TOP 5: Nude Lip Products

I contemplated doing "Top 5 Lip Products" as my next Top 5 post. Then I couldn't really narrow it down to just 5 so I decided to do "Top 5 Nude Lip Products" because I am obsessed with nude lips so... narrowing that down to 5 will be hard enough.

As my Agave Lip Mask review post shows, I have very dry and chapped lips. As a result, I am very fussy when it comes to lip products. So the following are generally great for dry chapped lips. (Those that are a little more tricky I will point out).

Left to Right
MAC Velvet Teddy - Banila Co RG08 Eblin - YSL Rouge Pur Couture 06 - NYX Butter Gloss Tiramisu - Australis Velourlip in Pa-Ree

The following are the specifics for each product. It is in no particular order. I always provide a direct link to the product so just simply click the name and it should open a new window for you. (Also, the lip swatches are pretty terrible because my lips were in bad shape this day. Apologies!)

MAC Lipstick 
Shade: Velvet Teddy
RRP: $36 (Australian Price)
Finish: Matte

Specifics:

This lipstick is my obsession these days. It is the perfect 'Kylie Jenner Lip' (and she is also known to use this specific lipstick). There is not one bad thing I can say about this lipstick. It's opaque, it smells divine (like all MAC lipsticks), the colour is perfection, the finish is matte (my current favourite), and the lasting power is insane! I apply it once and it lasts all day - even through meals. It does not dry out my lips at all and it most definitely doesn't accentuate the crevices in my lips (which are both very rare for me to find in matte products)! It's not necessarily a true nude - it's a dark more mauve-y brown nude. But for me, this still constitutes a nude. The price appears steep but you can circumvent that by doing a Back-to-Mac (taking 6 MAC products back to MAC and then receiving a lipstick for free). I am already almost finish this tube and I have only had it for about 2-3months so it's really saying something! 

Banila Co De La Rose
Shade: RG08 Eblin
RRP: $11.95 (USD - Available online as linked. Subject to exchange rate)
Finish: Satin

Specifics:
This lipstick was bought by me in Korea when I was there for exchange. It is quite similar to the Velvet Teddy above, but it pulls little more mauve-y pink. The finish is also not matte but a Satin finish. This is extremely creamy, extremely easy to apply, looks beautiful on every skin tone (I have medium skin I loved it, my friend has NC15 skin loves it, and my friend with NC42 skin also loves it. Very universal!), and it also is pretty affordable. I wouldn't say it's as long-lasting as a matte finish lipstick but it's still totally worth it. I even have a back up. The colour is fantastic all year round and it really keeps my lips hydrated and looking flawless. The only issue is accessibility to it, but it is possible to order online (as linked above).

YSL Rouge Pur Couture
Shade: 06 Rose Bergamasque
RRP: $52 (Australian Price)
Finish: Satin

Specifics:

This is my favourite high-end nude. This is definitely more of a true nude shade with slight peachy pink undertones. This is a more sheer lipstick with a satin finish. It glides on super smooth and easily, it keeps my lips hydrated and it doesn't accentuate any crevices or flakes on my lips. There are however a few cons for the product. I do not enjoy the smell of this - it smells like soap to me and I don't want to be eating something that tastes like soap. The staying power is also not very good. As soon as I have a drink or have some food it does tend to fade and then eventually disappear. But I think the easy application and the hydration of the lipstick balance out the flaws!

NYX Butter Gloss
Shade: Tiramisu
RRP: $5 (USD - Available online as linked. Subject to exchange rate)
Finish: Gloss

Specifics:

My favourite gloss formula...ever. Let's just start with the smell. If I could have a product to sniff all day everyday, hands down it would be the NYX Butter Glosses (and I own the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette). Beyond the smell however, the formula is excellent. It is fantastic over a lipstick or even on it's own (the pigmentation definitely allows for it to be worn on it's own). It does not fall into or accentuate any crevices or flakes on my lips. In fact, it actually hides any dry flakes I may have on my lips at the time. It is very long lasting, keeps my lips hydrated and is not gloop-y or sticky. The only flaw for me would be that the product tends to gather a little at the top. Particularly if I carry it around in a bag a lot (because obviously that disrupts the product and causes it to lie down and move around). But this isn't too big of an issue for me because it doesn't leak or seep out, it just sits around the neck of the product when I open it. Nonetheless, it's a fabulous product I couldn't recommend enough & for medium-dark skin ladies, Tiramisu is a much better colour as a nude than Creme Brulee is (in my opinion).

Australis Velourlip
Shade: Pa-Ree
RRP: $9.95 (Priceline)
Finish: Matte

Specifics:

My little honorary Australian brand. This is one product that may or may not work for everyone. It is a matte lip cream (as the name suggests) and it's quite a dry formula. It's very interesting because instead of going on liquid like most matte lip creams, it goes on in a more mousse-like texture and then dries to a complete matte. Personally, I absolutely love this product. The colour is amazing (the most perfect true nude for me), the smell is delicious, the product is creamy, it glides on super easy, it's very opaque and it's very very very long lasting. The issue many people have with it is they feel it's very drying and accentuates their lines or flakes. I do find it's slightly drying, however I have super chapped and dry lips but... I have never had an issue with this. When it dries however, it does show all the lines in your lips, but I don't find that it does so in an unattractive way. The flakes on my lips are most definitely not accentuated by this product in my experience. So overall, I personally love this product but would recommend using a lip scrub beforehand just in case you have a negative experience!

Special Mentions

Narrowing everything down to 5 products was a very very very difficult task. So I have two products I'd just like to mention briefly. 

Left: MAC (Limited Edition) in Enchanted One
Right: Jordana Easyliner for Lips in Tawny

Left: MAC Enchanted One
Right: Jordana Easyliner Tawny

I didn't include the MAC lipstick because it's limited edition and impossible to get (but honestly, it's my all time favourite lipstick... I'm sorry!!!) & I didn't include the Jordana Easyliner (in shade Tawny) because... lipliners aren't the most exciting thing to talk about. However, the Jordana Easyliner (in shade Tawny) is a perfect 'Kylie Jenner Lip' colour and can be used all over the lips as a lipcolour, used as a lipbase or a lipliner. It's creamy and affordable. Love that too.