Over the years, there’s been a multitude of colours which have all taken turns to steal the spotlight as the best lip shade to try. We had lilac, bright orange and even neon pink trends. But in the end, none of these shades were able to hold a candle to the classic nude lip.
Here, we narrow down some of the best nude lipsticks and lip glosses to try and keep as a staple in your makeup stash. After all, it’s a classic shade that can never go wrong.
If you’re looking for a lip gloss that doesn’t feel too sticky or tacky on your lips, try this lippie from Nars. We love the shade Santo Domingo – it’s a classic nude shade that suits any skin tone and works with any makeup look.
Formulated to provide your pout with a mirror-like shine, this lip gloss is also buildable so you can choose to go full-glam or opt for just a dab of glossiness.
This mauve-toned nude shade is perfect for those with tanned or darker skin tones. It’s in the shade Very Victoria, and is a matte lipstick that includes hydrating and nourishing ingredients to keep lips moisturised all day.
Plus, this lippie is super long-lasting, which means it won’t budge, even after copious cups of coffee.
We love this lipstick, and not just for its gorgeous aqua blue packaging. With 10 nude shades in this collection, it’s almost impossible to narrow down to a go-to nude lippie, but we ended up going with the fan-favourite shade in Salt Lyfe.
Pop on this versatile shade of lipstick for a day at the office or even for a night out with the girls – we guarantee you’ll look amazing.
If you’re unfamiliar with Mac’s Viva Glam range, it’s a series of limited-edition lip products dedicated to helping people affected by HIV or Aids. Mac promises that every cent of the selling price of the lipsticks and lipglasses go towards the cause. How’s that for feel-good beauty?
The latest cycle in the series is fronted by the lovely Ariana Grande, and features this amazing neutral lipglass. The colour is an almost sheer mauve nude with sparkle that quite frankly will look great on every single skin tone. We are all about beauty with a cause!
If luxe lips are your goal in life, there are few brands as coveted as Cle de Peau Beaute. These babies will set you back 80 dollars per pop, but the pigment is stunning, the formula lightweight and completely non-sticky, and it also feels immensely hydrating on the lips.
All that in a gorgeous weighted bottle? Absolutely! The shade Chenille is one of the darker neutrals, and suits my medium skin tone perfectly.
The most memorable Lunasol launch a while back was their chocolate-themed collection, and while that was fun, these lipsticks are a discovery I’m enjoying even more. The range is full of various nudes for different skin tones, and the formula is creamy with an almost satin-matte finish.
My favourite way to apply this is to dab it along my lips and blend the colour in with my fingertips for a more natural and sheer effect. You can of course opt to use it at full opacity, which is stunning as well. The neutral shade 40 is the darkest of the lot and should work well with light-to-medium skin tones.
The brand recently launched a matte range of their Lip + Cheek pencils, and the formula is wonderfully creamy without being drying on the lips. The shade Purity is the perfect mauve-y nude for medium skin tones, and the skinny crayon lipstick design makes it super easy to swipe across your lips without having to get close to a mirror.
Practical tip: I recommend keeping these in a makeup bag or the cap might come loose, leaving an open lip crayon to massacre the insides of your handbag (naturally, it has happened to me).
If you’ve got a deep skin tone, this subtly shimmery mauve-brown shade of Dior’s Ultra-Gloss will look stunning on your lips. The formula is meant to give your lips high shine and volume, and the formula is wonderfully unsticky for a gloss product.
I’m also particularly drawn to the brush applicator – a pleasant change from typical doe foot applicators – which deposits a nice thin layer of product and also allows you to build it up and “paint” it on. The packaging is divine as well, which is always a bonus.