MANILA, Philippines - “Everyone can wear nude lipstick,” Shiseido chief makeup artist Lee Roberto states emphatically. “Everyone!”
Nudes have been on everyone’s radar for quite a while, reaching their zenith when everyone on Gossip Girl (our barometer for all things cool and worth following) was wearing the pale hue (except maybe for Jenny Humphrey). But that doesn’t mean the popular shade is destined for a short shelf life thanks to the quick passing of ephemeral flavors of the month — unlike, say, a fluorescent Topshop tee with some tongue-in-cheek statement emblazoned on the front that’s destined for the bargain bin within a month of purchase.
Perhaps the enduring benefit of the trend is that nude lipstick is universally flattering. “Nude makeup is fooling other people into thinking, ‘Wow, she’s gorgeous. She must wake up looking like this every morning,’” says Lee.
Unlike mascara or a pair of good hosiery, selecting the right nude lip color is tricky. Much like choosing the right red lipstick for your skin tone (go in one direction and you'll look like a down-on-your-luck ho, attempt another and you'll look like you signed up to headline a mariachi band), you need to find which palette fits you — whether you’re pale ivory or toasted terracotta. I, myself, happen to straddle sesame and Royal True Orange — it often depends on what fake tanner I can get my sallow mitts on.
“People have melanin in varying degrees, so of course what may be nude for one may be mega brown for the next diva,” Lee explains. The best way to figure out what suits you is by trial and error.
“Try it on,” she suggests. “Lips are naturally darker because of the concentration of melanin pigments, so go for a shade that appears a tad darker when worn — or else you’ll end up looking like you have no lips. While you’re at it, line your lips with a shade closest to the lipstick. This is one case of foregoing the match-the-natural-color-of the-lips rule. It creates definition and will still look nude.”
Now that I know how to choose the perfect shade, I asked Lee about the of-the-moment nude, whether it’s more milk chocolate or ballet pink in hue. ”The latest trend is more in the texture rather than the tones,” she says. “Cosmetic giants have perfected the color. The race is on for the better wearablity, spreadability, etc.”
Okay, now that I know what to look forward to, I can’t resist asking Lee what her no-fail nude lipstick is. “Oooh... Shiseido’s BE310 from Perfect Rouge. Love the color, love the texture and it stays put, even after downing my grande green tea soy latte. “