How To Choose the Right Nude Lipstick [10 Tips]

Last Updated on March 5, 2023

Avoid looking washed out in the wrong shade of nude! Follow these 11 tips on how to choose the right nude lipstick for you.

Nude lipsticks enhance a person’s natural beauty. They also require little maintenance compared to bold shades. However, finding the best shade of nude lipstick can be challenging as you can easily end up with one that leaves your lips chalky.

To help you out, we’ve prepared all you need to know about nude lipsticks for black women of different shades. Let’s get started!

How To Choose The Right Nude Lipstick

1. Choose the correct undertone

Your undertone is either warm, cool, or a mix of both (i.e. neutral).

If you don’t know what your undertone is, take this 20-second Find My Undertone test to find out.

Richer chocolate brown lip colors appear better on cooler undertones, like Fenty Beauty’s Stunna Lip Paint in Unveil. Golden or caramel tints work best for warm undertones, like Milani’s Color Statement Lipstick in Teddy Bare. The good news for neutral undertones is that you can wear either. Use highly pigmented products with the correct tones to highlight your skin’s natural warmth/coolness.

For more nude lipstick options, read 10 Best Nude Lipsticks For Dark Skin Tones.

2. Avoid overly bright shades

Just like matching your undertone, the actual shade of lipstick is just as important. Choosing something too light when trying to find a “nude” for darker complexion is common. So, ensure the hue you choose either matches your skintone or is one or two shades darker.

3. Pick a color that matches the edges of your lips

Numerous makeup artists believe that there are better places to test foundation than on the back of your hand. This is because your hands’ color does not accurately reflect your face. This also stands when it comes to lipstick.

To test for the perfect nude shade, make sure your chosen color matches the edges of your lips. Otherwise, your lips may appear dehydrated.

Most especially, if you have a dark skin tone, the borders of your lips may be a little darker than the rest of the areas. So, it’s equally important to take this into consideration when choosing a nude lipstick.

4. Define your lips with lip liner (optional)

A brown lip liner is a must-have for girls with a dark tone when wearing a nude lip. Although this is option, lip lining nevertheless enhances the definition of your lips.

Further, applying it across your lips intensifies your lipstick. It may also create an ombre effect if you pair it with a nude lipstick that’s one or two shades lighter than the liner.

Lip liners are also great if you have thinner lips, as it prevents your lipstick from bleeding. They’re also worth wearing if you want fuller-looking lips, as it adds dimension to your overall lips.

If you’re wearing lip liner, always ensure it has a similar undertone to your nude lipstick. The Lip Bar offers an array of brown lip liners that glides on well with long staying power. We love them because of their nourishing skincare ingredients like jojoba oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E.

5. Integrate your makeup

You should strike a balance with your entire makeup because bare lips are modest.

A no-makeup makeup look is complete with the perfect shade of nude lipstick, particularly one with a bit of a sheen. Mented Cosmetics’ semi-matte nude lipsticks are a great choice for this.

For glam makeup looks, your natural-looking lips will appear best with dramatic eyes, whether created with bold eyeshadow or winged eyeliner. In this case, feel free to wear a matte or semi-matte nude lipstick.

6. Exfoliate before application

Nude lipsticks tend to highlight every crease and cranny on your lips. So, if you have some chaps or roughness on the lips to begin with, we recommend giving it a bit of a scrub.

KNC Beauty offers the Supa scrub, or check out Fenty Skin’s Pro Kiss’r Lip-Loving Scrubstick (a more affordable version).

7. Moisturize your lips before application

Not all lipsticks contain moisturizing properties. So, to prevent your lips drying out, it’s important to moisturize them before applying lipstick. Moisturizing can also help your lips become more even-textured.

So after using a lip scrub, apply a hydrating lip balm like KNC Beauty’s vegan Supa balm. For more intense treatment, it’s worth investing in the new Plush Puddin’ Overnight Lip Mask by Fenty Skin. This mask went viral circa December 2022 that it gave the popular Laneige lip mask a run for its money.

8. Use foundation to blend dark nude lipstick

You may just have chosen a nude lipstick that’s too dark. If that’s the case, the easiest way to achieve a softly blurred appearance is to apply the tiniest foundation to the center of your top and bottom lips. Then, mix it outward using a foundation brush.

Adding concealer to your lips before applying your nude lipstick also does the trick. To achieve this, use concealer to cover up your natural lip color.

Use only a tiny bit of foundation or concealer; otherwise, your lips will be sticky and uncomfortable the entire day.

9. You can choose to gloss it

Gloss gives anything a sheen. Since naked lipsticks tend to be a little flat, applying some gloss can make them shine a little more. You don’t require a lot, though. Apply a small amount to the center of your lips for a subtle pop.

Particularly if you have dry skin, glossy nude lips will definitely add some sheen to your overall look. Ami Cole’s Lip Oil Treatment comes in two nude shades (plus transparent) which lays perfectly on nude lipsticks.

10. Try blending colors

If you are unable to find what you want, try blending colors for the ideal nude. For a dark nude, for instance, line your lips with a brown pencil first, then cover them with a brown lipstick that has a hint of rose. Make sure to thoroughly combine them.

You can choose to rock an intense look or a natural one with nude lipstick. So, don’t shy away from combining nude lipsticks to create transitions from dark to light. The combination options are endless. You can create all the magic with various versatile nudes to match the occasion.

We hope you now have some clarity on how to choose the right nude lipstick for your skin tone. Happy shopping!