Best Nude Lip Liners

Best Nude Lip Liners

No matter the season or the occasion, you can reach for a nude lip liner to pair with pinky, peachy, or nude lipsticks, or a simple gloss. Like almost every other makeup-lover out there, a nude lip liner is in our top 10 list of beauty must-haves. Here are some favorites!

XO Beauty in Marie

This, my friends, is my favorite nude liner ever. XO Beauty Lip Pencil in Marie ($13.06) is the perfect mix of brown and pink, with enough depth to create a shadowy effect on my pale skin. It would be ideal for anyone with a pale, fair, medium, or tan skin tone.

I like how the formula is creamy, yet hard enough to stay put. It won’t slip and slide all over the lips but feels comfortable all the same. What’s more, it’s a classic wood pencil style, so you can sharpen it for that pin-sharp point.

L.A Girl in Nonstop Nude

My runner-up is the L.A Girl Ultimate Intense Stay Auto Lipliner in Nonstop Nude ($7). This is a super flattering shade, with enough depth and red-toned pigment to keep it from veering too beige. The formula is incredibly smooth and creamy. I often draw it over the entire lip, smudge it in with my finger, and top with a clear, pink, or nude gloss.

Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Contour

This is a fan-favorite of several high-profile beauty gurus (Kathleen, we see you!)…and for good reason. The Pat McGrath Labs Ultra Lip Pencil in Contour ($33.00). Yes, it’s pretty pricey, but it’s Pat McGrath! This is the ideal beigy-brown liner for light to medium skin tones to create a pouty, full lip. It has been formulated to not only add depth of color but to contour and improve the shape of the lip. The waterproof, long-wearing formula is ideal for busy people who need their liner to stay put.

NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Peek-a-Boo Neutral

Now for something classic, affordable, and oh-so reliable. The NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Peek-a-Boo Neutral ($4) is a pinky-brown tone which adds depth to light skin tones, and natural coverage to medium-to-deep skin tones. If this tone is too pale for you, check

out Toast, a neutral brown with 90’s grey-tone vibes to add a shadow to the lower lip. For a cool-toned, pale nude for very fair skin, Pale Pink is a pretty choice.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Love Trap and Hollywood Honey

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheats ($22) have luxe gold packaging and a stay-put formula. I love Charlotte’s shade range but especially Love Trap and Hollywood Honey. Love Trap is a brown shade, with a warm, peachy tone. It would be perfect as a 90’s-style, deeper- tone nude liner for pale skin tones, and a true match nude for deeper tones. Hollywood Honey is a deep, rich, warm-toned brown that would be stunning for dark and deep skin tones.

Essence Soft Contouring Lip Liner in Peachy Keen and Heart of Stone

Aaahhh, Essence, the super-affordable brand with surprisingly excellent quality. My top two favorites from the Essence Soft Contouring Lip Liner range ($2.49) are Heart of Stone and Peachy Keen. Peachy Keen is a is a very pale tone for creating a 60’s-style pale nude. Heart of Stone is a cool-toned, shadowy shade great for plumping the lower lip.