Matte and Metal Media

The struggle is real for mocha/chocolate skin complexions when searching for nude lipsticks. But behold, I have come up with the three commandments for finding the one – that ultimate nude lipstick:

Commandment 1:

Thou shalt have an idea of the nude shade thy is seeking before looking online or in store

Dolls, you need to know the nude colour you are seeking. If the nude lipstick is too light, then you end up looking ashy and dehydrated – not cute! If the nude lipstick is too dark, then it’s not a nude lipstick anymore. My advice would be to get a nude lipstick that’s one to two shades darker than your skin tone. The nude lipstick shouldn’t be the exact colour as your skin tone as there will be no contrast. When that happens, your lips lose dimension; look washed out and they become a secondary character. God forbid! – Your lips should be the protagonist in this nude fairy-tale.

If you must wear a colour that’s lighter than your skin tone, a dark brown lip-liner is imperative. It’s important as OXYGEN ! I’m serious because the lip-liner allows the light colour to blend seamlessly with your skin.

Commandment 2:

Thou shalt be clear about thy budget

Are you looking for high end or high street products? There are three categories lipsticks in general fall under: Designer, High End and High –Street

Tom Ford Lipsticks, Chanel Lip Matte Lipsticks, Gucci etc all fall under the Designer category. A lipstick in this category would retail for around £40- £60. But beware, dolls! Price doesn’t necessarily equate to quality. Before purchasing any lipstick, it’s crucial to read reviews; watch lipstick swatches to see the pigmentation, consistency and wear time.

In the High – End category, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Gerard Cosmetics, Dose of Colours, Kylie Cosmetics, Coloured Raine, LimeCrime etc all fall under here. The lipsticks are around £12 – £30. 

Maybelline, L’oreal, Rimmel London and NYX Lipsticks are in the High Street Category and retail for £5 – £9.

Planning and monitoring your lipstick budget is crucial as it will ensure there is enough money for the things you need and the things you desire. It gives you an overall picture of your financial health; decrease your stress levels and identity wasteful expenditures. So dolls, is purchasing a nude lippie a wasteful expenditure? Absolutely Not!

But…which category should I purchase the nude lippie from? It depends on the individual m’dear and what your budget allows.

Commandment3:

Verily, verily I say unto thee, mixing lipsticks is key for that custom nude shade

For all my lipstick junkies out there, how many lipsticks do you own? Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you to count.

2…. 20? 50? No 100?

Did you know two lipsticks in your collection can be used together to make that magical nude colour? So I repeat, do not throw away any shades you feel look too light or don’t suit you.  For this resurrection to occur, you would need two nude shades (a lipstick one/two shades darker and another lipstick two shades lighter)

First Step: Prime your lips

We want the lips to be moisturised with a matte balm so the nude colour will pop.

Second Step: Start Application

Start with the dark – coloured base on your top and bottom lips. When the lipstick is drying down and becomes slightly tacky, apply the lighter – coloured base on the centre of both lips. Press your lips together to mix the colours together. To avoid that harsh light straight line on the top lip, gently pat in the lighter shade with your finger.  

If you do not want the darker colour to be the prominent colour, mix the two colours together with a stiff – bristled lip brush on the back of your hand first and then apply. You won’t get a gradient effect with this second method.

My ultimate nude combination has to be Truffle Raine – Coloured Raine as the dark base and Iced Mocha – Gerard Cosmetics as the light shade. This is perfect as Truffle Raine is a shade darker than my skin tone and the Iced Mocha is about two shades lighter.

Truffle Raine was reviewed in my Brown is the new Red post so check out the link here:

I utilised method one to mix the colours. See below:

So dolls, we have now reached the end of this post. What should I call these Three Commandments for nude lippies? Let me know in the comments.  In addition, if you have any useful tips managing your lipstick budget, please leave a comment below to share with the other dolls.  

As always, have a lovely day and I’ll catch you in my next post! xx