These Are the Best Nude Lipsticks for Your Skin Tone
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A swipe of nude lipstick is an easy way to look like you made some effort in your makeup look. It's a tricky thing, though, because choosing a shade that clashes with your skin tone can do you dirty — as we've all learned by wearing a nude lip color…only to look like an undead version of ourselves. "The perfect nude makes your face look fresh and youthful, but a lot of people pick something too light, too opaque, or too beige," says makeup artist Nick Barose.
While you'll find many examples of makeup artist-approved formulas in the slides below, it can be helpful to keep some general guidelines in mind when perusing the vast array of taupes, toffees, and caramels on your own. People with fair or light skin can beautifully pull off pink- and rose-based hues, whereas medium and olive skin tones look incredible in beiges, browns, or even a berry or mauve-adjacent nude. As for deeper skin tones, there's a lot of room to play with shades ranging from creamy, dark caramels to rich cocoa.
Here, we present tips straight from the pros, alongside a variety of the best nude lipsticks for fair skin, medium skin, dark skin, and deep skin tones.
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte & Satin Velvet Lipstick in Haze
Leave it to Anastasia Beverly Hills to create a lip product with insane pigment and comfort that will last all day. The Matte & Satin Velvet Lipstick features an array of hues including satiny nudes and more vibrant, matte shades like berry reds. This color, Haze, a light peach, comes in a satin finish that just glides on lips with ease.
- 2/15
Sisley Paris
Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist in Baby
Now that you're properly prepped, it's time to decide whether or not you want to play up the pinky tones in your lips. If the answer is yes, stick to pale, rosy nudes — like the Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist in Baby. This crayon has a satin texture that's not too creamy, so there's minimal transfer as the day goes on.
- 3/15
L'Oréal Paris
L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude
Prefer to take the natural rosiness in your lips down a notch? Try a sheer, light taupe or beige, like the L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude. It's affordable yet its packaging looks expensive — the golden combo, some might say.
- 4/15
MAC
MAC Cosmetics Satin Lipstick in Cherish
Makeup artist Tobi Henney, loves using a cool-toned nude shade like this muted pink bullet by MAC on paler skin tones. "I tend to look at the natural color of the lip to guide me," she says. "I always want around the same depth of the lip color in my nude lipstick that I am going to apply, which is why I love this Satin Lipstick in Cherish for lighter-skinned clients."
- 5/15
Nars
Nars Sheer Lipstick in Cruising
"Nude lipsticks have to be chosen carefully so as not to wash out your complexion or look too light against your skin tone," says Henney, who keeps Nars's Sheer Lipstick in Cruising in her kit for lighter-toned clients. (Bonus points: a sheer formula blends seamlessly with your natural lip color for an undetectable finish.)
- 6/15
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
One of the most popular nude lipsticks of all time, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk has earned veritable icon status (and an Allure Best of Beauty Award), thanks to its creamy formula and warm nude hue that seems to work on almost anybody. Not to mention, there's a medium shade as well, which works great on tan to dark skin tones.
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Makeup by Mario
Makeup By Mario Ultra Suede Lipstick in Kate
If anyone is going to create a perfect nude for medium skin, it's going to be Kim Kardashian's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic. The Makeup By Mario Ultra Suede Lipstick is a matte lipstick that feels anything but dry. This hue, Kate, is a rosy nude that feels soft but gives depth to your lips.
- 8/15
Maybelline New York
Maybelline New York Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color in Daring Nude
"The depth of the lipstick color should correlate with the skin tone, meaning the lighter the skin, the lighter the nude, and the darker skin, the darker the nude," explains makeup artist Quinn Murphy. Peachy-tan hues like Maybelline New York Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color pictured above are as wallet-friendly as they are chic. Plus, this shade Darling Nude is just darling for medium skin tones.
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Tom Ford
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sable Smoke
"Tom Ford's Sable Smoke is a great warm-beige nude, and also Lily Aldridge's favorite," says Murphy. "I always have it in my kit for her — It's not too light or dark and looks great against warm skin tones," she adds. Well, if it's good enough for Lily, it's good enough for us.
- 10/15
Hourglass
Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo in Femme Nude
We love a lip product that's impossible to mess up, and Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo's are chunky lip crayons that do exactly that. Makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan loves Femme Nude, a beige-y mauve that looks like a dream on medium and tan skin tones.
- 11/15
NYX Cosmetics
NYX Professional Makeup Lip Lingerie Push-Up Long-Lasting Nude Lipstick & Sharpener in After Hours
What's better than a nude lipstick for darker skin tones? An affordable nude lipstick for darker skin tones. Meet the Nyx Professional Makeup Lip Lingerie Push-Up Long-Lasting Nude Lipstick, which features a retractable pencil and built-in sharpener that makes it easy to line and fill lips. This hue, After Hours, is a milk chocolate color that looks ideal on deeper skin tones.
- 12/15
Sunnies Face
Sunnies Face Fluffmatte in Brunette
ICYMI: Sunnies Face is officially available in the US and the Filipina-owned brand's Fluffmatte lipsticks are it. The matte formula is never drying on the lips, and can we talk about this shade? Brunette is a deep shade with reddish undertones that give a sophisticated vibe to any look.
- 13/15
Natasha Denona
Natasha Denona I Need A Nude Lipstick in Lala
Natasha Denona's I Need A Nude Lipstick is a collection of nudes that have four undertones: Beige, Neutral Beige, Neutral Pink, and Pink. This shade, Lala, is a deep brown that falls into the Neutral Beige category for its ability to work on all skin tones but works well as a nude for deeper tones, too.
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Nudestix
Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Boho
Looking for a long-wearing nude that will last you from brunch to cocktails with minimal touchups? Try a soft matte lip pencil like Nudestix's Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Boho. It has rosy undertones and some serious staying power.
- 15/15
Mented Cosmetics
Mented Cosmetics Semi-Matte Lipstick in Dark Night
The Mented Cosmetics Semi-Matte Lipstick are exactly what it claims to be: a semi-matte formula. It's infused with castor seed oil and vitamin E which makes it super nourishing on the lips, but still boasts a lot of pigment. Speaking of which, this shade Dark Night is a cherry-brown hue that looks stunning on dark to deep skin tones.