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10 Shades of Nude for Natural Summer Lips

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Now that it’s officially summer, it’s time to enhance that natural sun-kissed glow with the perfect shade of nude lipstick. But how do you find the perfect "my lips but better" shade without looking completely washed out?

Clinique’s Colour Pro Makeup Artist Stephanie Flor shared some tips on how to choose the right nude lipstick. "The trick is going one to two shades darker than your natural lip color," Flor explains. "If you’re going for the natural lip shade, skip anything with shimmer or pearls. Nudes work very differently on different skin tones. The one thing you want to veer from is a hue with too much pink, which can wash out very easily. A good nude makes your eyes pop." For lighter skin complexions, Flor recommends shades that have a little pink and rose, which will bring out your inner glow. For darker complexions, a caramel-yellow undertone is best, she adds.

"My favorite thing to do is use a lip liner that matches my lip color and then apply a clear gloss on top and/or add a protector balm that mixes with the liner and gives a natural healthy glow. I love using Clinique Quickliner for Lips as a liner and then follow with Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour in Coming Up Rosy, which gives the lips a very soft natural lip. The Chubby Sticks moisturize and bring out the lips' natural tone adding a sheer lightweight formula with a hint of color."

And now for your natural-pout pleasure, we’ve rounded up some of the best nude lipsticks, balms and pencils—guaranteed o make your lips shine.

  1. Clinique Pop Lip Color + Primer

    Lighter complexions should choose Bare Pop or Beige Pop for pink and rose undertones. Darker complexions should try Nude Pop for caramel-yellow undertones.

    $18

  2. Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizng Lip Color Balm

    Coming Up Rosy will bring out your lips' natural tone.

    $17

  3. Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector

    Choose from six shades to naturally enhance and illuminate your lips. The plant-based moisturizing formula keeps your lips soft for hours. The My Pink color works with your skin's pH to create your own natural shade.

    $23

  4. YSL Rouge Volupté Shine

    Color #9 Nude in Private is a warm shimmery beige sure to enhance your sun-kissed skin.

    $36

  5. Burberry Beauty Lip Mist

    This sheer moisture-rich lipstick will keep lips hydrated for a long time. We love No 213 Field Rose.

    $33

  6. Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel

    This gel formula lipstick comes in six shades of nude that gives lips moisture with a shiny finish. It also has the sweetest vanilla scent!

    $30

  7. Buxom True Nude Lip Foundation

    Choose from six nude shades and one clear naked shade to perfectly define your lips to create your own nude lip. This creamy formula can also be topped off with a lip gloss.

    $19

  8. Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo

    These twist-up retractable nude crayons can help define the lips, while the satin finish gives your lips some well-defined sheen.

    $30

  9. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat

    Enhance and redefine your lips with Charlotte Tilbury's top-notch lip liner. Choose from five colors or go for cult favorite Pillowtalk. The velvety lip liner doesn't feather or transfer, and lasts for up to six hours.

    $22