I Tried 100s of Nude Glosses to Find the Very Best 14 for Dark Skin
From iconic blowouts to shimmery shadows, we can thank the '90s and '00s for many beauty tips and trends, but for me its most significant contribution has no doubt come in the form of glossy lips.
Tubes, wands and sticks of lip gloss may have been placed on the beauty back burner in favour of matte finishes in the 2010s, but now with the rebirth of Y2K beauty gloss has had a resurgence. With tags like #lipgloss boasting over 10 billion views on TikTok thanks to viral products like the Too Faced Lip Injection lip plumper and of course, RiRi's Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb, lip glosses have fast become a makeup-bag essential for every beauty lover.
Despite this surge in popularity and demand for the product, when excitedly scouring makeup counters and shelves I often find that one option still evades me: a perfectly nude gloss for darker skin tones. Thankfully, brands are now evolving (albeit slower than one would like) and are creating formulas made with dark skin tones in mind that aren't too pink or too cool.
Found yourself stacked up against limited options like me? No need to fear. Try opting for deep browns and caramel-like neutrals—which are the real nudes for darker skin tones—and gloss away. Looking for a more hydrating option that doesn't smear your lip liner out of place? Then try opting for a gloss with a metal applicator. Glossy nudes are and should be for all.
Scroll on for the 13 nude lip glosses that I think are the very best for dark skin.
1. Makeup by Mario Pro Volume Lip Gloss in Mauve Nude
The Makeup-Bag Essential
2. Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Oil in Garasonne
The Kissable Gloss
3. Hourglass Nº 28 Lip Treatment Oil in Neutral Rose
The Luxe Lip Gloss
4. Pat McGrath Labs Lust Gloss in Aliengelic
The Glass Gloss
5. Givenchy Rose Perfecto Liquid Lip Balm in No.11
The Dimensional Nude
6. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer in Hot Chocolit Heat
The Lip Plumper
7. Laura Mercier Lip Glacè in 15 Vanille
The Lip Glazer
8. No7 High Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Latte
The Train-Station Saviour
9. Emolyne Gloss Lip in Kampala
The Muted Nude
10. Lanolips Glossybalms in Candy
The Glossy Salve
11. HydroPeptide Perfecting Gloss Lip Treatment in Palm Springs
The Nourishing Nude
12. Collection Gloss Me Up Juicy Infusion Lip Gloss in Strawberry
The Hair-Shop-Gloss Dupe
13. ST Essentials Lip Bae in Mexican Flames
The OG Gloss
14.SAIE GLOSSYBOUNCE HYDRATING LIP OIL
The 'Latte' Nude
Next Up: These 9 Makeup Looks Are Going Viral—Here's How to Re-Create Them at Home
Opening Image: @aysha.sow
Ata-Owaji Victor is a lifestyle and beauty writer and editor whose work has appeared in Refinery29, Elle UK and British Vogue. She has a keen eye for all things Afro haircare (which she frequently samples on her 4C coils), beauty tech and innovation. As someone with combination skin, she's always on the lookout for Wholesale Replica Bag dewy skin heroes.