Trendspotting From the Right Coast: Nancy Lichtenstein Goes Nude– in Lip Color!

Nancy Lichtenstein has this cool little report courtesy of NYFW but it’s not necessarily about the events but a trend she spotted and it’s all over the fashion map– though some designer did break step and do something different. This is a beauty trend and it’s going nude. Bare, au naturel, naked– but not really. It’s the color, it’s not lips sans color or without a gorgeous finish. Here’s Nancy’s piece which I think is spot-on.

Those of us who are tired of the same makeup looks cycling in and out–wines for winter and sugary pinks for spring–are delighted that this season things have been shaken up a little. One of the biggest trends in fall lip color this year originated in the 90’s, but it’s back in a better, more wearable fashion. Back then a nude lip meant pure beige, which looked great on Carolyn Murphy but made girls like me and Stevie with highly pigmented lips look dead. ( Stevie comment: AMEN!! I looked like a cadaver.) The look was pure Worth Avenue (the slightly more conservative East Coast equivalent of Rodeo Drive), but try as I might, I couldn’t pull it off.
Someone in the makeup industry somehow picked up on my silent pleas, and they’re mixing the beige with pink, rose or peach this time to create nude lips you can actually wear. Following are the details of my test drive of the new nude lip in different price categories…you may be surprised by the results!
Pocket Change: The Avon Pro 3-in-1 Lip Wand in Nude Pink ($9.50): this is a clever little product that combines a lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss in one wand (if you don’t share my obsession with the nude lip, it also comes in nine other colors). It’s the perfect nude for fair-skinned women who look better in cool colors. I’ve worn this constantly since I bought it with the same foundation, blush and eye makeup I always wear, and the comments I get are consistently, “I don’t know what you did but you look so pretty!”

Avon Pro 3 in 1 Lip Wand
Payday: Clinique Long Last Soft Shine Lipstick in Blushing Nude ($14.00): Contrary to the name, I don’t see a lot of shine in this lipstick, but it does last fairly well and it’s a wearable nude. This would be killer on medium skin with warm tones, but it works well enough for me that I keep it in my purse to touch up my lips when I wear the Avon (which I’m too attached to for me to take it out of the house, lest I lose it).

Clinique Blushing Nude
Posh: Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lip Tint in Falon ($23.00): Remember when Laura Mercier came out with Baby Lips lipstick and it was the must-have color according to nearly every magazine? $28.00 was a lot to spend on something that I ended up using only when I wanted to pretend I was sick to get out of work early. Kevyn Aucoin’s Expert Lip Tint in Falon is everything I hoped Baby Lips would be…natural, flattering, and just a tiny hint of drama on my very fair face. On someone with darker skin this would be closer to a true nude, and it’s neutral-toned so you can wear it with either warm OR cool makeup. At $23, it isn’t cheap, but it’s also larger than the average-sized lipstick so it will last a while.

Kevin Aucoin Expert Lip Tint– Falon

The Winner: Avon Pro 3-in-1, hands down! The price and the convenience of this product can’t be beat, but it’s the color that sold me. I love this one so much I’ll be wearing it long after the nude lip craze is over.