December 30, 2019

Best Nude Lipsticks for Holidays - Review and Swatches for MAC, Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury

I wanted this post to be a special one, so here are my favorites and hands down the best nude lipsticks that work for most skin tones and are so perfect for the holidays. I absolutely love the bare lip look of the 1920's and since we will soon be ringing in 2020, it only makes sense to share my favorite nude lippies with you all. Below you can see from left to right: Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk, MAC Mehr, MAC Mocha, Chanel Mademoiselle and Chanel Abstrait. I also added two MAC mini lipsticks at the end of this post, which I leave in my handbag and rarely shows up in my blog pics, but I felt they are great for comparison. 
Keep reading to discover these amazing and versatile nude lip colors!
 


Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk
This is the latest addition to my lipstick collection and it is the one shade which always looks good, no matter the occasion. I have worn this many times while running errands and it helps me achieve a relaxed look while also keeping it sophisticated. I even wore it to the holiday dinners and it goes with all sorts of colors and eye makeup. The one thing I would recommend is prepping your lips before applying this because during this dry weather, it can make my lips even more dry. I usually apply a lip balm before starting my makeup, so my lips are nicely hydrated before this lipstick goes on. I think this shade, Pillow Talk, is available in other textures as well, but I have not explored the whole lipstick collection by Charlotte Tilbury yet. It's something I definitely plan to do in 2020.

MAC Mehr
I don't remember when exactly I came through this shade and how it became part of my everyday routine, but one thing is for sure - its perfect. I have seen this on all skin tones and have gifted this to my family members and friends. It's such a perfect blend of mid-tone pink with a neutral undertone. 
It might seem like an easily dupe-able shade but MAC has perfected this rosy pink in MAC Mehr and over time, I have started to believe that MAC makes the best matte lipstick formulas. They are not drying like Charlotte Tilbury's and they have absolutely no sheen. 
The finish is very elegant and perfect for work as well as lunch gatherings. Also all the MAC shades mentioned in this post are incredibly long wearing and survive a lunch and a coffee. I would 100% recommend MAC Mehr to anyone who loves an everyday pink, that is not too showy, child-like or glossy. 

MAC Mocha
This one is a fairly recent purchase and not something I reach for on regular days. It was recommended by my sister earlier this year, and I wore it to one of our family events, where I sported a rare, heavy, green smokey eye look, and this shade paired amazingly with that look. MAC lipstick in Mocha, stayed on perfectly all night long and turned out great in photographs. Since then, I added it to my collection and have worn it with smokey eyes - on and off. It is definitely a special occasion shade for me, though it might be a regular peachy brown nude for someone else. 
It's also a cream finish shade which makes it slightly more apt for night time for me, though I have worn it many times during the day as well. But whenever I wear jewel tones, like an emerald dress, or a navy blue dress, I feel this shade looks like the best nude lip option for me. It works with my black hair and black eyes and works nicely with my medium skintone. It's definitely a lovely brown nude lip option which is as versatile as every other shade on this list.   

Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle 
I know that you might be sick of me sharing about the Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle, and though the price keeps increasing every year, this is the one lipstick formula, that I keep coming back to. It is like no other lipstick I own and it has its own uniqueness, in terms of how it appears, on everyone's skintone. This satin finish buildable lipcolor from Chanel's Rouge Coco line is my all time favorite and if there's one lipstick I have been using for the past 7 years, it's this!
Insane isn't it?!
A beauty blogger falling for a nude pink lip color that definitely looks like every other shade, hey? No. Its very unique and so chic! I have seen and recommended this to many and I am amazed at how  different it looks on different skintones, undertones and hair and eye combos. Its totally an everyday shade for me, but if, on any occasion I can't decide which color to go for, I go for Mademoiselle!

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in Abstrait
The red tone nude for a nude lip lover! I love how wearable and chic this shade is all year long, especially the holidays. It's a matte, velvet finish formula from Chanel, that never looks overdone. I love to wear this with my whites and camel colored tops. It pulls out the warmth in my skintone and brightens up my smile.
I am never comfortable in a red lip and I always feel that it gets way too much attention, also because I naturally have a fuller lip so it appears more showy than I intend to. I don't feel the need to gain attention on my lips! At least not now, so whenever I am looking for something reddish  but not ruby-woo-red, then this is what I go with, Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in Abstrait. I often layer on a cherry red lip gloss, that makes it more red, for more formal occasions, but even on its own, I love this shade. Its a beautiful nude shade for my neutral-medium skintone.
Left to Right: Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk, MAC Mehr, MAC Mocha, Chanel Mademoiselle and Chanel Abstrait

Left to Right: Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk, MAC Mehr, MAC Mocha, Chanel Mademoiselle and Chanel Abstrait
Below are all the swatches of my nudies - ranging from pink nudes, to brown nudes to red nudes. They are also the most flattering on many skintones and undertones. I do not like nude lipsticks that darken up my mouth or lighten it to the extent that I look dead. These mid-tone nude lipsticks are great for all holiday events, everyday wear and also for work.

While I was preparing this post, I realized there are two more nude lipsticks that stay in my handbag for travel. And these minis have literally travelled around the world (6 countries to be exact) with me this year and there is still plenty left in them. I have slowly developed a likeness for mini lipsticks because they are tiny and fit in every clutch or mini bag I carry. They are great for airports as well.
You can see that the MAC Minis below are not in the best condition, but that's what they looked like after first use. I even have the mini Ruby Woo, which travelled to Pakistan and the bullet broke off in the heat.
So the mini lipsticks might not be in the most well made packaging, but they definitely help me a lot in travelling whether its international travel or everyday commute. Nowadays these two live in my handbag.
Left to Right: Mac Mini in Twig and Velvet Teddy
MAC Mini in Twig 
The first mini lipstick I ever bought and this shade made me fall in love with MAC lipsticks, despite the horrible in store experience. Did I mention, now I order online only? Read my MAC in store experience here (scroll to the bottom) and despite that, this year I did find some MAC must haves for myself.
Anyways, so this satin finish brownish pink lipstick is a must have for me and since this shade has more depth, I think it will be most flattering on deeper, richer skintones. I use it on sick days, when I want to appear healthy and fresh. MAC lipstick in Twig a skin brightening color, that is always lovely to wear. Highly recommend this and if you are on the edge about adding it to your collection, try a mini lipstick first.

MAC Mini in Velvet Teddy
Kardashian's favorite Velvet Teddy is my favorite too!! :D
At one point, this shade had been sold out from MAC stores, due to its popularity among celebrities and for all the right reasons! It's a very flattering beige nude that leans more cool toned on me than neutral.
It is very close to Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk but the matte formula by MAC cosmetics is far superior. It does not dry out my lips and it makes a lovely shade to layer over a darker lip color to soften it. I have worn this everyday, without looking like concealer lips, or anything weird. It's just a pretty sophisticated, balanced nude lipstick. I think Pillow Talk is the best dupe for Velvet Teddy and I wrote about that last month on the blog. I can never think about not having Velvet Teddy in my handbag! Its the most perfect nude lip ever!

I decided to add the MAC Twig and Velvet Teddy in the comparison swatches, so you can see how they appear in comparison to other nude lipsticks from MAC, Charlotte Tilbury and Chanel

MAC Mini lipsticks are great value for money because they allow me to add more colors in my collection while spending a tad less but getting almost the same value for money.
MAC minis are 1.8gm for C$14 ($7.8 per gram) versus 3gm for C$23 ($7.7 per gram) for the full size lipstick and has the same formula and longevity as the full size.
Below is the size comparison of MAC Mini lipstick and full size lipstick.
Left to Right: Mac Mini in Twig and Velvet Teddy versus MAC Mehr
I hope to enjoyed discovering my favorite nude lipsticks as these are also the ones I wore the most during this year. I hope you have tried at least one of these and if you spot your favorties here, do not forget to leave me a comment. And if you are planning to get any of these, do let me know your picks!

Hope your year was amazing and I look forward to a lot more amazing things in 2020! :)
Cheers!


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1 comment:

  1. I like your picks!
    I haven’t tried Mocha, so maybe will get that only. Pls share lip swatches as well

    ReplyDelete