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I remember not too long ago when nude lips were everywhere; magazines, TV, celebrities, billboards… you get the gist, and me being such a sucker for celebrities and marketing, I, too, wanted to be with the ‘in’ crowd and rock a pale, nude lip. I didn’t imagine how hard it would be to actually find the perfect nude to match my warm toned, yellow-based, Asian skin, and by Asian, I mean of south-east Asia (I’m of Vietnamese ethnicity). Yes, I am aware that there isn’t one kind of south-east Asian skin tone either. You only have to line up myself and my 3 sisters to see that we are varying degrees of Asian skin tone. I’d say that I am somewhere in the middle; when I am tanned, I am more on the darker side of the spectrum (around an NC40 for those familiar with the Mac foundation spectrum) and when I’m pale I’m somewhere between light to medium (NC25-NC30). Also, to make things just that much more difficult, my lips are rather pigmented and very much pink (although they have a tendency to turn blue when I’m the slightest bit cold). The nudes that we typically see are more suited for caucasian models, but that type of nude does me no favours and totally washes me out, draining me of the natural warmth in my complexion. So how does one go about finding the perfect nude lipstick? Well, I’m about to tell you.
I have found that a nude that has a warm undertone to it, like a pink or a brown base, is much more flattering than an outright beige or cream coloured nude. A nude is different and should be different for everyone because as the name would suggest, it’s something that should look like it’s barely there, and if it’s barely there then it has to come in various shades to match the varying shades of universal lip colours. It was only when I realised this that I have been successful in my attempts to shop for my perfect nude lipstick. And because I want to help (because I’m just nice like that…) all of those out there who are also on the search for their perfect nude lipstick, I’ve rounded up all the nudes in my collection and shared them with you below (that’s not to say that these shades won’t suit other non-Asian, skin tones because most of them probably will, they just may not be classed as a nude). You can thank me later!
1. Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in 025 Peach Parfait a.k.a The Peachy Shimmer Nude
2. Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty a.k.a. The Creamy Pink Nude
3. Kiko Velvet Mat-Satin Lipstick in 602 a.k.a The Matte Peachy Nude
4. Mac Satin Lipstick in Brave a.k.a. The Matte Muted Pink Nude
5. Maybelline Colorshow Lipstick in 305 Nude Mocha a.k.a The Burnt Rose Nude (check out the Maybelline ColorShow Lipstick Review with Swatches and please note that this is NOT available in the UK. Sad times).
6. Mac Lustre Lipstick Viva Glam V a.k.a. The Sparkling Light Pink Nude
7. Mac Satin Lipstick in Twig a.k.a. The Warm Brown Nude
So the list may be a bit Mac heavy but what can I say other than Mac make great lipsticks (check out my blog post on my entire Mac Lipstick Collection bar Brave which is my most recent addition). There are a few budget, purse-friendly options in there and being more affordable in no way means that the quality is compromised. It just depends on the shade and type of finish you prefer. Lisa Eldridge recently did a video on finding the perfect nude lipstick with great pointers in general and for many different skin tones. Anything Lisa recommends is a must!
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Below is an updated video on my favourite affordable nude lipsticks and lip liners from the drugstore/highstreet that again will look great for south-east Asian skin tones or NC25-30 like myself. Let me know what you think of the video!
And more recently I just posted a video on my top 5 favourite MAC lipsticks which are, unsurprisingly, mostly pinky nudes (as they are the colours I tend to wear the most on a day to day basis). These, too, will look great on south-east Asian skin tones or a Mac colouring of NC25-30. If you feel like treating yourself then you definitely can’t go wrong with MAC!
Even more recently, I uploaded my top 5 favourite luxury nude lipsticks. Again, these shades will work well for south-east Asian skin tones or a Mac colouring of NC25-30 up to NC40.
2 comments
Based on the photos, all of these colours look beautiful on you! Did you use a liner under any of them?
I wish you had also posted a shot of your bare lips too, because you say your natural lips are already pink, so we could see the comparison of before & after.
Thank you for introducing me to a new palette of nudes to try!
Thank you for your feedback Vanessa and no, I didn’t use a liner in any of the photos.