Makeup that lasts through a Mumbai monsoon
Thin layers, a powder in the right places and a kajal that sets. Our team’s routine.
Finding a nude lipstick for Indian skin
Nude means your nude. How to look past the beige and find a shade one step deeper than your lips.
Many “nude” lipsticks are made for fair skin, and on Indian skin they turn out pale and chalky. The trick is to forget the word nude and look at your own lips.
First, find your undertone. Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. If they look greenish, you probably have a warm undertone, and caramel and terracotta nudes will suit you. If they look bluish or purple, your undertone is cool, and rosy browns and mauves work better. If you cannot tell, you are probably neutral and can wear both.
Next, match the depth. A good nude is usually one shade deeper than your natural lip colour, not lighter. On medium skin, look for milk-chocolate browns. On deep skin, look for cocoa and coffee shades.
If a nude still looks flat, line your lips with a slightly deeper pencil and blend inward, or add a touch of gloss in the centre.
When buying online, ignore swatches on hands with a different skin tone from yours. Our swatches are shown on 12 skin tones for this reason. Find the one closest to yours and trust that.
