.
The Best Nude Lipstick for ALL Skin Tones
The ultimate, best nude lipstick for all skin tones that I was able to find was Charlotte Tilbury’s Hot Lips 2 Lipstick in “Dancefloor Princess“. This shade is the most perfect shade I have ever found. The consistency of the Hot Lips 2 lipsticks are super creamy they kind of feel like a lip balm. This is because of Charlotte Tiblury’s patented formula called: K.I.S.S.I.N.G. that leaves your lips hydrated for perfect kissing potential. Charlotte Tilbury’s Hot Lips 2 are the best nude lipstick for dry lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2
Charlotte Tilbury recently released her Hot Lips 2 Collection which is a range of lipsticks with refillable cases. The cases have different patterns on them such as leopard print and bursts of gold and black.
In the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips and lipstick formula, contain antioxidants. This helps the formula to be moisturizing and great for the lips.
The Dancefloor Princess colour has a hint of pink but doesn’t appear too pinky on the lips. It is also the perfect pairing for a major smokey eye if that is your thing. This is the perfect nude colour for all skin tones, yes ladies – Dancefloor Princess from Charlotte Tilbury is the lipstick colour that looks good on every skin tone.
I also love a few other nudes and berries from the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 collection. See some of my favourite swatches from the entire collection here:
Dancefloor Princess
J.K. Magic
Did you know that J.K. magic is named after J.K. Rowling? This is the reason why the lipstick tube has a moon and stars theme – how magical!
Angel Alessandra
Angel Alessandra from Charlotte Tilbury is named after Alessandra Ambrosia the Victoria’s Secret Model. I believe this is the perfect nude that she loves but the angelic shade just screams nudity! Definitely pick this up if you’re all about the angels!
The great thing about Hot Lips 2 is that they are refillable. This means that you get to keep the tube and you can visit a Charlotte Tilbury counter and get them to refill your lipstick for cheaper than it would be to buy a new tube.
Here are all of the swatches from the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 release:
Lastly, sometimes I top up my Dancefloor Princess Lipstick by applying Fenty’s Glossbomb on top in Fu$$y (read my review of the lip gloss here).
This is my ultimate pairing combo and highly recommend you try it especially if you are in Canada you can easily pick up both of these items at the Sephora in Yorkdale.
NARS Audacious Lipstick
I also think that the NARS Audacious Lipsticks are great for any skin tone and are great for dry lips. In 2019, they came out with over 60 shades of the Audacious lipstick and they are super easy to apply and feel comfortable and moisturizing on the lips.
Here are a few of my favourite nude shades from the new NARS Audacious lipstick line that are perfect for any skin tone:
Barbara – Tan Rose
Brigitte – Nude Rose
Anita – Antique Rose
Best Nude Lipstick for Light Skin
Above you’ll note that my favourite lipstick is the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 Dancefloor Princess so that is still my top nude lipstick pick for light skin. However, there are a lot of other picks for the best nude lipstick for light skin.
Too Faced Natural Nudes Lipsticks
The Natural Nude Lipsticks from Too Faced were released some time in 2018. However, I am recommending them based on their price point and the fact that they are super creamy and easy to wear. I do recommend using a lip liner with these because they are so soft. The shades that are perfect for lighter skin tones are: Strip Search (a soft warm pink), Send Nudes (a soft peachy nude) and Birthday Suit (a rosy beige). I personally own Birthday Suit and that is something I continue to use every year.
BareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick
Another personal favourite nude lipstick for light skin tones is BareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick. Specifically the colours: Tutu, XOX, Sexpot and Kitty which are perfect for lighter skin tones. I have found purchasing BareMinerals at Sephora Canada is where you’ll get the most selection for BareMinerals.
Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick
There is something about a gel lipstick that makes me so happy. Gel lipsticks are similar to the YSL consistency that really allows the lipstick to glide on and feel more like a lip balm than an actual lipstick.
The Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick in “Strange Magic” which is a sheer pale pink with a hint of colour is one of the best Nude Lipsticks for lighter skin tones. This one can be found at Sephora but I have also found Marc Jacobs New Nudes Lipsticks at Winners so keep your eye out for those.
Natasha Denona I Need A Nude Lipstick
If you’re familiar with the brand, Natasha Denona has some amazing quality. I love Natasha Denona because every time I purchase something from this brand I am blown away by the quality.
The “I Need a Nude Lipsticks” from Natasha Denona have a wide range of nudes in the lighter skin tone range. Some of the best colours for lighter skin from Natasha Denona are:
Natasha (a light neutral coral), Susanna (warm rose), Beatrice (light warm rose) and Noa (a taupe). I love the consistency of these lipsticks by Natasha Denona because they are very creamy and have a satin finish.
As I write this article I realize that the best nude lipsticks to me are those that are comfortable to wear and have a shiny and moisturizing feel on the lips.
Keep reading below for more on the Best Nude Lipsticks for Medium and Darker skin as well as liquid nude lipsticks and glosses.
Best Nude Lipstick for Medium Skin
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is one of the most hyped nude lipsticks on the market. In fact, there is a whole line of Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk collection ranging from powders, eyeshadow, lip gloss, lipsticks and a variety of different finishes on those lipsticks.
The Pillow Talk lipstick however is supposed to be for all skin tones but I disagree because I think Pillow Talk is the best nude lipstick for medium skin tones. I find that there is a hint of pink and brown undertones that suit darker skin tones so perfectly.
Pillow Talk is a matte consistency but there are other variations of Pillow Talk such as: “Super Star Lips” which is a glossy version of Pillow Talk that has just come out as of October 2019. If you love Pillow Talk but think the matte is too harsh then you’ll want to try Super Star Lips to get that glossy look and feel.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Nude Lipsticks
Anastasia Beverly Hills knows how to do nude lipstick well. They have a great range of liquid lipsticks which we will talk about more below but they also have their regular bullet lipsticks.
The best nude shades from Anastasia Beverly hills is: “Staunch” a nude sandy pink, “Buff” a nude salmon pink and “Kiss” a nude rose petal pink. I find these are really great for medium skin tones because they are a bit more pigmented but you’ll still get that nude lip effect.
You could also try the Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Matte Lipstick set (shown below) if you want to try some of their nude mattes without committing to an entire tube of lipstick.
Natasha Denona I Need A Nude Lipstick
As mentioned above, I felt that the “I Need A Nude Lipstick” line was good for lighter skin tones but there are also so many nude shades that are great for Medium skin tones.
The best nude shades for medium skin tones for Natasha Denona are:
Alison (medium dusty coral), Charlotte (light beige), Sami (medium warm beige and Judith (medium antique peach).
Best Nude Lipstick for Dark Skin
Bobbi Brown Lipstick
Bobbi Brown has the best lipstick shades for darker skin tones. I find that they are deeper and are more pigmented than other makeup brands. They don’t have a huge range of colours over all but if you love nudes with a hint of berry you’ll love these shades.
The most recommended Bobbi Brown nude lipstick shade for dark skin tones is Raisin which is a rich plum brown according to Sephora Canada.
In fact, if you look at the swatches from the Bobbi Brown lipsticks (photo taken from Sephora Canada) you’ll see that there are nude lipsticks that suit both lighter and darker skin tones. It is just nice to see that Bobbi Brown has a larger shade range of nudes for darker skin tones.
Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick
Pat McGrath is the real deal when it comes to beauty. She makes the most incredibly luxe palettes that you can’t get enough of. I find that every time I purchase something from Pat McGrath, even if it is a little bit expensive I don’t care because I love the quality so much.
The Pat McGrath MatteTrance collection is one of her best selling lines. There are also so many nude shades suited for darker skin tones. Some of the best MatteTrance lipstick shades for darker skin tones are:
Flesh 3 109 – brown rose
Flesh 5 – Bronzed Rose
Christy Divine Beige Nude
Best Natural Nude Lipstick
Since natural makeup or “clean” makeup has become mainstream, there are a lot of natural makeup brands coming out with some amazing nude lipstick shades. Keep in mind that since natural makeup doesn’t use artificial pigment, there are more nude shades available. However, I have found with clean makeup that not all nude shades are pigmented or stay on long enough so keep that in mind.
Ilia Colour Block High Impact Lipstick
Ilia is one of the best natural makeup brands right now. If you’re in Canada, there may be small beauty boutiques that carry Ilia but the most selection can be found at Sephora Canada.
Ilia has a wide selection of nude lipsticks for any skin tone from their Colour Block High Impact Lipstick collection. Some of the best shades are:
Amberlight – bardot nude
Ilia Rosette – Light Pink
Best Matte Nude Lipstick
We talked about a few of the best matte nude lipsticks but there are other brands that have created an entire line of matte nude lipsticks.
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick
Huda Beauty keeps coming out with the best matte nude lipsticks as they make an entire collection of them called: Power Bullet Matte Lipstick. The formula ends up being really smooth and light as the lipsticks turn into the feeling of powder. Many people prefer this formula because it allows them to have a pigmented matte nude colour without feeling like they are wearing too much lipstick.
Some of the best shades in the Power Bullet Matte Lipstick collection are:
Anniversary – Golden Beige with Pink
Prom Night – Warm Toned Biscuit Pink
Pay Day – A Cool Rosy Mauve
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Sheer Matte Lipstick
Yves Saint Laurent makes the best lipsticks in my opinion. They recently came out with a slim lipstick called the sheer matte lipstick which is a unique take on a matte formula. This liptick is matte but it isn’t as pigmented as other matte lipsticks.
It is a light weight lipstick that allows you to build up colour for a blotted lip look. You know the look where your lipstick isn’t perfect and just slightly off the lips? You will get that look seen here in this video:
Some of the best nude shades in the Rouge Pur Couture Slim Sheer Matte are:
YSL Rouge Pur Couture – Rose Naturel (Soft Beige Nude)
YSL Rouge Pur Couture – Pure Nude (Pinky Nude)
Swatches of the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Sheer Matte Lipstick
Best Nude Liquid Lipsticks
Liquid lipsticks is arguably what started the nude lipstick trend. There are still many liquid lipsticks that are popular and have a formula that aren’t so drying on your lips.
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks
Stila makes the BEST liquid lipsticks that aren’t drying on your lips. They actually do stay on your lips all day long and have some of the best nude shades.
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Mini Set
Right now, Sephora Canada has a mini bundle of the best Stila Liquid Lipsticks that are all shade ranges of nudes. They also last for so long so if you purchase the mini set you’ll be perfectly fine in terms of how long each will last.
Kat Von D Long-Lasting Nude Lip Trio
Kat Von D also makes some of the best nude lip liquid lipsticks on the market. Sephora also bundled three of her best selling nude lipstick shades into a trio pack. Included in the package are the colours: Ophelia, Crucifix and Lolita. Are shades are darker nude shades but are universal to all skin tones.
Kylie Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick
I have never seen as many nude liquid lipstick shades as I have with the Kylie Cosmetics liquid lipsticks. Kylie Cosmetics is known for their lip kits which is the liquid lipstick that comes with a lip liner. Kylie Cosmetics Liquid Lipsticks are long wearing and they aren’t drying on the lips either.
Some of her best shades are nude and I have listed my favourite shades below:
Kylie Cosmetics – Built to Last
Kylie Cosmetics – Bare
Best Cheap Nude Lipsticks
We’ve talked a lot about nude lipsticks in this post but a lot of these lipsticks are a bit on the luxury side. The best cheap nude lipsticks can be found in the drugstore. These nude lipsticks are just as good as the ones I’ve listed above and come from well known drug store brands.
Rimmel Kate Nude Lipsticks
Amazon has a great selection of the Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipsticks. These lipsticks are a part of the Kate nude collection that flatter most skin tones. They are a creamy lipstick and from Rimmel which is an affordable drugstore brand that can be found in Canada.
They are hard to find so Amazon may be your best bet.
Here are a few of the best Rimmel Kate Nude Lipsticks on Amazon:
Rimmel Kate Lipstick Nude shade 45
Rimmel Kate Lipstick Nude shade 42
Best cheap lipstick holders on Amazon
You can also get the best lipstick holder on Amazon if you are already going to purchase some of the best nude lipstick there already!
Transparent Cosmetic Makeup Organizer for Lipstick
Click here to shop Lipstick Holders on Amazon >
Bino Lipstick Holder
dior lipstick
baby pink lipstick
best cheap nude lipstick
nyx lipstick
glossy lipstick