9.03.2012

The Neutral Lip



You all know how much I love le no makeup look. I have an entire chapter devoted to it in my book, Lessons from Madame Chic. The key element of le no makeup look is to look naturally beautiful in an effortless way.

My book describes three versions of le no makeup look, one of them being defined eye. If you are going to define your eyes with shadow or eyeliner (or both!) it is recommended that you wear a neutral lip, to keep your look as natural as possible (not flashy).

And while I love the neutral lip, I will admit that I have always had a bit of a hard time finding just the right shade for me. Andrea Pomerantz Lustig's book, How to Look Expensive: A Beauty Editor's Secrets to Getting Gorgeous without Breaking the Bank , recommends NARS Dolce Vita lipstick (a sheer, dusty rose), which I have tried and loved. I also found the NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Hopi (a honey beige color) to be a flattering neutral as well.

If you are unable to see my embedded video, that shows these two lipsticks and discusses a new beauty rule about lip liner, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur .

This week I would love to know... what's your favorite neutral lipstick?

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16 comments:

Rosemary said...

Very pretty. I think coral colors make a good nuetral - at least for my skin type.

Rosemary

Merveilleux said...

The Dolce Vita looks nice! I don't think I've found a good one in higher end brands but I do like Maybelline's Born With It. It matches my lips perfectly.

Phyllis said...

I really love Chanel's Nude lip pencil and their lip color "Giggle."

dianespainting said...

I have Dolce Vita and agree, it is very soft and natural, but with a little punch.
I wear Bobbi Brown's lipsticks a lot, and the one that suits me best is Sandwash Pink. Neutral, but not washed out.

Claire said...

Hi Jennifer,
My to go natural lip is Boot's No. 7 Nude lip pencil. For lipstick, I refer to my trusty Giorgio Armani Rouge D'Armani shade 105. I like Armani's lipstick formula the best.

Claire

Unknown said...

I Think we often make the mistake of assuming "neutral" translates to "beige", when in fact so many skin tones really can't wear any version of beige well; as you said, we end up washed out. I tend to look for a color that is the same hue, or maybe one shade darker, than my actual naked lip color. That way I get a little extra color, definition, and shine, but not in a way that draws undue attention to my mouth. Right now I'm addicted to Clinque's Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry, which is very sheer, has great texture, and stick-free shine - its my version of neutral.

Aspireinspireblog.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

I find it hard to do the neutral look; I have a similar colouring to you, but with dark circles under my eyes. I tend to go for a classic red lipstick and not too much eye makeup. I use MAC 'Spice' lip pencil and MAC 'Viva Glam Vi' lipstick. I will definitely try the NARS colours you suggest. Can you suggest a good concealer for under eyes?
(I 'googled' Amanda Uprichard after admiring your green dress. I am now the proud owner of the Bailey Stripe silk top! Thanks!)
I love your halter top/dress - who is it by?
Meg in Australia

The Daily Connoisseur said...

Thanks everyone for weighing in. I love to hear your favorite shades. Will add them to my list!

Meg in Australia- my dress is by Tory Burch.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Jennifer x

Pauline said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pauline said...

Hi Jennifer!

I also tried years ago some very bright and nude lip colors, so that my lips look very similar to my skin tone... which was a not very flattering look ;)

Nowadays I'm always searching for lip colors, which match the tone of my lips, maybe a bit darker and never with some frost, shimmer or glossy shine.

I found now Clinique Pink Chocolate lipstick, which flatters my lips and my skin tone and it's matte - perfect for me.

But normally I like the natural color of my lips, so I rarely use a lipstick.

Pauline

Monique said...

This summer I have loved Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Fig (the skinny tube). Easy to find and affordable, plus I love that it's all natural. My lips are somewhat pale for my skin tone so I definitely need a bit of color. And this does just that, plus moisturizes and has a bit of peppermint essential oil which I find energizing. A great product for 'le no makeup' look.

CashmereLibrarian said...

I personally don't like Dolce Vita on its own, but with a coat of NARS Turkish Delight gloss over top, I think it's really pretty.

Robin said...

I want to see the rest of the shirt/dress you're wearing, it's gorgeous and looks lovely on you!

Robin said...

And my favorite neutral is 'Hug it Out' by Benefit

Robin said...

And an FYI - if the gloss is spelled Hopi then it's pronounced with a long O like in Hope. The Hopi are an Indian tribe in the Southwest. :)

The Daily Connoisseur said...

Thanks again everyone for weighing in!

Robin- re: the pronunciation of Hopi, you are quite right. Another viewer brought this to my attention too. I studied the Hopi tribe in my Native American course in college so I now about them but for some reason did not associate them with this lipstick