Good morning lovelies! I hope you all had wonderful weekends. Mine consisted of an epic Easter egg hunt, lots and lots of delicious food, and binge watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (hilarious). While I've been plenty busy with holiday festivities and work and whatnot, I've found a new appreciation for effortless, your-lips-but-better lipstick shades that I can apply and reapply with minimal effort. Personally I find true nudes a little difficult to wear, as they can often make me look washed out (and zombie is not a look that I tend to rock all that well). A hint of pink seems to make a world of difference. Here are five of my favorite not entirely nude lipsticks that perfectly embody that light and carefree feeling of springtime.
Model Co Party Proof Matte Lipstick in Kitty ($16.95)
As the slowly fading label suggests, this lipstick has gotten a lot of love from me. While I don't think the formula is remotely matte in terms of look or feel, the shade Kitty is such a gorgeous neutral pink that I'm willing to forgive the mislabeling. I find this particular lipstick to be really creamy and soft, with a satin finish. The color is a bit understated, which makes it perfect to pair with a smokey eye, or for those days where you're channeling those no-makeup makeup vibes.
Julep Light on Your Lips in Twirl ($22)
While this shade is by far the most vibrant of the bunch, it's definitely far from in-your-face-Barbie-pink territory. Twirl is described as a carnation pink, and has slight blueish undertones. To me it's the perfect level of cheery for everyday. This lipstick is also the most matte feeling, and can unfortunately be a little dry on the lips. It does, however, wear quite well, needing touch ups only after a lot of eating and drinking.
NYX Butter Lipstick in Pops ($6)
I have to give props to Ipsy for cluing me in to this fabulous (and fabulously affordable) lipstick. I'm already a huge fan of the NYX Butter Glosses, and it looks like the lipsticks are no different. The formula really does live up to its name, feeling buttery smooth and rich on the lips. Pops is a mauvey pink that's just a bit darker and cooler than my natural lip color. After constantly wearing bold and dark lipsticks all winter, this shade feels like a perfect transition.
Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in HD Rose ($8.99)
Opinions may be varied on the Revlon HD Lipsticks, but generally I've found myself to fall on the fan side of the fence. Of the shades I've tried, HD Rose is the least fussy of the bunch. It adds a pretty wash of pink color, while still letting your natural lip color shine through. The formula has an almost gel-like consistency that leaves your lips with a slightly wet looking finish, and has very fine light reflecting particles that increase shine without appearing shimmery.
L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive in Julianne's Nude ($8.99)
This lipstick has definitely been my new everyday go-to since the moment I bought it...which was an epic moment, I might add, because I was able to snag it for less than $2 thanks to an assortment of coupons and Extrabucks at CVS. I've never tried Colour Riche Lipsticks before, so I have no idea if this limited edition collection varies at all from the original formula, but it's really quite nice. The texture is really creamy, yet lightweight, and the pigmentation of this particular shade is semi-sheer with a satiny finish. It does have a very perfume-y smell, so if you're sensitive to fragrance you may want to pass this one up. A cool toned baby pink, Julianne's Nude is surprisingly wearable and doesn't leave my light to medium complexion looking washed out. Also, can we talk for a second about how gorgeous this packaging is? From the matte black casing, to the gold details, to the laser cut L'Oreal logo on the bullet (which you can't see from this angle, unfortunately), this lipstick definitely feels more high end than drugstore.
Are you a nude or not-so-nude lipstick lover? What are your favorite shades?
