By Michelle Vongphakdy on May 9, 2012 in
Understated makeup remains a beauty trend and the nude lip goes hand in hand with that look. Surprisingly, perfecting a nude lip can be more difficult than going bold with a vivacious red. We gathered up some tips for choosing the best shade to help you avoid looking like a corpse.
- Nude lips should be one to two shades darker than your skin tone. Experts say to test nude lip shades out on the underside of your arm. Choose one with the same tone that is one or two shades deeper than your skin.
- If you have deeply hued lips, use concealer to neutralize them before applying lipstick. Some companies make concealers specifically for the lips (MAC Pro Lip Erase, for example). These formulas are thinner and supposedly less drying, but they work in the same manner as facial concealers. Both types of formula also serve to give your lipstick more staying power.
- Choose a creme or satin lipstick for the best look. Matte and frost lipsticks in pale shades can wash you out and are too drying for this look. The extra moisture in creme and satin lipsticks keeps the look modern and on trend. Add a little lip gloss for even more shine.
- Find the right tone for your skin. Editors at InStyle magazine explain that those with fair skin should look for a peach or pink nude. Medium skin tones should stick with pink or mauve-toned nudes and dark skin tones are best suited to caramel and honey-hued nudes.
- Consider a natural lip as an alternative. A natural look may be a bit easier to pull off than nude lips, while still keeping with the minimalist trend. To pull it off, find a shade that is as close to your natural lip color as possible. Don't go more than one or two shades deeper than your natural color. Warning: it may take trying on a lot of shades to find the best match.
To help you determine the best nude shade for you, InStyle magazine has put together a handy slide show matching skin tones to celebrities for comparison. The suggested shades listed for each skin tone are a good starting place. For top performing lipstick brands, see our lipstick report.
See Our Recommendations
