Ask Auburn: the nude lip

catgirl

Auburn suggested I try a nude lip. I dutifully went over to Nordstrom, but the Laura Mercier gal and I were not able to find a nude-like color that didn't come out looking pink on me. Even she agreed it was not a good look. And of course, the browner shades were darker. We came up with a compromise with a reddish MAC Viva Glam shade. There were some metallic bronzes that looked good, but were a bit too frosty/old lady-ish for me.

Can I ask what you were picturing? I trust your taste and judgment, and I would like to figure out a way to lighten up for summer. My lips have very little pigment so without some color, they just blend with my skin and that looks odd.

Thank you!

14 years ago

General

5 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

Scarlet

Veteran

So I have a different problem, but maybe it might illuminate yours. My lips are naturally fairly pigmented, so if I try to use any lighter color I just look ill. Darker colors are just way too dramatic for day anyway. I recently bought a lipstick very similar to my natural color, but it just enhances it a little. I felt dumb when I got home and realized I had basically bought my own lip color, but on the forum someone commented that she does this all the time as a way to add a little je-ne-se-quois (can't spell this correctly, and she said it more eloquently anyway.) But she was right I find. Maybe you should search for something very similar to your natural color.

14 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Do you have access to NARS?

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Interesting. I did a search that said you should also try concealer in a shade darker than you'd use on your skin... Sounds like it could be drying or goopy, but maybe a liquid one? I wish my lips had more color to them!

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Anna, we don't (except online, of course). We need a Sephora! I'm headed to Hawai'i in a month, and my friend there who is a makeup expert might be able to help.

14 years ago

Auburn

Veteran

Una,
Thank you for indulging me and making the effort to check out some of the LM options.
Did you guys experiment with lip liners? I notice that many brands of gloss can get into the pink territory quickly, particularly given the many different lip pigments out there, while lip liners tend to stay a bit truer to the actual color.
I think you are on the right track but perhaps need to just play around with liner color to get something that is just 1-2 shades darker, but in the same family of color, as your natural lip shade.
If you didn't see anything workable at Laura Mercier, I would definitely look at NARS, Make-Up Forever and MAC. MAC is famous for its Spice liner which they claim almost anyone can wear. I also like liners by Kevin Aucoin (now deceased)--he did natural lip liners that come in at least 6 different shades depending on your skin tone and pigment--genius! Sephora carries his stuff so perhaps waiting until travel takes you to a Sephora?
Finally, I just wanted to say that if you can't get the nude thing to work for you (especially if you feel like your lips are so light and you really prefer some pigment on them), then I would recommend adding color, but in a more subtle way. Like, take the color you like best in to the store and ask for a shade in that same family but much more sheer. Hell, even something like Clinique's famous Black Honey lip gloss (but goes on as a stick, not wand) might be a way of subtly changing things up...

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Thank you for taking the time to give me some detail, Auburn! I pretty much only wear MAC - I'm thinking one of their "beige" shades with a slightly darker liner might do the trick. And I can hit up Sephora in Honolulu with my friend there... she is a master (mistress?) of girly makeup tips and tricks.

14 years ago

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