Finding the best nude lipsticks for your skin tone can be a pain. Walk into any store and you’ll find scores of different nudes ranging in neutral shades of pink, beige, brown, tan, etc. There are so many shades available that these visits tend to end in cluttered drawers at home full of lipsticks that most likely don’t flatter your skin tone as well as you’d like.
25 Head-turning Lipstick Ideas that Will Complement Your Skin Tone
So how does one figure out which shade will suit them? It all starts with taking a long look in the mirror. Starting simple, consider your hair color. Whether you have light, medium, or dark brown hair can influence your decision. The focal point, though, is your complexion. Would you classify your skin as pale, tan, olive, brown, dark brown, black? If you are unsure, a great way to figure this out is to check the foundation/concealer that you regularly use, which often labels the shade somewhere on the bottle.
Now for the hard part. What is your skin’s undertone? While this sounds like a difficult task, there is a simple way to figure this out. Look at the color of the veins on your wrist. If your veins have a green-blue hue, you most likely have a warm undertone. If your veins have a purple-blue hue, you most likely have a cool undertone. Finally, if your veins seem to be somewhere in the middle or you cannot tell easily what hue they are, you most likely have a neutral undertone.
Now that you have everything figured out, it is good to keep in mind that light to medium skin tones will want to look for slightly darker lipstick shades, while dark skin tones will want lipsticks that are a shade or two lighter. Warm undertones often go great with pink or red-tinted neutrals while browns, beiges, and peach shades complement cool skin tones very well. Neutral undertones can often work with both.
While knowing what shades work for you is great knowledge to have, the pool of possible lipsticks is still huge. That is why we have compiled the best lipsticks for each skin tone so that the next time you walk into Ulta, Sephora, or even CVS, you’ll know which lipstick will look stunning next time you decide to go nude!
Pale/Fair
1. Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick: Staycation
Huda Beauty’s Staycation is a cool-toned beige lipstick with just a hint of pink that delivers a pigmented matte that doesn’t leave the lips feeling as dry as other matte lipsticks. Staycation’s milky brown pigment is great for fair-skinned girls out there who cannot find a brown tint that isn’t too dark for their skin tone. Consumers also love how creamy the lipstick is, which leaves the lips feeling hydrated.
2. Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink: Driver
If you want a gorgeous look without breaking the bank, Maybelline is always a great brand. This liquid lipstick delivers a pigmented matte finish that can last up to 16 hours. Driver’s pale muted pink shade goes great with pale skin. Consumers loved that this product stays on and doesn’t transfer, but it is recommended to go over the lips with a hydrating gloss to lessen the drying effects the lipstick can have. Purple hair will make this look even more gorgeous!
3. Wet n Wild Liquid Catsuit: Caught You Bare-Naked
Giving the shine and comfort of a lip gloss with the high pigmentation of a lipstick, Liquid Catsuit’s Caught You Bare-Naked is a great nude to have on a budget. This specific cool-toned shade is great to wear alone or with other nude lip colors that might be a little too dark for pale skin. It is also great for those looking for a gloss finish instead of a matte. Consumers found it convenient and loved how highly pigmented it was for having a gloss finish.
4. Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss: Provoke
This high-end lip gloss offers a rich, moisturizing gloss that makes the lips appear plumper. The shade of Provoke is a mauve nude perfect for paler shaded skin. Consumers loved the minty smell and feel as well as its pigmented, high-shine finish. The liquid lipstick was also described as comfortable, not giving that goopy feel that most lip glosses deliver.
5. BH Cosmetics Liquid Linen Lipstick: Shelby
This long-lasting liquid lipstick gives a pink neutral tint perfect for pale skin with warmer undertones. Consumers loved how pigmented the nude shades were, how beautiful the colors were, and how creamy the product felt on their lips. Along with that, consumers said that after the product dries, it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing lipstick at all.
Light/Medium
6. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: London
This liquid lipstick boasts being creamy, durable, and lightweight with a pigmented matte finish. Each shade is named after an international city, but the shade we are focusing on is London, which has a brown undertone great for light or medium skin tones. Consumers love how soft the formula is and how vibrant the colors are with some going as far as calling this product their go-to lipstick.
7. Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick: Innocence
While most of Milani’s Color Statement line is made of bold warm and cool shades, we are focusing on their peachy-pink nude shade, Innocence. The lightness of the shade compliments lighter skin tones and the peachy undertone is perfect for a flowery spring look. Consumers love the vibrant color, texture, longevity, and soft vanilla scent.
8. NARS Audacious Lipstick: Raquel
NARS’ satin finish Audacious Lipstick is available in many shades of red or nude pinks and boasts a high-impact color that lasts long despite its weightless, creamy texture. Our focus is on the pink-beige shade Raquel, which is perfect for light/medium skin tones. Consumers love that this lipstick mattes without caking or drying out their lips. They also love that due to the high pigmentation, the stick itself lasts a long time.
9. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer: Fenty Glow
Rihanna’s shea butter infused lip glosses vary from clear to pink to this shade of shimmery rose nude, perfect for lighter toned skin. Like other glosses, Gloss Bomb leaves the lips looking plump and juicy and the Fenty Glow shade gives the lips natural rosy color. Consumers loved the peach vanilla scent of the gloss as well as how shiny and plump their lips looked after the application. Whether you want to accentuate a gorgeous nude matte or just wear it alone, this gloss is a must-have.
10. Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick: Almond rose
Maybelline’s Color Sensational Mattes boasts a comfortable and creamy lipstick with a matte finish. The shades range from nudes all the way to blues, but our focus is Daringly Nude. This pinky nude can go with almost any look and really compliments the light and medium skin tones. Consumers loved how comfortable and long-lasting the product was and lauded the matte for not drying out their lips like many others of its kind.
Medium
11. Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick: Let’s Cuddle + Supernatural
This pigmented liquid matte boasts a long wear time as well as a comfortable, soft, and weightless feel not often found in liquid mattes. While these liquid lipsticks offer most any shade your heart desires, we will be looking at Let’s Cuddle and Supernatural, two beautiful beige nudes. Let’s Cuddle is a light, peachy nude that works great for any spring or summertime look while Supernatural is a darker and more universal nude that can be used for any occasion. Both shades work great on medium skin and go great with lip liner. Consumers loved how little drying there was after application as well as how pigmented and long-lasting the products were.
12. NYX Suede Matte Lipstick: Dainty Gaze
NYX’s Suede Matte Lipsticks come in many colorful shades, but our focus is Dainty Gaze, a beautiful soft pink lipstick that works great with medium skin tones. This lipstick boasts a gorgeous matte finish that is soft and light on the lips. Consumers love how creamy and comfortable the lipstick is despite its matte finish. So, for a beautifully pigmented look that doesn’t dry your lips, look no further.
13. ELF SRSLY Satin Lipstick: Créme
There is nothing more wonderful than an affordable lipstick that can compete with luxury brands. This is exactly what ELF delivers. Créme’s nude pink shade goes great with medium skin tones and gives the lips a soft, satin finish. Consumers loved how soft and smooth the product was and said the lipstick even moisturized their lips. If you want a comfortable and pigmented satin lipstick without breaking the bank, this lipstick is perfect for you.
14. Milani Keep It Full Nourishing Lip Plumper: Champagne
Milani’s lip plumping gloss comes in a variety of neutral shades, but we are focusing on Champagne, a light baby pink that compliments medium skin, giving the lips a glossy, barely-there glow. Consumers loved the shade and how light the gloss feels on their lips. Customers also loved the tingle this lip plumper delivers along with the sweet minty smell.
15. Ardell Vinyl Vixen Lip Lacquer: Kinky Nude
Ardell’s lip lacquer boasts fully pigmented colors that plump lips and delivers a gorgeous glossy look. The shade Kinky Nude delivers a beige nude that works as a great addition to any lip color you’re wearing as well as for a standalone glossy beige lip. Consumers loved that the lacquer wasn’t sticky and also that it was comfortable and very pigmented.
Brown
16. The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick: Trustworthy
The Balm’s Meet Matt(e) Hughes boasts a long-lasting matte finish. The product comes in 18 shades, but we will be focusing on Trustworthy, a tan/beige color that works beautifully with brown skin and is great for any season. Consumers loved that the liquid lipstick lasts all day without drying out their lips as well as the beautiful pigmentation that the product delivers.
17. NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick: Brooklyn Thorn
This soft, vibrant liquid lipstick comes in shades ranging from neutral to bright blue, but our focus is on the beautiful deep tan of Brooklyn Thorn. Great for any occasion, this shade compliments brown skin, giving you the bold nude look you’ve been craving. Consumers loved how creamy and comfortable the lipstick was as well as how pigmented their lips became after just one swipe.
18. Kylie Cosmetics Velvet Liquid Lipstick: Commando
This product boasts high pigmentation and long coverage as well as a creamy matte finish that will not dry your lips out. The terracotta beige shade of Commando works beautifully with brown skin and is great for daytime and evening looks. Consumers loved that the lipstick applies smoothly and that it lasts for hours. They also loved how natural the lip colors looked.
19. Lottie London Slay All Day: Werk It
Lottie London’s Slay All Day liquid lipsticks boast a long-lasting, color-rich lipstick with a velvety and comfortable feel. The dark pink/beige shade of Werk It beautifully complements brown skin and gives a neutral pink that will turn heads. Consumers really loved the color of the product and how long it lasted.
20. NYX Lip Lingerie Nude Matte Lipstick: Teddy
NYX’s Lip Lingerie comes in 24 gorgeous nude shades, but we will be focusing on Teddy, a deep tan that accentuates brown skin. The product boasts a long wear time and a comfortable creamy feel. Consumers loved the staying power of the lipstick as well as the non-drying matte finish. Consumers also swore by the lipstick’s comfortable and silky feel.
Deep/Dark
21. MAC Matte Lipstick: Velvet Teddy
This highly pigmented and creamy matte lipstick comes in 30+ shades ranging from nude to violet. This lipstick has two of our top shades for dark skin. The lighter, deep-tone beige Velvet Teddy is our focus here. When applied, Velvet Teddy gives the lips a mauve undertone that complements darker shades of skin beautifully. Consumers loved how long the lipstick lasted, even through meals. Others suggested a primer or gloss, as this lipstick does have a drying effect that many matte lipsticks have.
22. Colourpop Crème Lux Lipstick: Lay Over
Colourpop’s Crème Lux Lipstick claims to be creamy, lightweight and saturated with pigmentation. Lay Over offers a muted blushy pink color that looks amazing on dark skin tones. Consumers loved how this lipstick moisturizes and glides so easily onto the lips. They also loved the scent and how pigmented the nude colors were.
23. UOMA Badass Icon Matte Lipstick: Maya
UOMA Beauty’s Badass Icon matte lipstick boasts a highly pigmented matte finish with a silky, comfortable texture that moisturizes the lips. Maya is a muted light plum shade that looks absolutely stunning with darker skin tones. Consumers loved the feel and look of this product, saying that they have the matte look without that dry feeling that so many matte lipsticks have.
24. MAC Matte Lipstick: Double Fudge
Our second shade in the MAC Matte Lipstick is the warm deep-brown Double Fudge. This shade would make for a gorgeous lip on a night out and would look especially beautiful on deep brown skin. Again, consumers suggested a primer or gloss, as this lipstick can dry the lips. However, this is offset by the pigmented color and the long-lasting matte finish.
25. Milani Color Statement Lipstick: Teddy Bare
Milani Color Statement lipstick is available in scores of vivacious colors, but we are focusing on the beautiful nude, Teddy Bare. This deep brown-pink shade looks beautiful and natural on darker skin tones. Consumers love the creamy feel, vivid colors, and the 3-4 hour staying power of the lipstick, which is impressive for a non-matte product.
FAQ About Nude Lipsticks
How do I choose the best nude lipstick?
Ladies with fair skin can simply find a lipstick that mimics their natural lip color (but avoid beige or anything too light!). However, those with medium skin should look for a deeper pink shade, while the darkest skin tones can actually pull off a nude lip that’s a shade lighter than their foundation color.
What is the most flattering lipstick color?
This depends on what makes you feel confident! That said, there are some lip shades that are known for their versatility. Deep, sheer berry pink is one shade that looks great on just about every skin tone; another universal option is a neutral red that has equal amounts of blue and orange undertones.
How to wear the perfect nude lipstick?
First, be sure that your lipstick isn’t too matte, or you risk looking washed out (you can always fix this by topping with a transparent gloss). In addition, you’ll want to find a lipstick with plenty of pigment– since a nude lip looks so similar to your actual lip color, you’ll need more opacity to make it pop.
Mistakes to avoid finding your nude lipstick
Never wear a lipstick that’s lighter than your natural lip color, or you’ll end up looking like a corpse! Again, avoid matte nudes, and in addition, stay away from glittery nudes (your lips will end up looking gray). Finally, never choose a nude lipstick that’s too similar to your natural skin tone.
Different kind of textures you can find your perfect nude in
Creamy nude lipsticks will give you a soft, romantic look. On the other hand, a satin finish can make your lips look plump and moisturized all day long. Finally, wearing a liquid or glossy finish can be a great look for ladies with thinner lips; they’ll make your lips look bigger and fuller.
25 Gorgeous Nude Lipsticks to Match Your Skin Tone
As intimidating as finding the perfect nude shade can be, following the guidelines above to figure out your shade and undertone as well as giving any of these suggested lipsticks a try will help narrow down the search for your perfect neutral shade. Whether you’re on a budget or have the cash to spare, these brands and shades offer diverse and high-quality natural lip looks that are sure to turn a few heads!
