The range of nudes out there is as varied as we are diverse – one shade will never fit all. We match the right ones to yours, so you can wear this trending colour perfectly.
What is nude? Well, it’s not a light brown. Not really. A nude lipstick is simply how the shade looks against your skin. To find the right hue, look at two things: skin tone (what you see on the surface) and skin undertone (warm, cool or neutral), says makeup artist Larry Yeo.
For warmer skin tones, like honey, choose a nude with a warmer undertone – one with a peachy or golden base; a pink-based nude makes you look ashy. If you have a cooler skin tone, enhance the natural tone of your lips with a rosy nude.
The perfect nude lipstick should give your lips a flush of colour and make you look fresh-faced. It should enhance your lips, not make them disappear into your face. And that nude could be anything from subtle pinks and delicate earth tones to a touch of burgundy, rosewood and taupe.
Finding the right nude lipstick for your skin tone can be like hitting the jackpot, but we’ve done all the legwork here so you can skip guessing and zoom in on the right nudes for your skin tone, from fair to deep.
All you need to do is match the underside of your wrist to the shades here (we’ve used the Pantone colour chart to make it super easy), to see which nude lipsticks work for you.
FAIR
Hera Sensual Spicy Nude Volume Matte in #252 Nude Cream, $43
Dior Addict Lipstick Stellar Shine in #260 Mirage, $52
Vapour Beauty Lip Nectar in Chill, US$28.85 (S$39.50), at Net-a-porter
Rouge Hermes Satin Lipstick in Beige Kalahari, $103
Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in Makeout Break, $35
LIGHT
Chanel Rouge Coco in Adrienne, $52
Cle de Peau Beaute Refined Lip Luminizer in #5 Perfect Peach, $85
Laneige Layering Lip Bar in #13 Bitter Rose, $39
Nars Matte Lipstick in Cruising, $40
MEDIUM
Yves Saint Laurent Beaute Tatouage Couture Velvet Cream in #204 Beige Underground, $52
Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge in #325 Ultra Tender, $52
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Kissable Lip Shine in Bronze Idol, $52
Armani Beauty Ecstasy Mirror in #102, $57
Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Achiever, $54
OLIVE
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Uptight, $31
M.A.C Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in Date-Maker, $41
Clarins Comfort Lip Oil Intense in #01 Intense Nude, $36
Shiseido Makeup Modern Matte Powder Lipstick in #503 Nude Streak, $46
HONEY
Decorte The Rouge Velvet in BR 301, $48
Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in #134 Lust, $52
Christian Louboutin Beauty Sheer Voile Lipcolour in Private Number, $142
Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Amplified Matte BG961, $42
Tom Ford Lip Color in Libertine, $76
DEEP
Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Intimatte in 274 Killing Me Softly, $49
Estee Lauder Pure Color Desire Rouge Excess Lipstick in #112 Deny, $62
Gucci Beauty Rouge a Levres Mat in 209 Mona Leslie Cameo, $53
Clinique Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation Lipstick in #22 Nuzzle, $36
Make the nude lip work for you
Makeup artist Larry Yeo shares these useful tips.
• Nude newbies can start with a gloss or balm – the more translucent the finish, the more forgiving the colour.
• To do a fully nude lip look, choose a colour one to two tones darker than your foundation shade for subtle contrast. Since you’re playing down your lips, play up your other features, say, with a smoky eye and fuller brow.
• To do an MLBB look, choose a nude that’s one shade brighter than your natural lip colour. And to enhance it, keep the entire look monochromatic using shades from the same colour family. For instance, caramel lips could be paired with taupe or soft browns on eyes and cheeks.
TEXT VANESSA CHIA PHOTOGRAPHY PHYLLICIA WANG ART DIRECTION SHAN
