The best nude lipsticks are the ones matched to your own skin tone, not a single universal shade. A nude that flatters fair skin can look grey on deep skin, and a caramel that glows on tan skin can vanish on someone paler. Below are six real, well-loved nude lipsticks spanning fair to deep skin and every budget, with honest notes on who each one actually suits.
How we chose
We looked for nudes with a genuine reputation for flattering real skin, not just a pretty bullet. That meant favouring shades with a clear undertone (pink, mauve, beige or brown) over flat, one-note beige, which is what makes a nude look like concealer. We prioritised lines that offer a range of tones so there is a match for fair, medium and deep skin, and we balanced prestige picks with drugstore options so there is something at every price. For more everyday makeup, browse our beauty edit.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk
Pillow Talk is the nude that launched a thousand imitations, and for good reason: the original is a soft, pinky rose-nude that reads as a slightly-better version of your natural lip. What makes it worth the six is that it is not a single shade. Pillow Talk Medium leans deeper and berry-toned, and Pillow Talk Deep (Intense) is a rich brown-rose built for deeper skin, so the undertone is matched to you rather than forced. The matte formula is comfortable and long-wearing without feeling dry. Price: around £27, firmly Splurge. The Sixated take: if you only own one prestige nude, make it the Pillow Talk shade matched to your tone.
2. MAC Velvet Teddy
Velvet Teddy is a deep-beige nude with a warm caramel undertone, and it is one of the most consistently flattering lipsticks MAC has ever made. On medium and tan skin it is the definition of a polished neutral; on fair skin it can look a touch too deep, so it is worth swatching first. The matte finish is dense and pigmented but wears comfortably, and it pairs naturally with a brown or nude liner if you want more definition. It has been a repeat best-seller for years, which tells you how many people it suits. Price: around £21, Mid. The Sixated take: a modern classic that earns its cult status on warmer, medium-to-tan skin.
3. NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita
Dolce Vita is a sheer dusty-rose that has been a favourite for decades. Its semi-sheer finish is the point: it lets your own lip colour show through, so it flatters fair-to-medium skin as a soft, worn-in nude rather than an opaque block of colour. That also makes it forgiving and quick to apply straight from the bullet. It is more of a wash than a statement, so if you want full coverage, look elsewhere, but for an easy everyday nude it is hard to beat. Build it up in layers if you want a little more depth. Price: around £26, Mid. The Sixated take: the easiest nude here for anyone who finds full-matte nudes too heavy.
4. Fenty Beauty Icon Semi-Matte Refillable Lipstick
Fenty was built around inclusivity, and its nude range reflects that better than most. Alongside the pinks and beiges, there are genuine warm-brown and caramel nudes that suit deep skin instead of leaving it looking ashy, which is where a lot of ‘universal’ nudes fall down. The semi-matte finish is flattering and the bullet is refillable, which softens the price over time. As always with nudes, swatch on your own lips, as brown-based shades shift a lot between skin tones. Price: around £27, Mid. The Sixated take: the strongest starting point if paler nudes have always disappeared on you.
5. Maybelline Color Sensational in Touch of Spice
Proof that a great nude need not be expensive, Touch of Spice is a mauve-brown that has a genuine cult following, particularly on medium-to-deep skin. It gives the mauve-nude effect that pricier lipsticks charge three times as much for, with a creamy, comfortable finish. The shade range across the Color Sensational line also means there are lighter and warmer nudes for other tones, so it is worth browsing the whole family rather than just this one shade. For the money, the pigment and comfort are genuinely impressive. Price: around £8, Budget. The Sixated take: the best-value pick here and a worthy rival to lipsticks costing far more.
6. Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lipstick
Kind Words is a lightweight matte that manages the trick of looking velvety without drying your lips into flakes by mid-afternoon. The nude spread is wide, running from cool dusty pinks to warm browns, so most tones can find a match. It is a good middle-ground option if you want a modern matte finish but have been put off by the tight, parched feel of older matte formulas. Price: around £22, Mid. The Sixated take: the comfortable matte for people who normally hate matte.
Finding your shade
The single most useful rule: choose a nude a shade or two deeper than your natural lip, and pick one with an undertone rather than flat beige. Cooler skin generally suits dusty-pink and mauve nudes; warmer skin suits peachy, caramel and golden-brown ones. A liner in a similar tone makes any nude look more intentional. If you want to round out the rest of your face, our guides to cream blushes and everyday mascaras pair naturally with a good nude lip, and you can find more edits on the Sixated homepage.