30 Best Nude Lipsticks That Will Flatter Any Skin Tone
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From subtle no-makeup makeup looks to a bold smokey eye, nude lipstick is essential for your makeup bag. A nude shade is different for every makeup wearer, but when you find the best lipstick shade for your skin tone, the results help effortlessly highlight your natural lips. The goal of nude lipstick is to make your lips stand out, but finding the right shade can be tricky.
If you try a shade that’s too light, you may risk washing out your complexion. But, on the other hand, if you opt for a shade that’s too dark, you can lose the “nude” effect and end up with a color that’s too bold for your desired look.
How To Find Your Right Shade of Nude
Before you begin your journey to find the best nude lipstick for your makeup routine, you need to understand your skin tone and undertones. Understanding your complexion can help you determine which shades to look for and which to avoid. As a general rule of thumb, beauty experts recommend choosing a hue that’s two shades darker than your natural lip color.
30 Best Nude Lipsticks for Your Skin Tone
Here are our favorite nude lipsticks to complete any makeup look and help highlight your natural beauty.
Price Reference (average price):
$ | Under $15
$$ | Between $15-$30
$$$ | More than $30
Best for Fair Skin Tones
If you have fair to light skin, stay away from shades that have brown undertones. Instead, try a soft pink or rose-colored lipstick to help highlight your natural pout and bring warmth to your porcelain skin.
Image: Ulta
M·A·Cximal Silky Matte Lipstick
Mac
Shade: Velvet Teddy
Price: $$
A creamy matte lipstick with intense beige hues. Its full-coverage formula is long-lasting to lock in color for up to four hours.
Why We Love It: Formulated with clean ingredients making it free of harsh chemicals.
Image: Sephora
Satin Luxe Classic Cream Lipstick
Lawless
Shade: Annie
Price: $$
With light, peachy undertones, this lipstick gives your lips a satiny finish and keeps your pout hydrated.
Why We Love It: Its nourishing formula is enriched with jojoba oil, castor oil, and vitamin E to help soothe and soften your lips.
Image: Ulta
Colour Riche Satin Lipstick
L'Oréal
Shade: Fairest Nude
Price: $
The Colour Riche Satin Lipstick has a creamy formula that feels so luxurious as you swipe the beige-pink pigment across your lips. It's also enriched with nourishing ingredients, including vitamin E and argan oil that helps to keep your lips moisturized throughout your day.
Why We Love It: Its smudge- and smear-proof formula doesn’t bleed or migrate, so your color stays put for hours.
Image: Ulta
L'Absolu Rouge Cream Lipstick
Lancôme
Shade: 250 Tendre Mirage
Price: $$$
This cream lipstick features a pink shade with cool undertones that is perfect for enhancing your lips’ natural beauty. Its long-lasting, smudge-proof formula lasts for up to 18 hours of wear, making it perfect to wear from the office to a night out.
Why We Love It: This lipstick has a creamy finish that gives your lips a subtle shine.
Image: Sephora
Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Shade: 05 Glazed
Price: $$
This sheer lipstick delivers a soft peachy-pink shade with a shimmering finish that leaves your lips with a little sparkle. Made with a lightweight texture that will make you forget it’s there.
Why We Love It: Not only is this sheer lipstick infused with pomegranate butter to moisturize your lips, but it’s cruelty-free, too.
Image: NYX Cosmetics
Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick
NYX
Shade: Undressed
Price: $
A color-saturated matte liquid lipstick in a soft, peach hue. Its long-lasting vegan formula provides up to 16 hours of wear.
Why We Love It: It doesn’t crack or fade during your day-to-day routines.
Best for Medium Skin Tones
For people with medium skin tones, the possibilities of nude shades that will complement your complexion are nearly endless. Sheer lipsticks easily flatter your skin tone, especially if you choose one with caramel, beige, or pale nude undertones. Or, if you’re seeking a more pigmented option, try brown or berry shades.
Image: Target
Soft Kiss Nourishing Lipstick
The Lip Bar
Shade: Bare Me
Price: $
A nourishing lipstick in a pinky-mauve shade that glides on with buildable coverage. Its formula is infused with mango seed butter to keep your lips hydrated and smooth.
Why We Love It: This lipstick has a buildable formula that offers sheer to medium coverage.
Image: Sephora
Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil
Nars
Shade: Do Me Baby
Price: $$
A top-favorite nude for a reason, this lipstick pencil brings a rosy shade to your pucker. This lipstick offers a velvet matte finish and is enriched with vitamin E to help nourish your lips.
Why We Love It: Its versatile formula can be worn alone or layered with your favorite liner or gloss.
Image: Sephora
Matte Revolution Lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury
Shade: Super Fabulous
Price: $$$
This long-lasting matte lipstick features the perfect rosy combination with caramel-brown undertones to highlight your natural complexion. It’s made with vegan ingredients, too.
Why We Love It: The luxurious-designed case can be refilled when your lipstick runs out.
Image: Sephora
MoistureGlow™ Plumping Lip Color
MAKEUP BY MARIO
Shade: Caramel
Price: $$
This lipstick is a liquid color and plumper wrapped into one. In a rich, light brown shade, this lip color glides on like a gloss to offer full coverage and high shine.
Why We Love It: This nude lipstick hydrates and plumps your lips.
Image: Estee Lauder
Pure Color Creme Lipstick
Estée Lauder
Shade: Rebellious Rose
Price: $$$
If you’re looking for a nude shade that still brings a pop of color to your makeup looks, try the Pure Color Creme Lipstick. In a berry-inspired shade, this lipstick offers long-lasting wear with a creme finish.
Why We Love It: Wear it for up to ten hours without worrying about bleeding, feathering, or creasing.
Image: Glossier
Ultralip
Glossier
Shade: Villa
Price: $$
A one-step dusty rose-colored lipstick that nourishes your lips and adds the sheen of a gloss. Its buildable formula can be worn as a subtle gloss or layered as a rich statement shade.
Why We Love It: Its packaging is made from recycled plastics.
Best for Mocha Skin Tones
Dark nude hues are your new best friend if you have a mocha-like skin tone. A warm, brown shade with subtle pink undertones can give your pout a standout finish.
Image: Amazon
Butter Gloss
NYX Professional Makeup
Shade: 46 Butterscotch
Price: $
This buttery-soft tinted lip gloss gives your lips a statement shine that lasts for hours. Made in a buildable formula that can be worn as a sheer gloss or as a medium stain.
Why We Love It: Its glossy finish is sticky-free for comfortable wear.
Image: Mented Cosmetics
Semi-Matte Lipstick
Mented Cosmetics
Shade: Dope Taupe
Price: $$
With a classic matte finish, this lipstick features a unique blend of brown and pink hues that enhances your pout with a warm glow.
Why We Love It: Its velvety matte formula gives your lips a buttery-soft finish.
Image: Ulta
Nubian Earth Lipstick
Juvia's Place
Shade: Nubian Sand
Price: $$
A creamy matte lipstick in a sandy nude shade, this lipstick offers long-lasting wear with a luxurious, velvety finish.
Why We Love It: Its highly pigmented formula adds a rich, warm brown shade to your lips.
Image: Amazon
100% Natural Moisturizing Lipstick
Burt’s Bees
Shade: Nile Nude
Price: $
A long-lasting lipstick with a peachy suede shade that highlights your lips. This lipstick keeps your lips moisturized for up to eight hours, too.
Why We Love It: It's cruelty-free and made with recycled packaging.
Image: Amazon
Liquid Matte Lipstick
Dose of Colors
Shade: Cork
Price: $$
The perfect shade of beige, this creamy lipstick goes on as a liquid and dries with a comfortable matte finish.
Why We Love It: It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without parabens or gluten!
Image: Sephora
Kind Words Matte Lipstick
Rare Beauty
Shade: Talented
Price: $$
A hydrating lipstick in a neutral beige shade with soft pink undertones. With a matte finish, this lipstick offers comfortable, all-day wear.
Why We Love It: It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and has chic packaging.
Best for Dark Skin Tones
For darker complexions, the best lipsticks to wear to achieve the perfect nude include rich shades that are slightly darker than your natural skin tone. From dark caramels to rich cocoa hues, these lipsticks offer a stunning contrast against your skin.
Image: Merit Beauty
Signature Lip Lightweight Satin Lipstick
Merit Beauty
Shade: 1990
Price: $$
A deep brown shade with a sheer satin finish that can be layered with your favorite gloss or worn alone. Made with plant-based ingredients, this lipstick provides long-lasting moisture.
Why We Love It: This lipstick helps diffuse the appearance of fine lines with its stabilized vitamin C-infused formula.
Image: Sephora
K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick
Charlotte Tilbury
Shade: Pillow Talk Intense
Price: $$$
A moisturizing lipstick in a rich berry shade with a smooth, cashmere finish that gives your lips a fuller effect.
Why We Love It: Its unique formula helps protect from UV damage.
Image: Mented Cosmetics
Liquid Lipstick
Mented Cosmetics
Shade: Hot Date
Price: $$
Perfect for transitioning from the office to a night out, this liquid lipstick features a soft, chocolate-brown shade with a matte finish.
Why We Love It: Its award-winning formula is vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
Image: Amazon
Perfect Tone Matte Lip Crème Lipstick
Black Radiance
Shade: Go Nude
Price: $
A mousse-like liquid lipstick with rosy undertones that lends a dreamy finishing touch to your nude lip.
Why We Love It: Its soft brush allows for easy on-the-go application.
Image: Ulta
Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Lipstick
L'Oreal
Shade: Shake Down
Price: $
An essential long-lasting liquid lipstick in an intensely pigmented light brown shade. With a matte finish, this lipstick can be worn comfortably for up to 16 hours.
Why We Love It: It’s sculpted brush helps you shape your lips.
Image: Sephora
Fenty Icon The Fill Semi-Matte Lipstick
Fenty Beauty By Rihanna
Shade: She a CEO
Price: $$
This multi-tasking lipstick moisturizes, conditions, and plumps, all while adding a warm shade of chocolate to your pout.
Why We Love It: You can customize your lipstick by choosing your own case.
Best for Deep Skin Tones
If you have a deep complexion, try bold nudes with rose and berry-colored undertones. These shades can bring a stunning, contrasting effect to your makeup looks when they’re pigmented with darker shades.
Image: Ulta
Badass Icon Matte Lipstick
UOMA Beauty
Shade: Nina
Price: $$
With a highly pigmented matte formula, this lipstick features a soft, rosy brown shade. Its silky texture brings full color to your lips with just one swipe.
Why We Love It: It’s formulated with wild mango butter to help restore dry and damaged lips.
Image: Propa Beauty
Empower Luminous Satin Lipstick
Propa Beauty
Shade: Empower
Price: $
A deep, chocolate maroon shade with a satin finish, this lipstick offers sheer-to-full color coverage. Its creamy formula is vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
Why We Love It: Its bullet-like silhouette easily defines the peaks of your lips, so no liner is required.
Image: Ulta
I Need A Nude Lipstick
Natasha Denona
Shade: 5B Nati
Price: $$
A creamy nude in a deep brown shade, this lipstick is made with a nourishing formula that hydrates and gives your lips a luminous finish.
Why We Love It: Its lightweight formula has a comfortable, barely-there feel.
Image: Ulta
On Your Collar Matte Lipstick
r.e.m. Beauty
Shade: Twilight
Price: $$
This matte lipstick gives your pout intense color with its nude cocoa shade. Its creamy formula has a lightweight feel that offers comfortable wear for hours.
Why We Love It: It's vegan with clean ingredients and sustainable packaging!
Image: Ulta
Color Sensational Ultimatte Slim Lipstick
Maybelline
Shade: More Coffee
Price: $
Packaged in a compact case for on-the-go application, this lipstick adds intense coffee bean-inspired hues to your pout.
Why We Love It: A lightweight lipstick with an affordable price point.
Image: Amazon
Super Stay Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipstick
Maybelline
Shade: Fearless
Price: $
A high-shine liquid lipstick with deep berry undertones. Made to last, this lipstick stays put for up to 16 hours.
Why We Love It: Its color-lock formula doesn’t smudge or transfer.
