The perfect nude lipstick is entirely subjective and often very frustrating. We’ll often see a nude lipstick and someone else and adore the shade only to find that it just doesn’t work on our skin. It helps to reformulate how we think about nude lipsticks – it isn’t actually the shade we are admiring on someone else, it is the way the shade compliments their skin tone, and what it does for their face. A shade which will do that for my olive skinned friend won’t do it for my pale skin, and vice versa.
Though it may sound drab, the most flattering nude shade for you is the shade of your natural lips. Opting for a nude as close as possible to your natural lip shade will give a plumping effect to the lips and offset your skin tone perfectly. This doesn’t mean that you can’t play with different sorts of nudes – they might just require more careful accompaniment in terms of eye and cheek makeup to prevent the face from looking a little washed out.
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Raquel (€31)
A peachy nude with a hint of pink, this is as evocative of the 1960s as the name suggests. Raquel Welch’s signature peachy nude lipstick offset her lashy 60s look perfectly. The Audacious range is – in my opinion – the most comfortable lipstick range on the market. The shade range is incredibly varied. If you’d rather something with a pink undertone, opt for Barbra, equally sumptuous and as glamorous as its namesake.
MAC Cremesheen in Myth (€20)
MAC Senior Artist Lesley Keane convinced me that I could wear Myth (which is a true bleachy nude and famous among MAC lovers) despite my paleness giving me pause. She recommended patting it onto the lips for a soft wash rather than whacking on a thick layer, and accompanying it with a bright pop of peach blush to keep colour in the face. Be careful with Myth – when it looks good, it's sensational, but it can wash out a face if not applied carefully. If you're a bit frightened of it, consider another of MAC's classic nudes. I love Pure Zen, Blankety, Creme Cup and Velvet Teddy.
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy (€35)
Though nudes like Myth can take a bit of work to wear, they can be worth the effort. On the average day, however, I want something comfortable and pretty that won’t look conspicuous if I forget to top it up after lunch. That is Boy. An utterly wearable soft pink with a sheer, glossy finish, it looks universally good on everyone. It is one of those products that is cute and potentially easy to overlook in the bullet, but transforms the face.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk (€32)
Pillow talk was a lip liner so adored by a huge cult following that women the world over were using the liner as lipstick until the pencil became a stub. By popular demand, Charlotte Tilbury released a Pillow Talk lipstick this year. With a comfortable matte finish, it is an ideal nude for anyone with a lot of pink pigment naturally present in their lips.
Tom Ford Lip Colour in Blush Nude (€46)
I first saw Blush Nude on Adele in a Vogue image when I was in my early twenties, and it took me almost two weeks to find out exactly what lipstick she was wearing in the photograph. ‘Adele nude’ is probably the best way to describe Blush Nude – a luscious sixties throwback with a modern texture. It is divine.
