'13 of the best nude lip products that I’ve been repurchasing for years.'

If there's one thing I could win an Olympic gold medal in, it's picking out the perfect nude lip colour. 

Nude shades, in my opinion, complete a look and they're so versatile with multiple finishes in pinks, browns or reds. 

As a woman of colour, I am extremely particular with which products I use, because I've been burnt in the past. I've learnt the hard way that just because a lipstick has the word "nude" in its shade name doesn't actually mean it'll look "nude" on you. Sometimes it'll look beige and unlike your lighter-skinned friends, people will ask you if you're feeling ill. 

So when it comes to nude shades, I only trust my tried-and-tested holy grail products and each product has to work bloody hard to appear on this list. 

Here are the 13 shades I won't ever stop re-purchasing. 

Tarte Maracuja Juicy Liquid Lip in the shade honeysuckle, $43.

Image source: Sephora.

This is the newest and the darkest edition in my collection. It has a browny/red finish and holds up super well. It's not drying and if you give it a second after applying, it doesn't transfer. I also rarely need to touch up throughout the day.

Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Rhubarb, $14.95.

Image source: Adore Beauty.

I first started wearing this just because I needed a lip balm. The colour doesn't have much coverage over my duo-toned lips so I never used to count it as a "good" shade. That was until I kept getting complimented on it. I think because I usually expect my lip products to be full coverage so they even out my natural lip tone, I forget that having duo-toned lips isn't a bad thing. Now, this one is permanently in my handbag. 

Holme Beauty Alignment Lip Liner in the shade sara, $37.

Image source: Holme Beauty.

I fell in love with lip liners before lipsticks. When I was younger, brands were never able to nail nude shades in liner form for me because they were always darker than their lipstick equivalent. So, I would only buy liners and use them over my entire lips. Now, beauty brands have gotten much better at realising that the shade "nude" needs to cover a spectrum of skin-tones. 

This one is another new-ish addition. It has a tan finish and I use it as both a "lipstick" or as a liner with gloss. 

Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Lip Ink in the shade peppy, $26.99.

Image source: Adore Beauty.

When I first tried these lip inks, I was immediately obsessed because they were the first liquid lipsticks I had used that weren't matte and yet stayed put the whole date. No transferring and no lipstick on my chin or nose after dinner. The only issue is that the formula expires quite quickly. In a few months, all the shades I own aren't as pigmented as they were initially — they still look great but something to keep in mind. 

Nudestix Intense Matte lip & cheek pencil in the shade sunkissed pink, $46.

Image source: Sephora.

I love a crayon. They perfectly double as a liner and a lipstick. This one is super creamy and nourishing and comes with its own sharpener... which I conveniently lost. Because the pencil is so wide, normal sharpeners don't fit the width well enough so please don't make the same mistake I did.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish lip liner in the shade 90s nude, $6.47.

Image source: Priceline.

I wasn’t immediately sold on this lipliner when I first tried it. I thought it wasn’t pigmented enough but then I started using it as a lipstick instead and was immediately sold. You can’t get it wrong with a lip colour under $10.

Burberry Beauty Kisses lipstick in the shade earthy rosewood, $56.

Image source: Sephora.

I'm aware this is the only traditional lipstick out of all these products and that's because it passes all of my brutal tests to get itself onto this list. It's beautifully pigmented, doesn't budge and provides fully coverage. I do apply quite a bit because I like the colour to be thicker on me.

Revlon Colorstay Limitless matte lipstick in the shade poster child, $14.97.

Image source: Big W.

There was a time where I wore this every day for about a month. I love these lippys so much I've written about them many times. This shade in particular is my favourite. I've worn it to a casual day in the office and I've worn it to a wedding. Slay-worthy for every occasion. 

Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing lip gloss in the shade unreal, $53.

Image source: Mecca.

I have been SLEEPING on these hourglass glosses. I now have three and this pinky, nude is my favourite. If you have lighter skin, this will show more brown on you. These glosses are super pigmented and even out my lip tone — something I find very difficult to find. My one qualm is that they love to move. I have to reapply it throughout the day and avoid wearing if I'm going to be eating.  

Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet liquid lipstick in the shade fashion fiend, $45. 

Image source: Sephora.

I love Fenty Beauty as much as the next person but their liquid lipsticks aren't hyped enough in my opinion. Like the name, they're super velvety and aren't drying at all. They do transfer quite a bit so if you're like me where your lipstick ends up on your chin after a night out, maybe avoid this one or grab a more neutral shade.  

MAC Cosmetics lip pencil in the shade spice, $40. 

Image source: Mecca.

This was the very first edition to my nude collection. I've been buying this shade from the time it was called "nice 'n' spicey" lol. It's the perfect light brown and works as a liner for every other shade mentioned in this article.

Summer Fridays Dream lip oil in the shade soft mauve, $43.

Image source: Mecca.

This little guy is always in my handbag. It works so well on top of every other nude shade I own. It comes most in handy when I'm travelling as I try to battle a big case of dry lip. Word of warning — the bottle is a bit deceiving, there's not much product in this so if you're obsessed like me, you will be repurchasing at a higher rate than the others. 

Bobbi Brown lip pencil in the shade cocoa, $56.

Image source: Bobbi Brown.

Like the MAC liner, this one has been in my collection for years and years and years. It's the perfect brown shade. I also use the cocoa lipstick but I think that the liner is a much better product. It lasts longer and is more pigmented. It also looks great with a nude lipstick that leans on the pinky side. 

If you want more recommendations from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.

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Feature image: Supplied.