Lipsticks: How To Choose The Right Nude For You

Wearing neutrals on your lips can be a risk – you can end up looking chalky, unnatural or er, like a corpse. With Vicki Notaro‘s guide, you’ll be stunning in (the) nude day or night.

So which shade is best? This one is tricky, as it depends on a lot of variables – the natural shade of your lips, how white (or not) your teeth are, your skin colour both natural and tanned, and your hair colouring. If you’ve ever read that your perfect nude is the colour of your nipples (!), it’s actually not far off – for example, if you have pinkish areolas then that tone is more likely to suit you than a brownish one. However, you’re not exactly going to show the shop assistant, are you?

When it comes to nudes, I say identify whether you want to go pinky, peachy, taupe or tan, and stick with that. It’s rare that someone will suit all four, and most Irish gals would fall in to the first camp.

NARS have an incredible range of nudes in their Audacious lipstick line, many named after famous ladies with fab lips. I adore Brigitte, a “nude rose” according to the brand. However, it might be a bit colourful for some – blondes and redheads may prefer Barbara or Racquel. They’re €31 each.

Another brand that does good nudes is Charlotte Tilbury. Their Pillow Talk liner is the basis for all my nude looks but the lippie version is slightly pinker and very flattering. Her Hollywood Lips in Charlotte Darling is a gorgeous liquid matte nude, and K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Nude Kate is a barely there colour in a creamy formula.

How To Apply

1. First things first, moisturise. I like to apply good ol’ Carmex before bed every night, as lip balm works better when your mouth is resting.

2. Then it’s liner time. After years of wondering why nude lipsticks didn’t suit me, I realised that it was because I wasn’t defining my lip line, and the colour was clashing with my skin. I have naturally pale lips, so I have to create a nude base for the lippie. Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is my pencil of choice (€21), but MAC’s Edge to Edge (a pinky nude) and Stone (taupe) are both very popular, both €17.50.

For a more budget option, Rimmel’s Cappuccino is a winner (€3.79), and Catrice are known for their fab lip liner range – try the Long Lasting Pencil in That’s What Rose Wood Do, €1.95.

I like to define the outer contours of my lips first, and then fill in the whole lip area as a base.

3. Next, lippie. The texture and formula is up to you, but I personally prefer a liquid matte. Rimmel Stay Matte,€7.99, and the Kylie Lip Kit in Koko K are my favourites. 

If you’re using a bullet, apply it in thin layers with a brush and make sure to blot in between.

4. You can skip the lippie step altogether if you’re using a pigmented gloss, like Max Factor’s Honey Lacquer in Honey Nude, or apply a more sheer formula on top of lipstick to make it pop. I love Flormar Supershine in 105, €4.95.

This article first appeared in the January issue of STELLAR Magazine, our February issue is on shelves now.