13 Best Nude Lipsticks of 2024, Tested and MUA-Backed

We liken a great nude lipstick to a staple pair of jeans—it will never steer you wrong. Want to pop on a fresh face of makeup for the office? A nude lip is perfect for that. Looking to get glam for a special event? Pair a nude lip with a sultry eye. But what really is a nude lipstick? The term often feels ambiguous. According to celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell, what’s considered nude completely depends on the depth of your skin and your undertones. The best one for you should align with the undertones of your skin and ultimately complement your skin tone. For example, Sewell says those with cool undertones should seek out a neutral color (within a few shades of their skin tone) with cool undertones. 

We tested dozens of popular, highly-rated lipstick formulas that offer a variety of nude shades to compile this list of the ones we recommend. We took them to our lab facility in NYC to evaluate each one based on its shade range, comfort, pigment, transfer resistance, and wear. We applied them on exfoliated lips, assessed them for transfer with a tissue test and eating and drinking, and then took note of how they felt and wore on the lips, and what the removal experience was like. These insights, combined with makeup artist tips from Kelli Anne Sewell and Dominique Della Maggiore, left us with the 13 best nude lipsticks to take your makeup look from day to night. 

Best Overall

Number of Shades: 35| Finish: Matte | Cruelty-Free: No

Out of all the nude lipsticks we tested, this one from Dior impressed us the most. The texture is velvety with a powder-like quality which gives it an airy feel and it sets to a matte finish that remains lightweight on the lips. Just one layer provided an impressive color payoff, and we loved that it didn’t slip or slide around—making it an excellent choice for any occasion. It wore beautifully and passed our transfer tests with flying colors. Just a tiny bit of excess product came off during the tissue test, but almost no color was visible on our water glasses or apple when further assessing for transfer. 

While some online reviewers say this lipstick is a bit drying, we didn’t experience that. If you deal with dry, flaky lips, we recommend gently exfoliating and applying a light layer of lip balm before swiping on this formula. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Forever Nude Touch (warm undertones), Forever Nude Look (cool and neutral undertones)
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Forever Naturelle (warm undertones), Forever Nude Style (cool undertones), Dune (neutral undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Forever Confident (warm undertones), Forever Nude Line (cool and neutral undertones) 
  

Best Drugstore

• 72 shades available 

• Creamy, emollient texture

• Buildable pigmentation 

• Doesn’t settle into lines 

• Lustrous finish 

Number of Shades: 72| Finish: Satin | Cruelty-Free: No

Those looking for a comfortable, easily accessible formula you can build up or sheer out will love this option from Revlon. It has a super creamy and emollient consistency that feels cushiony on the lips. It applies smoothly and evenly and doesn’t gather in lip lines or emphasize their appearance. Because it’s a creamy formula with a satin finish (meaning it falls somewhere in between shiny and matte), it does transfer. We found that it wore off when eating and drinking, however, this is common with non-matte lipsticks and it’s very easy and seamless to re-apply. So while it might not be ideal for a full-glam look or a special occasion, it’s great for everyday wear. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Bare Affair (warm undertones), Sky Line Pink (cool undertones), Rose and Shine (neutral undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Whiskey Business (warm undertones),Rose Velvet (neutral undertones), Caramel Grace (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Coffee Bean (warm undertones), Rumberry (cool and neutral undertones) 
  

Best Shade Range

Number of Shades: 21| Finish: Satin | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The satin formula of this lipstick is excellent, though it’s the expansive shade range that makes it stand out from other options on the market. It offers nearly two dozen shades that range in depth and undertone, so everyone should be able to find one (or a few) that suits them. The formula is creamy, pigmented, and comfortable to wear. While the satin finish does transfer a bit when eating and drinking, it remains smooth and pigmented on the lips. 

We did notice that it settled into lip lines a bit, though we think proper exfoliation and hydration and not over-applying the formula could minimize this. We highly recommend checking out this range if you’re looking for a specific nude shade.

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Charlotte (warm undertones), Natasha (neutral undertones), Beatrice (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Judith and Claudia (warm undertones), Yana (neutral undertones), Noa (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Naya (warm undertones), Nati (neutral undertones), Lola (cool undertones)
  

Best Matte

• Can emphasize dryness 

Number of Shades: 20| Finish: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you like a classic matte lipstick that you can swipe on and not worry about it migrating around your mouth, we recommend giving this one a go. The formula is soft and powdery, it glides onto the lips easily and offers buildable, opaque coverage. It passed our transfer tests with flying colors, and while it can emphasize dryness a bit (most mattes do), we didn’t feel like it felt dry or chalky on the lips. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Sierra (for warm undertones), Sam (neutral undertones), Erin (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Kate (warm and neutral undertones), Jesse and Fanda (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Maurice (warm and neutral undertones), Garth (cool undertones) 
  

Best Soft Matte

• Soft, semi-creamy texture

• Buildable pigmentation

• Minimal transfer when blotting and drinking 

• Layers well with other lip products 

Number of Shades: 20| Finish: Soft matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Pillow Talk is an iconic shade, but don’t sleep on the other nude hues in this beautiful matte formula. Unlike a lot of matte lipsticks which can look and feel drying, this one has a semi-creamy texture with a soft matte finish. It glides on effortlessly and gives the lips a matte look with the tiniest bit of radiance that simply helps prevent a chalky finish. 

Though it’s not ideal to wear while eating since we did experience transfer when biting into an apple, it transfers just minimally when blotting and drinking. Plus, it’s easy to re-apply because the formula isn’t too thick or dry. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Cover Star (warm undertones), Pillow Talk (cool and neutral undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Catwalking (warm undertones), Super Model (neutral undertones), Very Victoria (cool undertones)
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Super Fabulous (warm undertones), So 90’s (cool and neutral undertones) 
  

Best Satin

• Creamy, lip balm-like texture

• Rich pigmentation 

• Lightweight, nourishing feel on the lips 

• Doesn’t settle into lip lines 

Number of Shades: 7| Finish: Satin | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you like a lipstick that isn’t matte but also isn’t super glossy, this satin formula will be a perfect fit for you. It’s a bit shinier than a typical satin lipstick, but we actually love that because it’s creamy and gives the lips a smooth, plump look. The formula is hydrating, not sticky, and doesn’t bleed or settle into lip lines. We loved that it offered a one-swipe color payoff, and while it did transfer due to the emollient texture, it’s easy to re-apply. 

The shades are stunning and work beautifully across a wide range of skin tones, but beware that the online swatches are not super accurate. The colors look richer and more saturated in person. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Khadi Kiss (warm and neutral undertones), Bangle Box (cool and neutral undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Polki Dots (warm undertones), Ghazal Glow (cool and neutral undertones)
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Ma's Misra (warm and neutral undertones), Rose Wood (cool and neutral undertones) 
  

Best High Shine

• Comfortable, hydrating feeling on the lips 

• Buildable color 

• Semi-sheer, shiny finish 

• Easy to re-apply 

• Only comes in 8 shades

• Transfers 

Number of Shades: 8| Finish: High-shine | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A semi-sheer lipstick with a moisturizing formula and a shiny finish is the perfect lip product to keep in your bag for all occasions. It’s a one-and-done lipstick that offers color, hydration, and shine. We love this formula because it’s buildable, contains pomegranate butter to moisturize your lips, and, since it isn’t overly pigmented, it’s easy to reapply throughout the day without needing a mirror. 

We loved that it smoothed the appearance of our lips and gave them a juicy-looking finish. And while we do wish it came in more shades, because it’s semi-sheer, the shades are flexible across a range of skin tones. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Makeout Break (warm and neutral undertones), Retro Rose (cool undertones)
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Glazed (warm undertones), Retro Rose (neutral and cool undertones)
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Bubble Rum (warm and neutral undertones), Cookies & Cocoa (cool undertones) 
  

Best Transfer-Resistant

• Rich pigmentation 

• Smooth texture 

• Very minimal transfer 

• Can be a bit drying 

Number of Shades: 28| Finish: Matte | Cruelty-Free: No

Pretty much all traditional bullet lipsticks are going to transfer a bit, but this one transferred the least out of all the options we tested. The matte formula offers an impressive color payoff and applies smoothly to the lips. Once applied and set, it’s pretty budge-proof. We experienced very minimal transfer when blotting, eating, and drinking, making this bullet lipstick a great option to wear on date night or a special occasion. While it can feel a bit drying, it’s nothing a light layer of lip balm can’t fix.  

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Honey Love (warm and neutral undertones), Bronx (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Yash (warm and neutral undertones), Velvet Teddy (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Whirl (warm and neutral undertones), Taupe, and Antique Velvet (cool undertones) 
  

Best Hydrating

• Buildable pigmentation 

• Smooth, creamy formula 

• Packed with hydrating ingredients like squalane and sunflower seed oil

• Beautiful, flexible shades 

• Limited shade range 

• Transfers a bit

Number of Shades: 8| Finish: Satin | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We adore this lipstick from Merit for everyday wear thanks to its comfortable and hydrating formula and the beautiful satin finish. The creamy consistency is easy to apply (and re-apply throughout the day) and helps nourish the lips thanks to the inclusion of squalane, papaya extract, sunflower seed, and raspberry oils. During our test, we were so impressed by how lightweight and creamy it felt, and we loved that the pigmentation is buildable—this makes the shades more flexible across skin tones. We would love to see the brand extend the shade offering, but the current nudes in the line-up are all-star picks. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Baby (warm and neutral undertones), Slip (neutral and cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: L'avenue (warm and neutral undertones), 1990 (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Tiger (warm undertones), 1990 (neutral and cool undertones) 
  

Best Lightweight

Number of Shades: 34| Finish: Matte | Cruelty-Free: No

If you can’t stand the feeling of product sitting on your lips, but you still want to play with lip color, we recommend checking out this lightweight matte formula from Pat McGrath. It has a super soft, airy, almost whipped texture that offers rich pigmentation while remaining light-feeling on the lips. Just a few swipes will evenly coat your lips in saturated color, and the matte finish is soft and powdery which helps prevent it from gathering in lip lines. 

This formula does transfer quite a bit, so we don’t recommend wearing it while eating meals. However, the creamy formula is easy to re-apply.  

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Peep Show and 1995 (warm and neutral undertones), Divine Indiscretion (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Omi (warm and neutral undertones), Venus In Furs (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Flesh 5 (warm undertones), Flesh 3 (neutral and cool undertones) 
  

Best Balm-Like

Number of Shades: 13| Finish: Shiny | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Victoria Beckham knows a thing or two about creating luxe products with beautiful textures (her Satin Kajal eyeliners are incredible), and this is one of her brand’s best. In addition to the gorgeous, sleek packaging, we adore the formula—it’s creamy, it offers buildable pigmentation, and it’s hydrating, thanks to rosehip, coconut, and avocado oils. When you swipe it on, it feels like applying a rich lip balm. 

During our test, we loved that it was easy to layer and build up for our desired pigmentation, and it felt comforting on our lips. It does transfer a bit and fades away pretty quickly while eating and drinking, but it’s easy to re-apply without it getting heavy or pilling. If you’re in the mood to splurge on a luxurious nude lipstick that offers color and hydration, we highly recommend this one. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Smile (warm and neutral undertones), Pose (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Girl and Spice (warm and neutral undertones), Pose (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Fringe (warm and neutral undertones), Play (cool undertones) 
  

Best Pigmentation

• One-swipe color payoff

• Comes in two finishes 

• 31 shades available 

• Minimal transfer 

Number of Shades: 31| Finish: Matte, cream | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This budget-friendly lipstick comes in two finishes; a crème with a satin finish, and a matte option with a blurring quality to it. Both of them offer outstanding pigmentation that applies evenly and coats the lips in ultra-saturated color. We found the cream formula felt slightly heavy on the lips, and the matte option can feel a bit dehydrating but moisturizing your lips before application and using a light hand should help mitigate this. 

We were quite impressed by how minimal the transfer was and loved that the formula comes in an extensive shade range that offers true variety to accommodate different complexions. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: The Lounge (warm undertones), Layover (neutral and cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Trending (warm undertones), Virgo (neutral undertones), Y2K (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: Gallop (warm undertones), Latte (neutral undertones), Double Espresso (cool undertones)
  

Best Dual-Ended

Number of Shades: 25| Finish: Matte lipstick, shiny gloss | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A dual-ended product offers excellent value, and we love this one in particular. It features a matte lipstick on one end and a corresponding nude lip gloss on the other. Both formulas are creamy, comfortable, and easy to apply, and the matte lipstick provides strong color payoff. 

We did find that both formulas transferred a bit and settled into lip lines, so we recommend applying them in light layers. Aside from the dual-ended component of this product, we were the most impressed by the shade range—it truly runs the gamut in terms of depths and undertones. 

The Nude Shades

• Best for fair and light skin tones: Abu Dhabi (warm undertones), Barbados (neutral undertones), Dubai (cool undertones) 
• Best for medium and tan skin tones: Kuala Lumpur (warm undertones), Ibiza and Maldives (neutral undertones), Lahore and Mexico City (cool undertones) 
• Best for deep and dark skin tones: New York City (warm undertones), Mykonos (neutral undertones), Sarajevo and Singapore (cool undertones) 
  

Where We Stand

Out of all the nude lipsticks we tested, our best overall pick is the Dior Rouge Dior Forever Transfer-Proof Lipstick. It has a soft, velvety matte finish, offers rich color payoff, comes in a wide range of shades, and wears beautifully. If you’re looking for something with a comfortable satin finish and impressive pigmentation, go for the Kulfi Beauty Heirloom Satin Lipstick. And if you prefer something you can grab at the drugstore without sacrificing on quality, we recommend the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick. 

What to Look for in a Nude Lipstick

• Shade Range: You’ll want to ensure you’re finding a formula that comes in a wide range of shades so you can select a nice match for your skin tone. For example, the Natasha Denona I Need A Nude Lipstick is offered in more than 20 nude shades, starting from very pale and ending with super rich shades. The line also covers tons of different undertones, meaning everyone will be able to find a shade that complements their complexion. 
• Finish: Lipsticks come in a variety of different finishes such as matte, satin, high-shine, and more. The right one for you totally depends on your preferences and what look you’re going for. If you want something buildable, comfortable, and easy to re-apply throughout the day, we recommend opting for a lipstick with a satin finish, or one with a more balm-like consistency, like the Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Lipstick or the Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick. If you prefer something more long-lasting, go for a matte lipstick, like the Dior Rouge Dior Forever Transfer-Proof Lipstick. 
  

FAQ

• According to celebrity makeup artist Dominique Della Maggiore, nude lipstick is generally a lipstick shade that’s close to your natural lip color and not too far off from your skin tone. Sewell agrees, saying that when she’s choosing a nude lipstick to apply on a client, she selects a shade that most closely matches their skin tone. 

• Sewell says that the first step in finding your go-to nude shade is understanding your undertones. She explains that a true nude shade should match your undertones, so if you have warm undertones, choose a warm shade, etc. Maggiore adds that you’ll want to find a shade that either matches your lips or matches your skin tone but is a few shades darker in order not to wash out your complexion. 

• If you find that a lot of nude lipsticks make you look washed out, Maggiore suggests looking for a shade with a hint or pink or brown. She also mentions that it’s best to avoid opting for a shade that’s lighter than your skin tone in order to prevent your lips from “disappearing.” 

Why Trust Byrdie

Alyssa Kaplan is an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She’s been using and testing nude lipsticks for many years, and she’s tested most formulas on this list herself. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied marketing and product development in the cosmetics industry. Alyssa has been a commerce writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers all things beauty. 

Alyssa also spoke with two experts to learn more about what to keep in mind when shopping for nude lipstick. Those experts include: