Top Nude Lipsticks for Deep Skin Tones (India Edition)
Written by: Zahabiya Ali
@Unsplash
Ever wondered why the ads, campaigns or trends for nude lipsticks are borderline non-inclusive and unrelatable? For those with deep skin tones, the pink and tan-beiges have never reached the pedestal for your everyday nude lipstick collection, and that’s solely because every skin tone’s nude shade varies.
With Indian skin tints in mind, there’s an instant slide-show of lovely complexions ranging from warm ivory, beige tones to olive and brown skin. “The key purpose of a nude lipstick is to enhance the natural colour of your own lips, which means everyone’s perfect nude is different”, explains Simran Gidwani, a celebrity makeup artist.
“The best nude lipsticks for deep skin tones in India are rather richer pigments like caramel, mocha, or chocolate that complement your Indian skin tone beautifully. Avoid ashy tones or shades that are too light, as they can make your lips appear dull or washed out”, says Kairavi Bharat Ram, founder of Typsy Beauty.
We onboarded experts to let you in on the ultimate guide for curating a bespoke palette of flattering nudes.
The Experts
Kairavi Bharat Ram is the founder of Typsy Beauty, an Indian beauty brand which was awarded with the ELLE Rising Beauty Brand award in 2022 for its strong brand values of quality, authenticity and inclusivity.
Simran Gidwani is an IMA certified makeup artist, with a diverse clientele ranging from celebrities such as Athiya Shetty and Tania Shroff to brides, models and influencers.
She received her training at the London College of Makeup, where she honed her skills and expanded her knowledge of products and techniques. With several years of experience under her belt, her signature minimal approach to glam makeup has, today, become her trademark.
Decoding your undertones for an ideal match
“Start by knowing and understanding undertones—whether it's warm, cool, or neutral. Warm undertones lean towards golden or olive, while cool undertones have hints of blue or pink, and neutral undertones balance both”, advises Bharat Ram.
For demystifying deep skin undertones, “the best way is by noticing the colour your veins show up as. If it looks purple or blue, you have cool undertones, and if it is green, you most likely have a warm undertone”, adds Gidwani. This article caters to the 4-5-6 Fitzpatrick phototypes, which includes skin tones from light brown and olive to deeper browns and black (in short, the Indian skin spectrum!)
Keep reading: A Leading Indian Dermatologist Tells Us How to Take Care of South Asian Skin
Even though there are no rules in makeup, there are some general guidelines that can help you enhance your makeup experience and let you embrace your own beautiful complexion, affirms Gidwani. She further tells us “how the shade of the lipstick should complement the depth and undertones of your skin. Rosy browns usually compliment cool tones, and peachy-terracottas work best with warm tones”.
Demystifying the finish: matte, glossy, and beyond
Being touted as a cult-favourite for day-to-day application, your nude lippie is not a passé for romantic dates or night outs. Here’s where the finish of the lipstick comes into play.
“For an everyday nude lipstick, you can't go wrong with a satin finish! It's like the Goldilocks of lipstick finishes—not too matte, not too glossy, just right! Satin finishes give you that perfect balance of colour payoff and moisture, keeping your lips looking luscious and natural all day long”, says Bharat Ram.
“One of the main reasons I prefer satin lipsticks is because when it inevitably wears out through the day, it doesn’t leave a visible outline along the edges, leaving the centre to look bare. Even though it’s not as long as a matte finish, it gradually fades off and is much easier to touch up too”, adds Gidwani.
Matte formula is synonymous to a long-lasting stay, and for a bolder lip that wears without touch-ups, you can break a deal with velvety or creamy liquid mattes. If you are looking for a diffused, cloudy-skin makeup, the semi-matte lipsticks will bring the whole look together, given the right nude shade.
Lately, the glossy lip trend is having a major moment, and rightly so! To add some oomph and drama to your look, there’s nothing like some fun glossy lipsticks. You can choose tinted glosses, shimmery liquids, or clear gloss for a juicy, plump and glassy pout.
Read on to check out the top picks by our experts, for nude lipsticks expanding over an array of shades, price-range and textures.
Best Creamy
@smashbox
A rich-brown, creamy formula, infused with peptides and ceramides is match-made for deepest brown and black complexions. The plush lipstick has a built-in primer that leaves your lips feeling moisturised with a silken finish.
Best for Cool Undertones
@charlottetilbury
Darlings! The cult-favourite pillow talk has a perfect shade for every skin tone. This berry-pink nude lippie is a warmer colour, ideal for medium to deep complexions. Enriched with nourishing ingredients, the bullet lipstick allows a smooth matte finish that lasts all-day.
Best High-End
@Dior
The luxury entrant by Dior is a floral lip care with a soft, velvety finish. Rich in pigment, the lightweight formula is well suited for long-wear. Nude touch is a light brown on terracotta shade, crafted for fair to medium skin tones.
Best for Warm Undertones
PAT McGRATH LABS MatteTrance™ Lipstick Creamy-matte vivid colour: 1995
@PATMcGRATH
Another matte magic under our radar is this unique oil-infused powder formula that leaves a tinted and diffused effect on the lips. Its creamy texture enables a swift glide with a long-stay. This is an easy-pick for everyday nude lips, catering to medium, tan and deep complexions.
Best with Satin Finish
@HudaBeauty
A creamy lipstick that pays off high shine, this glowy formula from Huda Beauty is a must-have for medium to dark skin tones. The melanin-friendly brown shade is all about a long lasting and luscious look. The recipe is also made to hydrate and plump the lips.
Most Comfortable
NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick: Show Off
@NARS
A buttery smooth blend, lending intense moisture and lustrous finish, the hybrid lipstick by NARS is a favourite of beauty gurus. This mahogany shade is crafted to embrace every skin tone and makes the case for a perfect dewy-nude for dark brown and deeper skin.
Best Gloss + Balm Combo
tarte high-performance naturals maracuja juicy lip balm hybrid gloss balm: Fig
@tarte
A hydrating and fruity emollient with glossy finish, this lipstick by tarte glides on like a dream, never gets sticky and intensely moisturises the lips. The shade fig, described as a ‘buffed mauve’ seamlessly enhances the everyday no-makeup, makeup look, especially for brown skin girlies.
Best Affordable
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss: Ginger Snap
@NYX
The butter-gloss by NYX has been a fan-fave for the longest time. This high-shine whip-up offers sheer-to-medium coverage and an extensive range of brown shades, keeping melanin in mind. Ginger snap tops the list for deep brown and darker complexions.
The Best Trending Gloss
@M.A.C
After making rounds all over the social media, the newest drop by M.A.C has made it to our list as well. It’s glossy, glowy, and tingly! The lipstick melts into the lips offering a ‘voluptuous shine’ and plumpy pout. This shade is a cinnamon brown tint that blends well for deep skin types.
Best Liquid Lipstick
TYPSY BEAUTY On & Off Lipstick + Eraser Long Stay Lipstick, Leave on Lip Mask: Frisky Whiskey
@TYPSYBEAUTY
Bharat Ram swears by this liquid lipstick which doubles as a lip mask and stays put for long hours. World’s first ever long stay liquid lipstick with a lipstick eraser. The blurring matte finish is comfortable all day, save the cakiness. This chocolatey shade has warm caramel tones to match the Indian skin tones. This dual ended lipstick features an oil-remover which eases the process of cleansing, while hydrating the lips.
Best Lip Stain
@KayBeauty
The shade ‘honey’ is a coral toned nude shade by Kay Beauty, courtesy of Katrina Kaif. This fluid lipstick lends the lips a high-shine, glossy tint. The finish is similar to a lip oil, that lasts long and is super lightweight. The formula is pigmented and buildable with hydrating properties.
Pro Tips for Flawless Application
To pull off a celebrity-inspired plump pout you need tricks and hacks beyond just a sloppy swipe. From precisely overlining the lips to maintaining the lipsticks’ freshness, our experts unravel their getting-ready secrets.
Use a contour-shade lipstick pencil
Gidwani says, “I always start by using a cool-toned brown lip pencil, (similar to a contour shade) and over line above the cupid's bow and underneath the centre of the bottom lip. I then blend that inwards with a brush to create the illusion of fuller lips. Finally, I apply a nude lipstick (that’s paler than the person’s skin tone) in the centre of the lips”.
Balm and blot
When it comes to ensuring the longevity of the lipsticks, our experts trust the mighty blotting paper and layering technique. Gidwani mentions how she loves prepping the lips with a hydrating balm. “When it’s time to apply the lipstick, I blot off the balm gently by pressing a tissue between the lips and tap in a thin layer of the lipstick, usually with my finger or a brush. I repeat this about 2-3 times, blotting before each application. That way you’re removing excess oils and leaving the pigment on the lips”, she explains. “You can also dust a bit of translucent powder over your lips while finishing off”, adds Bharat Ram.
To prevent the mattes from stripping off moisture and leaving your lips dry and flaky, it’s best to softly dab in some balm, lip-butter or oil. This technique will also help in retaining the freshness of your lips.
Tips for dual toned lips on melanin-rich skin
While speaking about nude lipsticks and Indian skin tones, Gidwani shares her insights for dual-toned lips, she says, “A lot of my clients that have deeper skin complexions, have dual toned lips, which is perfectly normal.” Lips with higher melanin levels can appear as two-toned with some areas having less or more pigmentation.
Gidwani says she leans into the client’s natural lip tone and advises, “I don’t like covering it up too much, I just use a nude lipstick, slightly warmer than the pigmented part, to counteract it. I then line the lips with a shade that matches the deepest colour on the natural lips, to create a gradual transition”.
Our Favourites
The best picks from our beauty desk are all about texture, formula, finish, and colour.
The best overall is the Huda Beauty power bullet cream glow lipstick in the shade boss chick. It’s a perfect creamy-satin lippie offering a long-wearing, lightweight finish.
For luxury lovers, our recommendation is Dior’s Rouge Dior bullet lipstick in the shade, nude touch. This richly pigmented soft brown lipstick is infused with floral goodness like the pomegranate flower extract which serves the lips some TLC.
On a budget, you cannot go wrong with the NYX Butter Gloss.
Why Trust The Beautiful Societies
Every product recommended in our articles has either been tested in person by a member of The Beautiful Societies team or recommended directly by an industry expert.
When testing the products, we read the directions provided on the packaging and paid attention to the product efficacy, texture, ease of use and overall experience of using the product.
Zahabiya Ali is an experienced beauty writer in the beauty industry in India having worked with leading beauty magazines and experience with testing cosmetic products. She has received a bachelor’s degree in media from Mumbai University. To write this article, Zahabiya consulted with two makeup experts in India, Simran Gidwani, an experienced makeup artist and Kairavi Bharat Ram, the founder of an emerging beauty brand.
