Favorite nude lipsticks

Hello lovely strangers. I know, I've been away again for quite a while, but in my defence it was quite a busy couple of months. I'll talk more about this in a life update soon but basically adulting isn't going as smoothly as one might think haha. It's been so long since I've written a beauty-related blogpost and I wanted to change that. Since my obsession lately are nude lips, I thought I'd share with you my current favourite nude lipsticks! You up for this? Let's get into it. 

Nude lips are everywhere lately and a great everyday look all year around. Past couple of years I spent my time looking at dark and vampy shades for autumn and winter, but this year I'm reaching for the nudes and a more natural look. For this post I've selected five shades from different brands and different price ranges. To some of you they might all look the same, but I swear they don't. In this post I've included some swatches both on and off the lips so you guys can see the difference a bit better. There will also be some pro's and con's concerning the consistency and formula of these products and if they're worth their money. Anyway let's get on to the actual post, shall we? 

1. Sleek Matte Me in Birthday Suit 

I remember being extremely excited when it was announced that Sleek was coming to the drugstore in Belgium. Even though their range is quite small, it seems to have all the basics everyone raves about. I was eying this one for a while but it had sold out in most stores I visit on a regular basis. I had also planned to buy this one as a birthday present for a friend since she was eying it as well. Eventually I found it by coincidence and bought one for myself as well. It has been well loved ever since.

This one is the most pinky-toned color of all my choices. Since I have quite warm-toned hair, it's quite hard to find a good pink shade to match my skin and hair. Bright barbie pink colours don't suit me at all, but this one is a muted pink which makes it wearable for me. It looks great with muted cool toned colours clothing-wise and also a grey smokey eye. Formula-wise it's a bit drying like most matte liquid lipsticks, but it is certainly not uncomfortable to wear. The biggest pro for me was it's lasting power. I tested it on my hand a while before buying it and it simply did not move. I've found that it also survives a couple of sips and bites during dinner which makes it great for a night out! 

This shade can be found in Di (Belgium) or on the sleek website for €7,49. 

2. Catrice in 02 Maroon 

Ah, this one has been loved so much I should actually go out and buy a new one to survive winter. It's very similar to birthday suit but is a bit more warm. The pink tone however is still undeniably there. However because of it's warmer color, it's way easier to pair this one with my every day makeup which is usually a light brown smokey eye. I've found that it also goes with every piece of clothing I own. It simply is a "my lips but better" color, great for every day wear and a natural look. 

Formula wise this one is so comfortable to wear, it's very light weight and hardly noticeable after a while. It's staying power however is not going to survive sips and bites like the sleek one will. On the other hand, it isn't drying like the sleek one is which is a pro. I'm a very fussy girl when it comes to lipsticks. As you might've noticed I have quite voluminous lips, which makes it very hard to hide the dry patches with liquid lipsticks. This one is by far my most reached for lipstick of the past year, which says a lot. Not convinced yet? Let me tell you this, it's the cheapest of the bunch! 

Maroon is available in Kruidvat for only €3,99 

3. Rimmel Lasting Finish in Boho Nude

 This one is the most recent add to my collection. Initially I was drawn to the packaging which is stunning let's be honest. I've always been a fan of Rimmel lipsticks ever since my beloved 107 came out. This one marks the end of the pinky tones since it has a more warm feel to it almost taking a dip into the classic autumnal shades of orange and brown. However this shade stays very nude, another my lips but better color if you ask me. 

In terms of lasting power it doesn't perform as well as my 107 does. I think that might be because this isn't a matte finish and matte finishes generally last longer on the lips, at least on me they do. The consistency is nice, it isn't as lightweight as the catrice one but still is comfortable to wear anyway. When it comes to price I have to be honest, it is a bit on the pricier side considering it is comparable to the catrice one. 

This lipstick is also available in Kruidvat for approximately €10,99. 

4. Mac lipstick in Persistence

Yes, the priciest of the bunch. This gorgeous shade had been on my wish list for quite a while when I finally decided to take the plunge. You read it right, this is my first and only MAC lipstick up until now. It has a matte finish and to me it's the most autumnal one of my five favourites. Where Boho Nude only dipped into the brown and orang-y tones, this one dives right in with a rich warm brown color that somehow manages to still have a natural outcome. It's too bad this color doesn't pick up on camera very well, it seems quite red but it definitely isn't. I suggest if you're ever in a MAC store and you're not familiar with this shade already, make sure to check it out. 

I love this color to bits, but as far as use goes it is quite hard to work with. Without any lipliner I am not able to get this completely right the first time, too bad because color wise this is my number one favourite. The formula however is very longlasting and yes it does survive a drink, I've noticed. The matte finish takes a while to come through as you'll notice in the pictures below, it doesn't show up matte because I couldn't wait long enough. Nonetheless it is a gorgeous colour and very comfortable on the lips. For a matte one, it isn't really drying at all. Major plus points for MAC! 

These are available at any MAC store or online for €19,50 if I'm not mistaken. 

5. NYX soft matte lip cream in London 

Last but not least, how could I not include a NYX soft matte lipcream, right? Since NYX opened it's doors in Ghent I couldn't wait to get my eyes on this color! It is truly gorgeous and probably the nudest one of these five since it's fairly light. Personally I would describe it as a warm beige to cinnamon toned color. Very nice when you have a heavier eye look preferably with brown tones in them and loads of mascara. Using this will make your eyes pop even more, believe me. 

These lip creams are known for being very good for quite a low price and I agree. In comparison to birthday suit this one is much more comfortable and less drying. It's a very light weight consistency which sits on the lips like it was made for them (which actually is the case, lol). Also in terms of use it is much more easier to put on than the sleek one, the applicator is thicker but gives you more control over your movements. The sleek one had a very fine tip, which makes it a harder job to do things just right. The scent, which is kind of vanilla-ish, is also heavenly since I am not a fan of chemical scents on my lips. The only con I can think of is that it's lasting power is a bit less strong in comparison to the sleek one, but it isn't horrible or anything. 

NYX London is available in all NYX stores and online for about €7 I think. 

Now, without further ado the swatches. Warning though, I'm rubbish at taking pictures of my lips... 

From L to R: Birthday Suit, Maroon, Boho Nude

Left: Persistence Right: London

Lipsticks in the same order as mentioned!

Aaand we are finally at the end of this post! I hope you enjoyed this quite long but also picture heavy blogpost. I know I enjoyed creating it because it had been a while since I'd done a beauty related post. Make sure to share, comment, follow me and all that jazz. I will see you very very soon! 

<3