A common misconception about nude lipstick is that it is unnecessary. Why bother sinking money into a product that is just going to make your lips look the way that they already do anyway?

Anyone who holds that belief has clearly never tried wearing nude lipstick. Nude colored lipstick provides a whole other level of polish to your daytime look. Even if you are in a hurry to get out the door and don’t have time for the mascara or the cover up or a bit of blush, putting on some sheer nude lipstick will liven up your entire face and make you stand out from the crowd. To many women, a great nude lipstick is as strong of a statement as if she were to wear glaring red lipstick.

The name “nude lipstick” is a bit misleading, as it causes many women to believe that any “nude” or neutral toned lipstick is appropriate for her. While this may be true in some cases, it certainly is not the rule. Before you buy any nude lipstick, make sure that you try it on! Different nude lipsticks are created for different skin tones. Here are some of the most common colors you can choose from to fully compliment your skin color:

• Fair to Medium Skin: Beige tones, blush tones, sheer light browns
• Olive skin: Darker sheer beiges, pinks, browns and taupes
• Tan and Caramel skin: Tans, beiges, dark sheer browns
• Dark skin: Cocoa tones, dark browns

It is important that you select a nude lipstick that works with your skin tone; otherwise you may look “washed out” and sickly. The goal is to choose a nude tone that is within one or two shades of your natural complexion. In general, women with fair skin and blue undertones should aim to buy more pink toned nudes, whereas those women with darker skin should purchase nude lipsticks that have a beige undertone.

What holds many women back from trying a nude or neutral shade of lipstick is the fact that they have no idea when to wear it. Though you could rock the nude lipstick at night, nude tones and shades are mostly worn during the day. The best case scenario is that, if you choose to play up your eyes and make them a bit darker, you use a nude, sheer lipstick to give your lips that juicy, kissable look without “overdoing” it. Always aim to play up either your eyes or your lips – never both – and to make the feature you did not “play up” be neutral.

If you ever have any doubts about the lipstick that you are considering buying, be sure to meet up with the cosmetologist at the beauty store, the department store or the drugstore you are in. They will be able to help you not only choose the best shade for your skin tone, but they will also be able to help you choose the very best brands for your ‘buck’.