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Most Overrated & Underrated Nude Lipstick
Over & Under: Most Overrated & Underrated Nude Lipstick
There are always products that receive endless raves, but they don’t always live up to our expectations or work out as well as they do for others.  Share your picks for most overrated and underrated NUDE LIPSTICKS.  Don’t forget to share your whats and whys as to your choices!
- Most Overrated: [answer]
- Most Underrated: [answer]
My Picks
- Most Overrated:Â MAC Myth/Fleshpot — neither shade looks remotely flattering on me, and even though it looks awesome on some, I feel like a lot of people don’t like the way those shades look on them either.
- Most Underrated:Â MAC Velvet Teddy or Honeylove – both shades were nudes I finally could wear!
Nude lipsticks are something I just don’t understand. If you want to wear a “nude lipstick”, hell, wear nothing. Same difference.
Depends on your lips! Mine are really rosy, so a nude lipstick looks quite a bit different.
Any shade that alters ones natural lip color serves a purpose. Nude is different than MLBB.
Was this a serious comment? That’s like saying wearing eye shadow from the Naked palette is the same as not wearing any shadow. A nude lip isn’t “invisible” lipstick.
Operated nars honolulu honey
Underrated Mac honey love I pair with buxom White Russian AMAZING
Nudes are very personal because they depend on the person’s skintone, but I agree with Velvet Teddy! I just can’t stop wearing it! I haven’t run out of a lipstick yet, but that might be the first one. It’s literally a my lips but better shade since my lip color is very brown toned. I can see how it would be too dark for some people though.
In terms of overrated maybe Revlon’s Color Burst in Soft Nude. The shade and formula are very nice and pretty universal but it doesn’t last long on my lips at all!
Overrated:
Revlon Nude Attitude. I’ve seen this recommended in so many nude lip tutorials but, after trying it, I’ve concluded it’s just too beige for my lips and skin tone. The matte texture isn’t great and has a tendency to emphasize any imperfections. Just gross looking. Christine, I also agree with you about MAC Myth..don’t get that one either!
Underrated:
No. 7 Line and Define Lipliner in Nude. I just wear this allover the lips with lip balm over it for a nude lip. MUA Lisa Eldridge created it as her “perfect nude” for No. 7 and it is perfect for me! I think some ladies go overboard with the nude lip and it ends up looking overdone or like concealer lips.
Overated: MAC myth
Underated: MAC Innocence, Beware!
Hello Christine! I was never one to wear nudes until I found VivaGlam GAGA 2 ( i am a bit scared of them), but I can’t find it anymore and I did really, really love it. Do you know if it has any dupes?? Also thank you for all your hard work in this website I appreciate it so, so much
For me personally…
Most Overrated: MAC Creme de nude…way too light for my complexion.
Most Underrated: MAC Blankety. Great formula and perfect colour for my nw10 skin.
This one is so subjective to a person’s skintone and lip colour that my underrated and overrated could easily fall between two shades of lipstick by the same manufacturer. For example, Tom Ford Nude Vanille Suede is smidgen too light, but Blush Nude is perfect. I’ll wear Nude Vanille anyway despite corpse like tendencies and what anyone else may think.
On current rotation, 2 of my absolute favourite nude lips are Guerlain G Gilian and UD Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour in Naked (a little darker than nude on me)
Interesting, honeylove looked horrible on me, I’ll have to test Myth and Fleshpot 🙂
For my NC 30-35 self:
Overrated: Mac Blankety and Creme d Nude
Underrated: The Balm MaiBillsBePaid, pretty pinky nude on me! Also Mac Viva Glam II and Tarte Matte Lipsurgence in Exposed.
Overrated: All of MAC nudes that I’ve tried have looked awful on me! Too pale, yellow-y beige or the texture has been thick and uncomfortable.
Underrated: NARS Cruising!!!
Because nudes mostly depends on your skintone, I should probably add that I’m light-medium (NW20-25 in MAC).
I haven’t found a MAC lipstick I love yet, and nudes are my life! I am looking forward to trying the Middle East colors you reviewed next time I’m at a MAC counter. Most of my favorite nudes or brown tone lipsticks have been discontinued! It looks like brown is coming back this season,so maybe I’ll find a new one. I find Lancome’s natural beauty a little light for me, but I have very pale skin, it is probably a great nude for most.
You should try macs creme d’nude…Its a light nude but if it is too light for you can use a liner or gloss. the formula is amazing though…my fav!
Overrated: Anything too light, too grey, or too brown.
I realized that pretty much eliminates most lipsticks called “nude,” but if by nude you mean a fleshtone lipstick, mine are no wear near what most lines call nude. I have such heavily pigmented lips that most nudes look really unnatural.
Underrated: Revlon Colorburst Peach
I think this is a dupe for a MAC lipstick — Ravishing maybe? This is what I wear when I want “nude” lips.
I just found my perfect nude in Too Faced La Creme lipstick in Nude Beach it is just sligthly lighter that my actual lip colour (I just migth try Naked Dolly) and I top it up with UD Lip Junkie in Wallflower
Naked Dolly is lovely. I have really pigmented, coral-y lips and it can even look soft and natural on me.
I agree %50000!
I thought MYTH was hideous on me. Haven’t tried FLESHPOT though. I’ve gone through at least 5 tubes of Velvet Teddy though. I wear it with Love Nectar or Clinique superbalm in Root beer and Stripped Down lipliner. Honeylove is my 2nd and I wear that with the above mention items as well.
I couldn’t agree with you more with myth and fleshpot, I am an nc 20-25, and I look dead with those 2 lipsticks.
Most over-rated :: Mac Creme d’Nude because I find the coverage patchy (common problem with Cremesheens), which means I need to apply something to mute my natural lip colour underneath.
Most under-rated :: Nars Pago Pago seems to brighten my whole face when I wear it. I ignored it for a long time, assuming it would be nothing special, but when I finally tried it on, it wowed me. As a deeper nude, Mac’s Blankety doesn’t get nearly the love it should. Killer with a smoky eye.
I just discovered MAC cherish, and I am absolutely in love. It’s the only nude lipstick I own and it looks really great with my olive skin.
I neglected this one on my choices, but I agree.. it works really well for me too. MAC Myself is equally pretty, but I think it was LE and lustre so not so great for staying power.
I was just thinking “no one ever says Mac Cherish and of my many, many nude lipsticks, this is the one that I LOVE”. I guess that makes it underrated! I am NC 20/25 BTW.
ditto
For my NC35 skin:
Overrated: MAC Blankety. It looks like death on me! It was one of my first MAC purchases, and I bought it on the recommendation of a YouTuber who is much lighter than myself–Very poor decision on my part! Though I also find that it sinks into lip lines like crazy.
Underrated: Benefit Lady’s Choice, MAC Pure Zen, and MAC High Tea. Lady’s Choice has a bit of pink to it to keep from looking totally dead, and Pure Zen is warm and a bit peachy, which I appreciate since cooler nudes can look grey on me. High Tea is a favorite because it isn’t totally opaque, so it just mutes your lip color without totally erasing it.
Most Overrated: Everything else
Most Underrated: NARS Barbarella….for me, it’s a nude
Not sure about overrated, but underrated for me would be MAC’s Hug Me. I NEVER see or hear anyone comment on it, but I love it. It’s a pink toned nude that pairs nicely with MAC’s C-Thru or is perfect worn alone. I also like Inglot’s lip pencil in #27; it’s a pale pinky nude (more pink than tan/brown) that has just enough warmth to keep your lips from looking pasty. Love them both.
I agree, Hug Me never gets mentioned but its my favourite nude by far, too!
AGREED! Hug Me is my Go To Nude.
Fleshpot is my perfect nude lipstick! <3 <3
overrated: mac fresh brew
underrated: maybelline totally toffee
I love MAC’s Kinda Sexy, Hue and Myth (with lipliner/gloss)!
I don’t know if I can say a product is underrated because I made a poor choice in selecting a shade that doesn’t work for my skin tone. I prefer to call it what it is…MY BAD.
I just happen to be wearing Velvet Teddy today with a major smokey eye look, and I love it.
Hi Christine, if you like Velvet Teddy you may like Hug Me. I recently fell in love with both but Hug Me is definitely more moisturising on my lips.
Overrated: I agree with you, those and all similar shades look terrible on me, like ELF Natural Nymph, too
Underrated: They’re not in stick form but NYX Matte Lip Creams in London and Stockholm (or my favorite – a mix) – they’re gorgeous warm brown-pinks with peachiness, they work great for medium skintones with warm undertones like mine
For my NC50 skin:
Overrated: I’m going to have to say MAC Freckletone. I absolutely hate the way it looks on me! I bought it at the suggestion of other women of color who swear by it, but it does nothing for me. I would have returned it, but I bought it on a road trip and didn’t live near a MAC counter/store at the time, so now I’m stuck with it!
Underrated: MAC Touch! I love everything about Touch. First of all, I adore that it is my perfect MLBB shade, as well as the fact that it has its own sheen (which doesn’t require me to carry lip gloss to wear on top). My favorite aspect of Touch is that it has this canny ability to make my lips look understated yet lusciously beautiful at the same time. I like to describe my lips as “milk chocolate-y goodness” when I’m wearing it! I love it!
I love Touch as well. I’m NC45 and this is a nice nude lipstick.
Its all depending your skin and lip tone. I’m NC43 with strong olive/yellow undertones and Freckletone is a definate go to nude for me. As is Nars Honolulu Honey…its simply amazing. I would have to give Touch a go. Thanks for the suggestion.
Touch is one of my faves too. I am also NC50! I also love MAC Hug Me and NYX Maison.
Mac touch is Gorgeous! I am not as dark as you, about nc 35 and it looks so Sophisticated on me! Although not quite a nude, I think it does for me what Chanel mademoiselle does for paler skintones.
As one who absolutely *loves* nude lipstick, I would say all are underrated, especially by those who refer to it as “corpse” or “concealer” lips; the key is finding the nude(s) that look(s) good on the individual based on their skin tone, coloring, personal aesthetic, etc. That said, I think MAC lipsticks (in general) are overrated, as I find nothing special in any of the formulas. Sure, there is a fairly vast selection of shades, but L’Oreal has just as many at half the price, and Maybelline is great, too. I must say Lancome Pale Lip is my current favorite. I bought it a few years back, completely forgot about it, and only came across it (still in box, LOL) a couple of months ago.
“Corpse lips” so tired of that expression.. Unless you’ve been drinking blue Kool Aid I mean, really? Agreed with nude lips being underrated.
Overrated: I think this is sort of hard to answer, since it really depends on your skin tone? Most warm-toned nudes look terrible on me.
Underrated: I actually liked Fleshpot, though I find I prefer my beige-y nudes a touch less opaque. Innocence, Beware! is my go-to for when I’m wearing a very bold, dark eye. 🙂
For most overrated, on Myth, I totally agree. I’ve only ever bought two mac lipsticks and I was so mad that this one looked terrible. I’m pale, too. NC15. I’d never bought a nude and since I heard good things about it I bought it. I was misled ):
Overrated: Revlon Soft Nude. This is tough for me to admit, but while I love the texture and shade, it just doesn’t last on me, even when I line my lips. It also isn’t terribly opaque but I have rosy, pigmented lips (this topic is so subjective! Haha)
Underrated: Basically a good lipliner! I love Prestige Silk with a gloss overtop, or No. 7 Nude on its own (thanks Lisa E., you are the cosmetic god)
Don’t really have an overrated answer as I’m super picky about my nude lipsticks and am afraid to buy one that makes me look like a corpse but L’Oreal Fairest Nude is super, super pretty. It’s more of a rosy, warm nude so you don’t get the dreaded concealer lips.
That’s actually my second favorite, and I probably have at *least* 20-25 nudes in my stash.
Aside from the person who commented on the actual *quality* of a lipstick, this seems almost wildly subjective. In 20 years of purchasing lipstick Myth is the only shade I’ve repurchased twice. Bring on the corpse lips if that’s what it means, some of my best times happened in Clone eye shadow and Myth lipstick. I love Hue, Siss and Nars Honolulu Honey…I’ll throw an RIP out to Mac Bardot and Shrimpton, some of the finest nudes ever to grace my lips.
I don’t really know any overrated lipstick. Mac’s Creme d’ nude is my personal fave, but a REALLY UNDERRATED one is Revlons “Icy Nude” if your looking for a slightly deeper nude. It was my fav till Creme d’nude
I don’t know how overrated, but I’ve heard good things about YSL Sensual Silk. It is a gorgeous color. But the formula killed my lips.
Right now I have Too Faced Naked Dolly and I wouldn’t call it underrated (the La Creme lipsticks seem to be getting positive attention) but I like it as a replacement. It’s an even better color for me. And it seems like my lips might be taking it a bit better. I still have to test that to be sure though.
Overrated: MAC Myth and Creme D’Nude – I tried Myth once and my mum commented that she thought my lips were growing mold – they were all white and pasty. I was pretty disappointed coz i really really wanted to get it! I’ve heard so many recommendations for it – unfortunately just not suited for my colouring. Same thing with Creme d’nude – heaps of great recommendations – so I got one from a MAC airport store, one of those 3 lippy travel sets – and found out when i got home that it was just too light for me (im NC40)
Underrated: I don’t know if this is a discontinued colour but I have not been able to find it at any MAC stores apart from MAC in Asia (I know they have this in HK and Singapore at least) but Shy Shine is the best colour in the world. its creamy, its slightly glossy, it adds warmth to my lips, it doesnt sink into the creases. Just such a shame it’s so hard to get. everytime someone goes to Asia I have to ask them to stock up Shy Shine. also alot of my friends have borrowed mine out of curiosity and have loved it as well, and we’re all different colouring. i think this colour would suit everyone (and i actually mean it haha)
i agree that honeylove is highly underrated. it was my first nude, and its the only lipstick i have 2 of. blankety works nicely as well 😀 fleshpot, i also agree is overrated. its very corpsey.
i should also mention that Hue can be quite nude on me, and love nectar gloss pairs perfectly with honeylove. Im surprised no one has mentioned Peachstock in either categories?
Myth isnt bad, its just very light and matte. its a true nude for anybody with a light complexion.
The only Overrated nude I can thin of is NARS Turkish Delight but that’s more of gloss texture than a lipstick. I never tried it on my lips but I feel like there’s so many similar colors to it out there.
The most Underrated lip colors are darker nudes or nudes that have more of a brown undertone like MAC Fresh Brew, Siss, Chai lipglass etc. they are so warm on the skin and looks awesome with smokey eyes.
Overrated: Mac Blankety, I look dead in it!
Underrated: Mac Faux, Honeylove and Modesty, all perfect nudes on me (NC/NW25, neutral undertones)
MAC Modesty is one of my go to lipsticks! I never hear anyone talking about it but it is awesome!
I love Modesty too! Aside from Hue, its the only MAC lipstick I’ve ever finished and repurchased 🙂
Sigh, I see nude lipsticks worn to such nice effect on other people. I just can’t pull it off. I have the kind of pale skin that many companies don’t make a foundation shade light enough for. I get the “are you feeling ok, you look really pale” comment when I’ve tried nude lips. I have several nude lipsticks, but I never wear them unless I layer them with a more pigmented gloss, or I use them to tone down a bright shade.
Instead of using the nude to tone down bright shades, perhaps you can add a deeper shade to add a different tone to the nude. I have 2 MAC shades that fall into opposite ends of the nude/neutral spectrum (Empowered & Archetype), and neither looks “right” on me, but when used together, they are beautiful.
I miss the “thumbs up” feature where we could silently “like” a comment. I like this advice, and I hope it is helpful!
I can’t really say because I’m around NC 5 and I have never ever found a nude that looked very flattering on me. I usually can’t really go nude because there has to be some pink in the shade and almost everything looks dark and brown on me anyway. I do think Myth is overrated not in the sense that it’s a bad look but because there is this general feeling I think that everyone should have it or something but I think there are really a lucky few who can pull it off well. The only nude I like at all is MAC Innocence Beware, but that was limited and the texture isn’t so good either.
I agree with you on the texture of IB. Since you are so fair, and need something with a pink undertone, you might want to try out Fun Finds Mattene (it’s LE, but I don’t think it has sold out yet). It’s the lightest of all my nudes–a little like Fleshpot, but lighter. I’m sure Christine swatched it here in Temptalia somewhere! That lippie was truly made for the fairest complexions. GL!
I agree with all the comments on MAC Myth and Creme D’Nude being overrated. I find pinky nudes work best on me. My favorite nude is probably MAC’s Hue or MAC Modesty.
Overrated: Innocence Beware! I literally HATE this lipstick. It goes on too sheer for my red lips, then wads up in the cleft in my bottom lip making it look hideous with creepy cream colored streaks on my lips. I can only pull this off with a really good primer, and even then it’s hit or miss.
Underrated: Ruffian Naked. This is one of the creamiest mattes I have from MAC, and the color matches my skintone perfectly, giving me that cool retro 60’s look when I adorn a deep, smoky eye. I have around 20 “nudes” just in my MAC collection alone, and this one is hands down the best! They ought to make it perm like they did with Fleshpot (which I also love)–Fleshpot is great, but better for pale faces with pink undertones; Ruffian Naked works great with an NC15 or NC20 (maybe even a shade or two darker).
NC 15/NC 20
Most Overrated: MAC Cremesheen Creme d’Nude (Too pale for my skintone)
Most Underrated: Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick in Forbidden Flower (I love this lipstick! It’s a nice pinky nude shade)
I almost forgot my two favorite purchases from spring. Smashbox’s Almost Legendary lipsticks in Chai and Honey. Chai is a yellowish brown that the SA at Sephora was wearing and it looked totally nude on her but is a gorgeous light brown on me. Currently my favorite “peachy brown nude” my natural color for my redhead complexion. Honey is a little lighter and peachier,but may be a perfect nude for some as well. Estee Lauder’s Barely Nude, is a peachy nude. I find it a little bright, but again, anyone with slightly darker skin and less pink lips might find it a great nude, the formula is divine. They say it is a replacent for my old favorite crystal beige, but it is not, crystal beige was less peach, more light brown. But I love the creamy consistency of their long last lipstick. I haven’t tried any of this year’s new vivid shine lipsticks yet. As yet I have no MAC lipsticks that I like, but I’ll keep checking your recommendations. Just wanted to throw a few other worthy companies into the mix!
Admittedly, as a former MAC artist, I love all things MAC, but, I would agree that Myth along with the nude Viva Glam were both shades that you have to make work for you – lipliner is a must. You can change any lipstick with a liner or a gloss – just depends on how much you want to make it work. If you bought it and don’t like it any way you’ve tried it, the recycle program is awesome 😉
Underrated: MAC Playing Koi – it was limited edition and oh how I love thee. Hope it comes out in a re-launch. Since I’m not a MAC snob, I also ordered Peace, Love and Mod lip gloss from BH Cosmetics. It’s perfecto over any nude and its very moist and not at all tacky. Loved it so much I ordered 5 more when they went on sale for less than $3! (Recommend checking out ALL their lipglosses and for me to say that, it’s no small feat!)