Best Browny Nude Lipsticks

I am very much a nude lipstick afficionado with strong leanings towards the deeper end of the spectrum considering my skin tone. You won’t really catch me wearing anything paler than Nars Barbara or Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria but I already spoke of these two and actually recently ran out of Barbara and decided not to repurchase before I get through some of my other lipsticks. For the purpose of this post, I am talking all my favourite deeper nudes if you have lighter skin tone or simply nudes if you’re darker.

I swatched this last so excuse the messiness

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in Rosy Brown

Adding this lipstick into my collection really sparked the idea for this post and not only is this the most divine liquified lipstick formula, it is also a Rosy Brown shade that I’d personally like Chanel to carry onto all other coloured face products like Rouge Noir. I can definitely apply a sheer layer of this to get a lighter colour but really this formula works better if you swipe twice. It takes a good ten minutes to fully dry but once it’s dry it feels velvety and lightweight for hours with no transfer when drinking. It will require a reapplication after a full meal but remains comfortable all day. The reason why I love this is the rosy and brown tones mixed actually mimic the likes of MAC Stone but for me that colour is completely unwearable.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Walkyrie

What proves your love for a product more that using it up and repurchasing? Walkyrie is one of the few and while I resisted opening the new box up for a bit I couldn’t have this post without it. It is lighter than Rosy Brown and features mix of rusty and mauve tones with a brown base and no fear of turning red like some nudes that turn bright on my skin tone. Formula wise, it feels and wears similar on the lips if perhaps even more like you’re not wearing anything than Rosy Brown. As a pencil though, it does dry significantly faster so you suffer from dry lips the Chanel formula might be more user friendly but I don’t find it to be drying and can wear it all day with no issues. I also way prefer the ease of pencil application vs the doe foot applicator. If I reapply it can look a lot deeper throughout the day which I’m not mad about either.

MAC Satin Lipstick in Mocha

Now while Rosy Brown and Walkyrie both fall in the neutral spectrum, Mocha is definitely the terracotta brown nude that I’d reach for along with a more warm toned eye. I’ve grouped this through a depth of colour but apparently also through the format so the next three will both transfer and require multiple reapplications. I like Mocha because while it is obviously warm, it is not orange or yellow and still looks flattering on my skin tone. While I prefer the look of matte lipsticks, I actually find the satin finish of this only a hint more malleable on the lips than matte formulas. It won’t dry and is exceptionally comfortable to wear. I have nothing bad to say about the Satin formula if only that I prefer the next two formulas more.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy

The MAC Matte formula is actually one of my favourite across all brands and Velvet Teddy is another one of those staples in my lineup that I simply could not not include. It is a classic medium toned brown based nude that pulls a touch pink on me but only a certain enlivening amount of pink, helpful for someone who avoids pinky pinks like the plague. Out of the three bullet formulas, this one has the potential to dry down and create a softer stain throughout the day but is non drying at all and can be easily retouched. This is not much different in tone to my natural lip colour so it’s one of those that I can put only to pull together a look without bringing in much alternation.

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Half ‘N Half

I’m a bit newer to the Amplified formula since I usually think non-matte formula and sheer formulas go hand in hand but not in this case. Half ‘N Half is a version of Velvet Teddy with a sheeny finish but one that looks natural rather than offensive. For me this is only a hair darker than my lips and would pair well with a lighter makeup look. Of course, it’s not as long wearing as the Matte or even the Satin formula but I can reapply without a mirror and that’s always a big bonus in my book. On my lips it also pulls less pink than Velvet Teddy and in fact, almost reminds me of the colour of half n half mixed into your coffee with a slightly more cool toned brown undertone.

L-R: Chanel Rosy Brown, Nars Walkyrie, MAC Mocha, MAC Velvet Teddy, MAC Half ‘N Half

Ranking from most favourite:

Nars Walkyrie wins for ease of application, colour and longevity

MAC Velvet Teddy wins for colour versatility and ease of use

MAC Half ‘N Half wins for hydrating formula and ease of wear

Chanel Rosy Brown wins for unique colour and comfort

MAC Mocha wins for flattering warm toned colour

Now Walkyrie was always going to come in first but the other four were actually quite hard to rank and while I do love them all for different purposes, at heart I do love a matte finish, don’t like liquid lipsticks or warm toned lipsticks so these are a bit special in my collection too. There, now share your favourite browny nude lipsticks with me because if I could only wear those for the rest of my life, I’d be perfectly satisfied.