Makeup & Beauty

Reader Question: The Perfect Shade Of Pink

Me + my photographer + Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Blondie Pink

Yesterday’s post was kind of awful, what with the near-death experience and all, so let’s move on to a lighter topic today. Like lipstick! Lipstick never made anyone anxious (except for red lipstick, which should be renamed Please Stain My Shirt-stick).

I posted about my little Take Your Daughter To Work Day on Instagram – these pics were taken in the greenroom, where I was getting ready before heading to set for the pilot I was shooting in NYC last week – and got this question:

someonehasniknak21 Are your lips just the perfect shade of pink or are you wearing that lipstick in that pic? If the latter, what color is it? Please and thank you!

I love this question. Because I have been on a lifelong hunt for the perfect pinky-nude* lipstick: one that’s natural-looking but still makes you look all polished and put-together, and also completely non-gloppy and non-sticky, because I enjoy my lipstick on my lips, not on my hair. AND I HAVE FOUND IT. (I have found several, in fact.)

Shall we discuss?

*”Nude” is a common term found in beauty products (and clothing, and shoes, and crayons, and everywhere), and is pretty problematic, being as it tends to refer to what white people consider “nude” – but in this context I’m okay using it, because these lipsticks will work on almost all skin tones, giving a semi-sheer, natural boost of color.

the best pinky nude lipsticks for all skin tones

NARS Lip Cover in Summer Fire: My favorite way to wear this not-too-shiny gloss is by layering just the tiniest amount over one of the lipsticks pictured above – it’s still natural, but adds dimension and a little more glamour. If you’re not a big lip color person, this is a great way to bump up your look for nighttime.

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: Everyone should own this. It’s not exaaaactly a pinky-nude – more like a sheer berry – but I included it here because it’s so perfect for everyday, and looks good on everyone. A really light swipe will make your lips look like you’re not wearing anything and just so happen to have beautiful, rosy lips, but you can layer it on as much as you like to get a deeper shade. (And if feels great on.)

 NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Belle De Jour: This pencil definitely gives a matte effect – you might want to layer a little Summer Fire on top to soften it up – but it’s not drying like most matte formulas, and doesn’t give you the washed-out dead-person effect that some paler lip pencils can. Because I’m Casper-ish, I tend to wear this more in the summertime, when my skin has a little more color in it.

Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink: This is what I’m wearing in the shots here (with a touch of Summer Fire on top, per usual). Fun fact: this lipstick formula is apparently the very first beauty product that Bobbi Brown ever created, and when you put it on you can see why it’s such a classic: it’s full-coverage, but super softening and lightweight.

Lipstick Queen in Pinky Nude: I’ve been writing about this lipstick for years, so if I haven’t convinced you to buy this yet, I’m doing something wrong. It’s my all-time favorite lipstick shade – a little pinker than Blondie Pink, but with zero bubblegum factor – and the best thing about Lipstick Queen is that all their shades come in both “Saint” (sheer) and “Sinner” (full-coverage), so you can get the color you want and the amount of coverage you prefer.

Bobbi brown blondie pink lipstick perfect nude shade

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