I love the flexibility of a nude lip. It can take you from day wear to evening wear seamlessly. At the same time, nude can often be hard to pull off. Pale lips and makeup in the wrong tone can create a washed out look.
Lora Alexander offers her expert advice on achieving your ideal nude lip color. You can find our first lip-smacking collaboration on finding your perfect red lipstick here. Thanks to her extensive background as a licensed esthetician, makeup artist, certified Image Consultant, and founder of Pretty Your World, she knows how to find the right colors to give you a natural glow.
Lora simplifies the task so that EVERYONE can find the right shade of nude to complement the complexion. When nude lips flatter your skin tone, they can give a clean, polished look or a sultry, “I woke up like this” kinda look.
To keep the look fresh, you can pair it with a smoky eye for a bold look or keep eyes and the rest of makeup subtle and soft.
Pretty Your World gives a concise guide to understanding color theory and the four season palette—dividing color types by warm Autumn and Spring and cool Winter and Summer. I found the value in working with Lora and highly recommend a fun remote session with her (all you need are a few good photos of yourself).
In Lora Alexander’s words:
When it comes to creating a truly nude lip, such as the look that Kim Kardashian is famous for, you could get away with choosing just TWO COLORS for all of the seasons: one cool nude (with a touch of pink) and one warm nude usually with a light warm beige/brown or light peach tone to it. There are many of those to be found. Here are some examples.
‘Oh My Guava’ is a nude-pink color. This nude color has less brown than most nudes, and more pink undertones to complement your natural pink lip color.
‘New York’ offers a brown based nude shade with orange undertones. This color looks especially beautiful on those with warm skin tones who don’t want shimmer.
‘Naughty’ is a red based tan color. It does not contain shimmer, but still gives your lips a healthy shine.
More Nudes To Choose
Ilia Beauty also has a tinted lip conditioner called Nobody’s Baby described as the “perfect, sheer nude suited to any occasion.”
I still love my red, but I believe in the idea that you should play up either eyes or lips–so a lighter lip does have its place, so sometimes looks youthful and fresh. Sarita knows the best lipsticks!
What’s your favorite lipstick color for winter, Josie? Red is so classic – in the right shade, of course. Thanks for liking my lipstick choices. I’ll have to do a tinted lippie post because that’s what I keep wearing lately 🙂
Great lipstick suggestions! I’ve always wanted a nude but am too scared to try it because I don’t know what’s good for me. I’ll have to check these out. Thank you!
That’s where color theory helps the most! Navigating so many colors can be so hard. When you understand which seasons work best for you, it simplifies color choices considerably. Thanks for commenting and for liking the post. I always appreciate the feedback. I’m sure you know 🙂 XO
I love nude lipsticks and New York has been a favorite of mine. I think Red Apple Lipstick’s Honey Badger is also a really nice nude for those that prefer lipgloss. Great post!
Oooh! Thanks, Ashley. I’ll have to check that one out. Thanks you for reading and commenting. XO
I am addicted to Giorgio Armani lipsticks in 100 and 103. I first started wearing them at home when drinking red wine to stop my lips from turning that nasty red wine stain color. (I was always a red lipstick wearer, so I didn’t even consider wearing nude out of the house.) now those are my go-to colors and I am so afraid they are going to be discontinued!