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7 best nude lipsticks for black skin

Finding the perfect nude lipstick can be an arduous task for those with black skin, but we’ve searched far and wide to find shades that will suit a variety of dark skin tones

Sunday 10 June 2018 17:42 BST

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As a black woman, in my experience I’ve found that nude lipstick is one of the most tricky makeup items to pull off effortlessly. If the shade is too light, you’ll end up looking like you’ve dipped your mouth in a bowl of flour. Conversely, if it’s the exact match of your skin tone, it tends to blend in with the rest of your face and you end up looking poorly. For me, the perfect nude is a few shades darker than my skin tone; a colour that complements; not overshadows or drowns out. And of course, it’s worth mentioning that my nude may not necessarily be the perfect nude for my fellow dark hued sisters. The beauty of black skin is it comes in many shades, many variants of undertones, and a ‘one shade suits all’ approach just doesn’t cut it.

Expanding the definition of nude is something the makeup industry has attempted to do in recent years following frequent social media discourse about what was previously a very narrow definition (read: products suited to white or olive skin types exclusively). The industry is now playing catch up and so we’ve rounded up the best nude lipsticks for black skin currently on the market.

I have tested products from mainstream brands and beauty buys from independent brand creators. I’ve also enlisted the help of product testers of black women of four different skin tones, which included me: a medium-dark toned black woman, a woman with a dark cocoa toned complexion, a light-mid-toned woman and a woman of a lighter hue.

B: Undeniable, Audacious Lipstick, £16 – brysocrema.co.uk

This is such a gorgeously rich looking shade of brown, and a colour that I feel would suit a wide-range of brown beauties. The formula has a lightweight feel upon application, but the colour payoff is quite strong. Not quite a matte lipstick, but certainly matte like, the beauty of this lipstick is it leaves your lips feeling soft and nourished, no doubt due to the inclusion of skin-softening natural ingredients like Vitamin E and castor oil. I applied mid-morning and tested its staying power by seeing how it would bear up after lunch. Surprisingly it was virtually untouched and there was no need for me to top up. Price wise, it edges towards the premium side of the spectrum, and some may be hesitant to buy considering it’s a fairly new brand. But it definitely holds its own among the more established brands. The quality is evident upon application, and you feel further assured knowing that a high level of natural ingredients and antioxidants are included in the formulation. There are only four lipsticks currently available in this range, two of which are nude shades that are suitable for black skin.

The Perfect Shade: Tahini

M.A.C – Matte Lipstick, £17.50 – maccosmetics.o.uk

In my opinion you can’t go wrong with M.A.C Lipstick, a brand that consistently proves it’s adept at producing a variety of shades to suit black skin with great colour payoff that keeps your lips moisturised. Taupe is matte, long-lasting formulation which offers a tan coloured finish with a slight rose undertone which adds a warmth and softness to the finished look. Although it’s a matte lipstick, it doesn’t leave your lips feeling dry or pinched (always a massive bonus), and the benefits of this means it stays put for hours. There are least 10 shades which are suited to black skin tones.

The Perfect shade: Taupe

Sleek – Matte Me, £4.99, sleekmakeup.com

If you are a fan of matte formulations, then you’ll love Sleek Makeup Matte Me. There are several nude shades to choose from which beautifully complement black skin tones (I count eight in total which is quite impressive). I tested Roasted Almond, a rich shade of brown that’s literally a shade or two darker than my complexion. It‘s cased in a plastic tube with applicator brush and glides on the lips effortlessly due to its liquid composition, which seconds later transforms to a matte-like finish. The colour pigment is strong for a nude lipstick, and it stays on for hours after application. My lips were left feeling slightly dry after use, so definitely have a lip balm at hand to keep your lips moisturised.

The Perfect Shade: Roasted Almond

Lord And Berry – Absolute Satin Finish Lipstick, £17 – lordandberry.com

Our tester describes her skintone as dark with a slight red undertone, and said this lipstick shade matched her tone perfectly. She felt the colour was really rich in tone, like mahogany or a red wine, and subsequently exuded quality and luxury. It smoothed onto her lips and maintained a satin-like consistency hours after application. She felt it offered a deep, intense pure colour, and made her feel very vampy, although she felt it was a colour versatile enough to be worn on a daily basis too. The addition of ingredients like jojoba oil, Vitamin E and Argan Oil was encouraging to our tester who is quite conscious when it comes to cosmetics ingredients. There are four shades suited to black skin tones within the satin finish range.

The Perfect Shade: Magnetic Smile

Jordanna Ticia Lipgloss – £11.95 – jordanaticia.co.uk

Our tester is light/honey hued, and has always had trouble finding the right nude lip colour, stating that traditionally colours are either too pale or too dark. She felt that Jordana Ticia’s lipgloss in the shade Clueless provided the ideal balance. The colour was the perfect match for her complexion, and it left a lovely sheen on her lips. Longevity is also a huge part of the appeal; it stayed on for hours without the need to reapply and smells great too.

The Perfect Shade: Clueless

BareMinerals – Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer – £17

Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer is a full-coverage, high shine lipgloss from BareMinerals. Our tester describes her skin tone as medium with yellow undertones and instantly became obsessed with this product. She said, that not only is the purple toned/ brown nude colour ‘Werk’ super complementary to her complexion, but it’s long-lasting too. Once applied it is thick and gloopy, but settles into the lips. Another bonus is that once it rubs off it leaves a plum-like stain

The Perfect Shade: Werk!

Bobbi Brown – Luxe Lip Color – £17.50 – bobbibrown.co.uk

This lipstick is quite deceptive. In the bullet it looks chestnut brown in tone, but upon swatching it has more of a dark plum colour, and adds a healthy glow to my complexion. It’s encased in a sleek black tube with gold coloured embellishments, so it definitely has a luxury feel to it. The formula also feels really premium. Although it’s a semi-matte finish, it leaves your lips feeling nourished and the colour is rich and intense. Versatile enough to be worn during the daytime or during nights out.

The Perfect Shade - Bond

The Verdict

For colour intensity, quality and durability, our vote goes to B: Undeniable, Audacious Lipstick, a fantastic nude that is suitable enough to wear throughout seasons.