The best everyday lipstick is a natural-looking shade that enhances the beauty of your face without drawing attention. We reviewed the best drugstore nude lipsticks to help you find the perfect match for your complexion.
What’s the best natural color lipstick? Well, it depends on your skin color and undertone. Most likely you’ll need to experiment, which is why drugstore lipstick is the best choice. It’s easier on the budget!
Check out the best barely-there shades of lipstick below:
| The best drugstore nude lipsticks | Why we love them |
|---|---|
| COVERGIRL Outlast All-Day Lip Color Custom Nudes, Universal Nude |
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| L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lipcolour, Fairest Nude |
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| Mented Cosmetics Velvet Matte Peach Nude Lipstick, Peach Please |
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| Maybelline New York SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick |
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| Maybelline New York Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipstick, Purely Nude |
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| NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Extra Creamy Round Lipstick - Summer Love |
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| L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Lip Crayon, Lady Toffee |
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| Rimmel Provocalips 16hr Kissproof Lipstick, Skinny Dipping |
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How to choose the best nude lipstick
Let’s be honest, a bold lip is easy but a nude lip is hard. We suggest you grab a mirror and head over to a window. Take a good long look at your naked lips in natural daylight. Depending on your skin tone, the perfect nude lipstick will be either one or two shades lighter or one or two shades darker.
If you have fair skin, go darker. If you have melanin-rich skin, go lighter.
Next, it helps to understand your undertone. If you haven’t figured it out already, now’s the time. While you’re still in daylight, look at your wrists. Do you see blue veins, green veins, or some sort of mix? Blue means you’re cool-toned, green means you’re warm-toned, and a mixture equals a neutral undertone.
You can arrive at the same conclusion if you have something that’s bright white (like printer paper) and something else that’s creamy white. Hold first one then the other next to your face when you’re not wearing makeup. Which one makes you look healthy and not washed out?
The same goes for lipstick. When you’re choosing a nude, you don’t want to wash out your complexion or make your lips disappear. A warm undertone looks pretty with a peachy nude while pink nudes suit a cool undertone.
Lastly, what kind of finish do you prefer – matte, satin, or gloss? The glossier the lipstick, the plumper it will make your lips look. If you’re not certain, choose a lipstick with a soft sheen.
Best Drugstore Nude Lipsticks in 2024
COVERGIRL Outlast All-Day Lip Color Custom Nudes
In our opinion, COVERGIRL makes the best cheap lipstick. This one comes in light, medium, or deep shades, and each one is available with either a cool or warm undertone. Plus, there’s a universal shade for all complexions.
It’s a liquid lipstick, but there are two tubes. One contains the pigmented liquid with a doe foot applicator. The other is a transparent gloss that resembles lip balm for the top coat.
Once you apply the colored lipstick, wait a minute for it to dry before smoothing on the gloss. Once everything sets, you’re good to go for twenty-four hours. That’s right, you’re unlikely to need touch-ups all day long.
Reviewers are frankly astonished at how they can drink, eat, and go about their daily business without having to reapply lipstick. At the end of the day, you might need makeup remover or a little oil to clean your lips.
Pros:
- Available for light, medium, and deep complexions in both cool and warm undertones, plus a universal shade
- Two-part liquid lipstick with a gloss finish
- Long-wearing, transfer and smudge-resistant, lasts up to twenty-four hours
- Moisturizing and comfortable
Cons:
- The only downside is having to manage two tubes of lipstick instead of one
L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lipcolour
Here’s a classic bullet lipstick in a wide range of shades. We selected Fairest Nude, which is about two shades darker than our editor’s lips. It’s a popular color with a matte finish and a creamy texture that feels nice going on. That’s not surprising as the formula is enriched with argan oil and omega-3 to keep the lips hydrated.
The main downside is that it has to be reapplied throughout the day, especially after eating. Another downside is that it’s not a vegan lipstick. The base ingredient is lanolin, which comes from sheep’s wool. It also contains beeswax.
Finally, persons with eczema or sensitive skin should check the label for allergens. For example, the lipstick contains an artificial fragrance.
Pros:
- Classic bullet lipstick with a creamy texture and a matte finish
- Enriched with skin conditioners like argan and Omega-3
- Wide range of nude shades
Cons:
- Has to be retouched periodically, not transfer-resistant
- Contains potential allergens
Velvet Matte Peach Nude Lipstick from Mented Cosmetics
Here’s one of the best drugstore lipsticks for medium skin. It’s a lovely universal shade with a velvety finish. It’s made by a Black-owned brand that offers other flattering shades for women of color.
Not only is it free of parabens and non-toxic, but it’s also vegan and cruelty-free. It just goes to show you that you can enjoy being safe and beautiful at the same time while respecting the world around you.
The velvety lipstick conditions the lips while you wear it – it’s never drying. Plus, it’s so lightweight you’re likely to forget you have it on.
Pros:
- Non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free
- Universally flattering shades especially for women of color
- Velvety finish with a conditioning formula
- Black-owned brand
Cons:
- A little pricier than most of the drugstore options
Maybelline New York SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick
What’s the best drugstore lipstick for fair skin? We’ve had success with Maybelline’s liquid lipstick with a matte finish. The Loyalist shade is just dark enough to give the lips a little oomph. Take a look at Poet, too.
For a nude, it’s very pigmented, which is why the arrow applicator comes in handy. It makes for precise lines.
Once it dries, it lasts for up to 16 hours without needing attention. That’s true even underneath a face mask. Plan on using makeup remover to take it off.
There is one weird thing, however. In its liquid form, the lipstick is flammable. It’s true – and don’t hold your lips close to an open flame until that stuff dries!
Pros:
- Liquid lipstick with an arrow applicator
- Lasts up to 16 hours without touchups
- Matte finish with a variety of flattering nude shades
Cons:
- You’ll need to pick up some makeup remover like Maybelline’s own SuperStay Eraser to take it off at the end of the day
Maybelline New York Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipstick
Maybelline’s matte lipstick in a traditional bullet tube comes in ten lovely nude shades for all skin tones. It’s one of the best selection of natural-looking lipstick colors that we found.
There’s everything from coral and pink to burgundy and warm brown. The Purely Nude shade that’s a golden pink is one of the most popular.
The brand says it’s infused with “honey nectar” to nourish the lips. Sure enough, if you check the label it does contain honey as well as beeswax, sesame oil, and many of the typical lipstick ingredients. Reviewers say it smells waxy but they enjoy wearing it all the same. Compared to some other brands, the creamy texture is a bit thicker and takes more work to spread smoothly.
Pros:
- Available in ten nude shades for all skin tones
- Matte finish with a thick, creamy texture
- Keeps the lips smooth
Cons:
- Not resistant to transferring, which is typical for this type of lipstick
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Extra Creamy Round Lipstick
This is one of the cheapest drugstore lipsticks, and it provides a lot of value for the money. We selected the classic beige with pink undertones shade called Summer Love. However, there are other nudes for different skin tones.
Check out these benefits. First, even though it’s a bullet lipstick, it’s not easy to smudge and doesn’t have to be touched up often. Second, it’s mineral-based with plenty of emollients to keep the lips soft and comfortable. It’s not flat but has a slightly shiny sheen. You’ll get even more mileage from it if you wear it over top of lip balm or primer.
Lastly, it’s from a cruelty-free brand.
Pros:
- Inexpensive bullet lipstick with a natural sheen
- Mineral-based and non-drying
- Smudge-resistant and doesn’t require a lot of touchups
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- At this price, you might be tempted to get more lipstick than you need
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Lip Crayon
Remember that tasty lip gloss you had? The one you couldn’t stop licking off? Now imagine yourself as an adult with a caramel-scented lipstick. It’s a good thing that it’s long-lasting and smudge-resistant!
This lip crayon is available in eighteen matte shades for every skin tone imaginable. It’s like a mechanical pencil so you never have to sharpen it. You can always get a crisp line, plus it doesn’t bleed. It doesn’t need multiple layers to look good, either.
Reviewers say that it’s an affordable dupe for more expensive brands.
Pros:
- Available in 18 matte shades for every skin tone
- Mechanical crayon allows for precision application
- Highly-pigmented, resistant to smudging, doesn’t bleed
- Smells like caramel
Cons:
- Try not to sniff your upper lip until the lipstick sets
Rimmel Provocalips 16hr Kissproof Lipstick
We started off these reviews with a two-piece lipstick from Covergirl. Now we’ll wrap up with a two-parter from Rimmel. It’s more convenient because it’s a single tube.
Unscrew the end that’s colored with your chosen shade and that’s the pigment. Use the doe foot applicator to apply it, then wait a minute for it to dry. Then open the other end that’s stamped with little kiss emojis. That’s the gloss top coat. Together, they make for a long-lasting lipstick that wears up to sixteen hours without reapplication.
Yes, you’re going to need oil-based makeup remover to take it off. But this liquid lipstick is fabulous because you can eat with it, make out with it, and survive an entire day even if you leave the tube at home. It’s also surprisingly moisturizing.
Choose from sixteen shades. Our favorite nude color was Skinny Dipping.
Pros:
- One end of the tube is lipstick and the other is a top coat
- Wears up to 16 hours without the need for applying
- Glossy finish and moisturizing formula
- Doe foot applicators for exact lines
- Available in sixteen shades (not all of which are nudes)
Cons:
- At this price, we have no complaints
Conclusion
Nude lipstick is quietly fashionable and natural-looking. It accentuates the lips without diminishing the rest of the face.
There’s no need to spend a lot of money on expensive brands. The best drugstore lipsticks provide serious value at an affordable price.
We hope our reviews helped you discover your new favorite lipstick today. If you’re loving it, tell us more about it in the comments below.