Nude Lipstick Trend on Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish
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Red carpets let the stars go all-out with glamour — year after year, celebs dress to the nines with dramatic makeup to match. This awards show season is kicking off with an unexpected beauty trend that’s taking over the Golden Globes’ red carpet: Subtle nude lips.
Rather than bold red lipsticks or punchy pink tones, A-listers are opting for nude lipsticks that impart a healthy-looking hue on the lips. And if a nude lip calls to mind the concealer lip trend of the aughts, think again. The shades that stars like Allison Williams and Selena Gomez are wearing on the Golden Globes’ red carpet are soft but statement-making in their own right. Gomez’s makeup artist Melissa Murdick, for example, opted for Rare Beauty’s Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream in the shade Kindness, a soft pink that reads nude on Gomez’s olive skin.
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The beauty of a nude lip lies in its versatility across skin tones and, according to last night’s red carpet, outfits. Billie Eilish paired a toasted pink shade with a striped button down and oversized blazer. Skai Jackson took a glitzy turn, wearing a caramel tone with her shimmery silver and black gown.
Elsewhere on the carpet, Golden Globe winner Elizabeth Debicki, Camila Morrone, and Kristen Wiig teamed these neutral lip colors with a variety of makeup looks: Debicki went for a fair pink that highlighted her no-makeup makeup look with tawny blush that accented her antique silver dress — a look that won the actress the WWD Style Award for Best Makeup. Morrone wore a shade with mauve undertones to amp up her eye look without overpowering it, while Wiig models how a nude lip can balance out a heavier eyebrow look, delivering drama in effortless fashion.
The lip colors seen on these stars range from affordable drugstore brands to splurge-worthy lipsticks. For example, makeup artist Jenna Kristina wielded two Maybelline lip products to create Allison Williams’ sheer lip, while makeup artist Molly R. Stern used a Pat McGrath Labs lip combination on Greta Gerwig. The finish of these lipsticks also varies, from the matte finishes worn by Gomez and Jackson to the sheen seen on stars like Emily Blunt, Eilish, and Issa Rae, who wore Charlotte Tilbury’s Kissing Lipstick in the shade Yes Honey.
In the mood to go nude? According to these Golden Globes makeup looks, all you need is a bold brow to match. While these neutral lipsticks nod to Y2K beauty trends, the brows we’re seeing are far from the sparse arches of that era. No matter your skin tone or hair color, these nominees and winners have shown that defined brows balance out the simplicity of a nude lip, putting the focus on the eyes.
Ahead, six nude lipsticks to swipe on and take this wearable red carpet beauty trend for a spin.
Maybelline Color Sensational Shine Compulsion Lipstick in Baddest Beige
$9.22
Buy Now at AmazonFor Allison Williams’ soft-but-stunning nude lip, makeup artist Jenna Kristina started with this affordable lipstick from Maybelline in the shade Baddest Beige. For added shine on top, Kristina layered on a coat of Maybelline’s Lifter Gloss in Ice.
Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Nude Kate
$35
Buy Now at Sephora$35
Buy Now at nordstromFair tones risk looking washed out without the right nude lipstick. Charlotte Tilbury’s formula in Nude Kate has soft peach undertones that work across cool to warm complexions for a you-but-better result. Makeup artist Joanna Simkin used this formula on Issa Rae in the shade Yes Honey, a pretty nude that’s stunning on deeper skin tones.
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Cream Lipstick in Kindness
Buy Now at sephoraGomez’s shade of choice for this year’s Golden Globes was her brand’s matte lipstick in Kindness, a pink nude lipstick that’s best for medium and olive skin tones. The formula feels weightless upon application and doesn’t dry out the lips, courtesy of nourishing ingredients like vitamin E.
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Best Rare Beauty Products
Glossier Generation G Lipstick in Malt
$18
Buy Now at SephoraFor deep skin tones, few lipsticks are better than Glossier’s Generation G in Malt. The pretty cinnamon shade is buildable, so you can swipe on one layer for soft definition or build it up for a bolder look. Our editors rate this sheer, comfortable formula as one of the best lipsticks on the market, too.
Chanel 31 Le Rouge Lipstick in Rouge Beige
$195
Buy Now at chanelMakeup artist Jenn Streicher used Chanel 31 Rouge Lipstick in Rouge Beige for Emily Blunt’s monochromatic Golden Globes glam. This nude lipstick has a satin finish that glistens, and it’s refillable.
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News. She has over six years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty, regularly testing lip products, and has covered red carpet beauty trends for two years.