Nude Lipstick 101: How to find the perfect shade for you
Trying to find that perfect nude lipstick that doesn’t make you look slightly ill, washed out, or just plain odd, is the bane of a lipstick wearers existence. Luckily, we like to think we know what we are talking about when it comes to helping our customers hunt for their perfect nude. Here are a few pointers to start you off in your search, but by all means, do pop us over an email for further guidance. Send us a photo of yourself in natural daylight, and we can assist in tracking down the ideal nude lipstick for you.
Consider the undertone of your skin.
Trying to determine the undertone of your skin is pretty tricky for those without a trained eye in makeup artistry. So you are forgiven for not fully understanding what this all means! Once you have that light bulb moment of figuring out your undertone and understanding colours that will work for you, it will make buying makeup (and even clothes!) a LOAD easier for you.
Follow our tips for determining your skin’s undertone:
- Take a look at the underside of your wrists in natural daylight. Do they look blue or purple? Then you are cool toned. Do they look green? Then you are warm toned. Can’t decide or can see both colours? Then you are neutral.
- Do you tend to look best in silver or gold jewellery? Silver jewellery suits those with a cool or neutral skin tone. Gold looks better on a warm or olive skin tone.
- Do you burn easily? If you are a factor 50 at all times kind of gal, you are probably cool toned. If you tan easily, you are more likely warm toned. But remember, SPF at all times, no matter your skin’s undertone!
Choose a lipstick that compliments the tone of your skin. For cool toned skin, choose blue toned lipsticks, like a light dusty rose, and avoid anything too yellow or orange that will clash with the undertones in your skin. For warm toned skin, choose peachy nudes or warm copper nudes.
Look at the natural colour of your bare lips.
Are they a deep rosy pink, more of a light baby pink or do they have a slight hint of beige or brown? Determining the natural tone of your lips will give you a good start on which shades to look for. A flattering nude lipstick doesn’t stray too far from your natural lip colour. You want to just enhance that shade, and even out the natural tone of your lips. Anything too pink, too pale, or too brown will look obvious and not flattering.
For fair to light skin with lips that have a pink tone, Hynt Beauty Bellini Nude lipstick would work well. This has a creamy, moisturising finish, with organic castor seed oil and organic jojoba oil. The shade is a light pink with a subtle hint of peach that looks flattering on neutral or cool toned fair to light skin tones. Avoid anything too beige if you have this skin tone as it may blend in too much with your skin and make you appear washed out. Stick to a shade a slight hint of colour.
If your lips are a neutral beige tone, then Ere Perez Cacao Lipstick in Hoopla would work well. This warm nude works well with a warm or golden skin tone, it’s a flattering shade for light through to deep skin and naturally enhances lips without being too beige, or too pink.
For medium to dark skin tones, try Couleur Caramel Lipstick in Chocolate Brown and avoid anything too pale that can make the skin look ashy. This chocolate coloured shade has a moisturising, sheer texture and is more of a natural brown nude to create that ‘your lips but better’ look.
Avoid a shade too close to your skin colour.
This is nude lip rule #1. Don’t choose a colour that makes your lips disappear altogether. Keep separation between your lips and skin by choosing a shade with a hint of colour, i.e. slightly pink, peach, or darker than your skin tone if you have fair through to olive skin. For darker skin tones, a shade slightly lighter than your natural skin tone, with added gloss or a slight sheen will look most natural.
Axiology Lipstick in Devotion would look fab on a warm skin tone that is light, medium or olive. The hint of copper/orange adds enough colour, without being too dark or light to look unnatural.
Couleur Caramel 254 Natural Pink is a pale natural pink to add extra colour to those with fair to light skin. If you’re not a fan of pink, or have a warm, golden undertone to your skin, then go for a peachier beige instead. NUI Cosmetics Lipstick in Tahnee has more a nude peach tone and looks better with a warm toned, fair to light skin.
To help you find your perfect lip colour, we’ve created this handy chart. Decide on the undertone of your skin, then find your skin shade, and you you will be matched up with your ideal lip shade. If you are neutral, lucky you! You can get away with most colours that match your skin shade.
If you are still unsure on which shade you should choose. Send us an email with a photo of yourself in natural daylight, and we will be happy to suggest some ideas. We also offer samples of most of our lip colours, so you can be sure you will be investing in the perfect colour for you.
