Choosing a nude lipstick is a bit like shopping for jeans: it’s tricky to find the perfect tone to suit your skin - especially if you’re not a fan of mannequin (aka death-warmed-up) lips - and what works on a friend may not work for you. It’s the kind of thing I go on a mission to find, get overwhelmed and leave the shop empty handed… I did precisely this in Space NK recently, hours before Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Colors landed on my desk. I may have audibly gasped: four deeply pigmented lipsticks in great nude tones, which are part of the new Smokey Nudes Collection (full review here).
The finish of these is completely matte, so they work best on well prepped, smooth moisturised lips. They are dense, creamy and don’t feel like a typical matte finish, probably because they don’t set on the lips like many matte formulas do. Most importantly, they feel comfortable on and don’t dry out my lips, yet still have great lasting power. Matte + moisturising = win:win.
I’ve included a second set of close up swatches to give you a more accurate look at the texture and because the colours were more true (better light). I used one sweep of colour for each and as you can see the finish is quite opaque, meaning that these are likely to look similar on most people’s lips, whereas a more sheer formula looks different on everyone. I totally love all four shades, but have been wearing Warm Nude and Pink Nude the most. I’ll definitely get a lot of wear out of Nude; Soft Nude may be a touch too warm for me. Official description in quotes below, followed by my interpretation.
- Pink Nude: ‘light heather pink’ - surprisingly lip-like pink, more natural than I expected
- Nude: ‘nude rose’ - a deep rose-brown
- Warm Nude: ‘nude peach’ - peachy rose beige
- Soft Nude: ‘light nude brown’ - warm brown with reddish undertones
If you like well pigmented lipsticks and dislike your hair sticking to glossy lips on windy days, then this could be the one for you. While a slightly sheer formula will always be my preference, I love these for long wear or an evening out when I don’t want to worry about touching up my lipstick all the time. The finish is versatile and you can achieve different looks by dabbing lightly over balm, wearing a single layer or applying intensely - I like to apply mine over lip balm or add a layer of squeezy balm on top. A little dab of gloss pressed onto the centre of the lower lip with a finger adds a subtle sheen and a sense of dimension.
Of course these four new tones complement the Smokey Nudes eye palette like a match made in heaven… I’m wearing Warm Nude lipstick with the eye shadows in this post. As a general rule, I dislike a totally matte make-up look (unless you’re 21 with porcelain smooth skin), so combine with a glowy base or balance out with a cream blusher or a little cheekbone highlight.
Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Color, £19.50
I’ve just had one of those moments where I look back on a blog post and think ‘how the heck do i have so much to say about a lipstick?’ (usually after I’ve edited out a few paras)… and imagine my friends’ eyes glazing over were I to go into so much detail in person. I guess I try to think what I’d want to know about a product I hadn’t tried before deciding if it was for me - and then write it all down. I hope it helps some of you and if you’ve reached this far, thank you so much for reading!
Happy weekend everyone! x
