Nude lip color is practically a must-have in every girl’s makeup stash, but if you find yourself baffled because you can’t seem to find a nude to suit your skin tone, this post’s for YOU!
So while there are SO many brands who make a wide variety of “nude” lip shades, I’m focusing here on MAC because it’s one of the easiest brands to find images of their products (for those of you who love to Google) and because so much “internet beauty talk” is spoken from the MAC perspective (for instance I reference being about a MAC NW47 even though I rarely ever wear MAC foundations). And although I know a HUGE amount of product lines, I don’t know them all so if you want to figure out a shade that would work for you that isn’t MAC, you can easily Google the MAC product image and keep that shade in mind at any brand. Get it? Good :)
Fair skin: (think Nicole Kidman) Hue
Medium skin: (think Sara Jessica Parker) High Tea
Light olive skin: (think Kim Kardashian) Cherish
Olive skin: (think Salma Hayek) Blankety
Light tan skin: (think Rihanna) Honeylove
Deep olive skin: (think Padma Lakshmi) Half N’ Half
Caramel skin: (think Queen Latifah) Velvet Teddy
Golden brown skin: (think Gabrielle Union) Siss
Deep brown skin: (think Viola Davis) Touch
Very deep skin: (think Alek Wek) Verve
Now bear in mind that some nudes work for more than one skin tone so if your exact skin tone doesn’t seem to be listed above, go to the one closest to it. And of course the shade listed won’t be the only MAC nude for you, this is just to point you in the right direction. Also don’t get caught up in the ethnic background of the celebrities listed—they’re just there as a guide—you can be Kim Kardashian’s complexion and be African American and you could be Gabrielle Union’s complexion and be Indian, etc. Please don’t over think it :)
Two more quick tips:
1. Viva Glam V Lipstick and Lipglass both work as universal nudes.
2. You can also create a ready-made nude by applying your foundation or concealer to your lips and adding clear gloss on top.
MAC Nude Lip Color Guide (for All Skin Tones) http://t.co/3XG2Wy6DLE by @StyleNBeautyDoc
New Blog Post: MAC Nude Lip Color Guide (for All Skin Tones) http://t.co/XReAbMZZ7V
RT @StyleNBeautyDoc: New Blog Post: MAC Nude Lip Color Guide (for All Skin Tones) http://t.co/XReAbMZZ7V
RT @StyleNBeautyDoc: New Blog Post: MAC Nude Lip Color Guide (for All Skin Tones) http://t.co/XReAbMZZ7V
I will definitely be making a trip to the store this weekend to pick up a nude color, sad to say I have none at the moment;( thanks D
Loooooove Honey Love. Best nude ever!!!!
Which MAC nude lipstick is your nude? Find out in my handy guide: http://t.co/Ci6NzONuIy on the blog. http://t.co/aMR1lYAKRU
RT @StyleNBeautyDoc: Which MAC nude lipstick is your nude? Find out in my handy guide: http://t.co/Ci6NzONuIy on the blog. http://t.co/aMR1lYAKRU
Honeylove kinda washes me out so I’m gonna try the Half and Half. Good post :-)
Author
Honeylove isn’t my perfect nude, but if I add BBQ liner and gloss to it, it works (just saying in case you have Honeylove and want to try and make it work…lol). Thanks!
I LOVE this post! Thank you!! You broke it down perfect. I even googled images of certain shades to get a better idea. I will be getting a new nude lip this weekend :)
Author
thanks, Deirdre! Let me know how it goes when you shop for your nude :)
Hi Danielle,
Just wanted to let you know that this post was featured in Glam’s Best of the Beauty Blogs this week. Keep up the great work!
-Val
Author
awww—thanks, Val!!!
I like siss, I also like Honeflower. Great list :)