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The best nude lipsticks to suit every single skin tone
From nostalgic satins to non-cakey mattes
Finding a nude lipstick is like finding your soulmate. You have to kiss a few frogs – or, in this case, formulas – to find your match. But once you do, it’s a dreamy feeling.
However, the road to romance isn’t always a smooth one. Go too pale and you risk looking a little peaky, but veer too dark and you'll channel Wednesday vibes. Saying that, however, if you want to explore the darker side, go for it – just make it chic.
Once you've found your shade, there's the texture to consider. Sheer finishes are perfect for 'no-makeup' days, while satin options are flattering on all ages and skin tones. A matte liquid will deliver serious staying power, while gloss gives a juicy plushness that becomes addictive to slather on.
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from the days of one-shade-fits-all in beauty, where a single pink tone was considered sufficient for our entire skin tone spectrum. Today’s best beauty brands have caught on fast, offering a host of inclusive natural shades for those your-lips-but-better vibes.
To help you narrow down the vast number of options out there, we’ve swatched, swiped and painted on hundreds of hues (probably) – from obvious best-sellers to niche heroes we're obsessed with – to bring you the very best nude lipsticks on the planet.
It's a tough job but someone has to do it.
The best nude lipsticks to wear now and forever
UOMA Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick
Everything about this velvety matte lipstick is beautiful. The formula is one of the best we've come across, delivering long-lasting, creamy pigment that doesn't leave your lips feeling dry or cracked. The shade range is fab, so there's bound to be one that works perfectly on you.
CTZN Cosmetics Nudiversal Lip Duo in Fez
Introducing your easiest nude ever. The CTZN Cosmetics lipstick and gloss combo is a game-changer to slip into your makeup bag. You can use the gloss and lippy separately, or combine the two for a pigmented look that will last without feathering. With a steady hand, you can also use the tip of the bullet to line your lips and create definition.
Oh, and the shade spectrum is immense, with everything from soft pinks and deep browns to pick from.
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Cream Glow Bossy Browns in Self Made
We're living for nineties hues and, if you're tempted, these brown-toned bullets are your shortcut to nostalgic success. Huda's Bossy Browns collection contains a shade to suit every tone, with an ultra-creamy pigmented finish to boot.
MAC Matte Lipstick
Can you ever really beat a MAC lipstick? Not only do they have a nude shade for every single skin tone, but they also have one in every single finish. Whether you prefer matte, bold, sheer, glossy or even metallic, our favourite counter has an option for you.
Oh, and in case you're wondering my personal favourite shades include Velvet Teddy, Teddy 2.0, Kinda Sexy and Sultry Move.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
We’re yet to find anyone that doesn’t love this creamy, ever-so-softly pink lipstick (and its matching liner, of course). If you’ve not tried it yet, add to cart immediately. There's a good reason it's the top-selling luxury lipstick in the entire country.
This lipstick has more staying power than ‘Instagram.user56473’ who keeps viewing your stories 👀 – seriously, it sticks around (in a good way tho.) It’s ultra creamy and seamless to apply but dries down matte so it locks in place for the day.
Also – and this is kind of a biggie – it doesn’t flake so your lips can stay puckered and plump. Yum.
Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick in Pale Mauve
We have to give kudos where it’s deserved as this lipstick is just *chef’s kisses* 😘. The pigmented formula ensures a high colour payoff, and it feels so silky that you won’t want to stop rubbing your lips together.
And because these details are important when you’re spending £35 on lipstick, the gold bullet gives ‘rich bitch’ energy.
L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Satin Lipstick in Rose Tendre
You cannot go wrong with the legendary Color Riche – the line has a perfect nude lipstick for everyone. Try the Ultra Matte collection for a powder-effect finish, or try the argan-oil infused Satin lipstick for something softer and shinier.
P.S. we aren’t gonna say the word, but if there’s a budget match to the legendary lipstick that rhymes with ‘willow walk’ 👀, this would be it.
Merit Signature Lip in Slip
At one point, we felt a little sorry for satin lipsticks as their matte counterparts were stealing all the limelight. But, since we now want to look dewy AF – and hence, a resurgence of satin lipstick – our empathy is no longer.
This silky formula glides on a stunning sheen of colour that looks like you’ve sucked on a very juicy (nude coloured, obvs) popsicle.
Okay, okay, technically not a lipstick but we’d be doing this liner an injustice if we left it out (FYI, you can blend it all over like a lipstick, just sayin’).
If TikTok has consumed you to the point where you can classify it as a personality trait (if not, how does freedom feel?), you’ll know that this long-lasting liner – like, survives a bottomless brunch kinda long-lasting – has garnered a lot of hype.
It applies like a dream, gives a plumping effect, is smudge-proof and comes in six shades to create any “my-lip-colour-but-better" look.
Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in Bubblerum
Trust Rihanna to deliver a lipstick we want to wear all day long, every day of the week. This sheer, buttery formula is so flattering, smoothing and hydrating lips to leave them looking full and pouty.
NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake
These high-impact glosses deliver creamy colour and a lip-plumping shine in one quick sweep. With many shades to choose from, there's a nude for every single skin tone.
Clare Stephenson is the Senior Fashion and Beauty E-commerce Writer for Cosmopolitan, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been an e-commerce writer since 2022, creating matter-of-fact reviews and shopping pages filled with her favourite products for every budget and need – whether that’s a glow-giving foundation, a high-tech LED face mask or the perfect wear-with-everything blazer.
Alongside writing, Clare loves to be in front of the camera creating shopping content, putting viral products to the test to see which ones are truly worth the hype. Through her work, she has interviewed leading dermatologists, makeup artists and industry experts to bring readers trusted advice and product recommendations.
Clare has contributed to titles across the Hearst UK portfolio, including Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Red and Prima. Prior to joining Hearst, she earned a BA in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University, focusing her studies on magazines and editorial. She later worked as an editorial assistant at Voir Fashion Magazine, covering events including Fashion Week and interviewing notable brand founders.
Outside of work? You can find Clare strolling through London’s Columbia Road Market, pouring her fourth coffee of the day or heading to a Pilates class.
Follow Clare on Instagram @clarefrancesstephenson.
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