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Very early, at the beginning of a statewide mask mandate, I realized my go-to lipstick would simply not cut it. I was on a beautiful outdoor dinner date and by the time we said hello, walked to our table, and sat down, I realized my lipstick was all over my mask and my face. Quickly excusing myself to the ladies' room, I learned very quickly that my beloved 'Lady Danger' lipstick was too much of a hassle, prompting me to seek mask-friendly smudge-proof lipstick alternatives.


While most are abandoning makeup altogether these days in favor of a more natural look, traditional lipsticks have been on a steady decline yet subtly stained lips in neutral tones are on the rise. It's no secret that beauty evolves over time aligning with current events which, in 2021, brightly pigmented lipsticks are last on the list of essential beauty needs. With there being no end in sight to protecting ourselves and others by wearing the newly required facial accessories a.k.a masks, natural-looking lips have seen a recent surge in popularity. Although some would suggest a brightly-colored matte lipstick as an option, the winter season already increases dry cracked lips, so a matte lipstick would do anything but help with the much-needed moisture our lips crave in the cold winter months.

Since wearing your favorite pigmented lipsticks underneath a mask can get extremely messy, I've found the neutral lip replacements that won't fail you. With nudes, it's subtle differences that determine specific shades flattering a range of different skin tones. Easy to quickly and discreetly reapply for an effortless and natural lip, scroll to find 9 shades of nude created with inexpensive color options, beauty tips, and product breakdowns from young women online.

From barely-there to soft and subtle, these are the lip colors setting the tone now until the foreseeable future:

Kaela Randolph 

"I used Morphe Creme lipstick in the shade 'Whipped' and then I used Maybelline Lifter Gloss in the shade 'Stone'! It has been my go-to combination lately!"

Hanna 

"The lip liner is Morphe 'Trendsetter'; it's actually not listed as a lip liner, just a regular liner but many use it as such and it works perfectly. The lipgloss is KIKO in the color 02. I also add a little bit of Morphe lip liner in 'Sweetheart'."

The products she used to achieve this look:

Line outside lip contour with Morphe in "Trendsetter"'

Line inside lip contour with Morphe in "Sweetheart"

Finish with KIKO Hydra Gloss in "02: Natural Beige"

Cynthia Perez

"I was using NYX Cosmetics Eye and Eyebrow Pencil in the color 'SPE 902 BROWN' (I was wearing it as a lip liner) and it's no longer available. I applied the brown lip pencil over most of my lips then added the gloss on top until they became one. Then I clean it up with a concealer to perfect it!"

The products she used to achieve this look:

NYX Professional Makeup Slim Eye Pencil in "Brown" (Formerly "SPE 902 BROWN")

Dior Addict Stellar Lip Gloss in "Color 354 Diorsolight"

Shahirah Ahmed

"As for me, I'm loving Astra Beauty lip gloss, a black-owned luxury cosmetic company offering vegan, cruelty-free and clean beauty products energized with crystals to positively impact your mood. Line lips with MAC lip pencil then apply Maybelline Super Stay Matte ink to inner lips. Finally, adding Astra Beauty Natal Nude to complete the look."

The products she used to achieve this look:

Astra Beauty in "Natal Nude"

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in "55 Driver"

MAC Lip Pencil in "Cork"

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Featured image courtesy of Taylor Marie

 

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