ATB Learning Curve: The Elusive Nude Lipstick

I have been using makeup for close to 7 years now, and blogging about it for almost 4 years (yep, ATB completes 4 years this November!). It has been a journey full of makeup "Aaahaaa's!" & "Ohhh Nooo's!"

My initial 3 years were marked most by cheap Elle 18 or VOV China made cosmetics as I never really had enough pocket money left to splurge on even brands like Lakme. 

But things changed quite a bit after I started to work & blog (in that order).

I have had my share of mistakes and WTF moments with makeup. I thought I would share some of these skincare & makeup learnings I have had over the years with you readers. The point behind sharing being that if my experience helps you make better decisions, why not? Hence the new feature "ATB Learning Curve"

I do suspect that you may find the makeup tips a lot more useful if you are fair-skinned, cool-toned or green eyed like me. One reason for putting them up here, is that while I know that my features & complexion are not the norm in Indian women, but I also know they aren't such an exception either. I'm sure I can save some girl from throwing away her money on the wrong colors. Besides, for the rest of you, if nothing else, it can serve as an thinking point about what's going right or wrong in your makeup selection. 

Kareena & her nude lips - supposedly MAC Cherish

Okay, enough gyaan on why the new feature, let's quickly jump into my first topic for this: The Elusive Nude Lipstick

Nude lipsticks are a major quandary for most girls. The problem gets magnified if you are pale. I know that one needs to look for colors that match your natural lip color. But if your natural lip color like me, is a light pink, it just makes things so boring. I always long to sport nude skin colored lipsticks like Kareena Kapoor & Angelina Jolie do!

If I opt for something very close to my skin color, it completely makes my face go blank, because my skin lacks that healthy warmth of tan skin. 

Some of the most popular nude lipsticks can be very dark against my skintone, not really working as a nude but they look like brown lipstick. 

Couple with the fact that my lips tend to have some inherient pink color which a sheer lipstick will find difficult to cover up completely. If I opt for a lipstick shade that matches my natural lip color – it will not be a nude. Most probably it will have some pink rosiness and we all know that the high fashion nudes with smokey eyes are not pink. 

Angelina's trademark lips - I believe it is a Gurlein lipstick - 480 (DCed)

Plain browns and beige nudes don't look so great on my skin. In fact, they tend to make my skin & eyes look duller and I have been asked to stay away from them.

Overtime, after talking to a number of MUAs, not only at MAC but also at other blogger events like LFW, I have learnt the following: 

1. Kareena Kapoor's MUA uses a specially blended shade for her nude lips, it has been created especially for her. It does use MAC Cherish, but also some other lip pencil & lip color mixed in.  

2. Pale or fair skin needs the accent of lipstick to literally, bring some life into it. I for one, look very washed out without my lipstick, and have been asked if I'm unwell on days I have skipped it. I need that contrast of color between the skin & the lip

3. If you have pink or redness in your lips, you need your lipstick to have a bit of grey tone to neutralize that. A successful nude lipstick will be one which does that. Also it will need to have some coverage. It cannot be sheer like MAC Hug Me. The only way I can make Hug Me work is by using a natural lip liner underneath, it is too sheer otherwise. 

4. The closest I have come to a nude is MAC Velvet Teddy. It has enough grey to cancel out the redness in my lip, the matt texture provides coverage & the pink hint in it helps it not dull down my skin. 

5. One of the simplest ways I have figured is to just top off my lips with some glossy lip balm like Kielh's #1 or else Inglot 01 Lip defense treatment. It is not as exotic as Kareena's pout, but it is hassle free and looks appropriate with smoky eyes. 

It would be fair to say that I have finally come to the realization that unless I hire a personal MUA who can create my own special foundation nude lipstick, this is a color I should forgo. In all probability it won't even be too flattering on me. 

What has your search for your elusive nude lipstick been like?
Have you found one? Which one is it?