The top ten affordable nude lipstick picks for morenas

I love my morena skin but - just between the two of us - sometimes I wish I were a little bit fairer.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that the pressure of living in a whitening-obsessed country has gotten to me,  it's just that I wish I can get away with more nude lipsticks. I really like how they look but I've been burned before with shades that looked great on other people but not so much on me. Nudes are often too light on my skin, and make me look sickly pale when I put them on.

I’ve since learned that the trick is to pick shades that have a warm brown undertone mixed in with warm peaches and pinks. It's about matching the color of your lips so that you get a hint of color without looking pale and ashy. Here are a few that we've found to be quite flattering on NC35-40 skin!

Celeteque Matte Lipstick in Nude (P499 at department stores and Watsons)

Celeteque, despite the French-sounding name, is actually a proudly Filipino brand. They've recently come out with a cosmetics line and even added new shades to their Matte Lipstick collection! We love how Nude is a warm brown-based peach that adds just a touch of brightness to morena skin.

Maybelline Creamy Matte in Clay Crush (P299 at the beauty section)

Who says great lipsticks can’t be affordable and found at the drugstore? Clay Crush, a warm peach brown lippie, has actually built a reputation for being Maybelline’s best-selling nude lipstick. It has a demi-matte finish that looks great for everyday use. It’s almost always sold out at counters though, so make sure to pick one up if you spot it!

L’Oreal Matte Parisian Browns Lipstick in Chocolat Rogue (P400 at the beauty section)

L’Oreal recently released an entire line of brown lippies and you’re bound to find your nude lip match in the collection. Chocolat Rogue is our favorite though as it has a warm chocolatey hue to it. The formula is not ultra matte, but I don’t mind as it suits my dry lips better.

Sleek Matte Me in Birthday Suit (P450 at SM Beauty)

Matte addicts, pay attention! This liquid lippie is a true matte with amazing pigmentation. It’s a bit drying but we advise applying lip balm as a primer first. As for the shade, it's this beautiful mauve nude color that looks so feminine. We recommend this for medium-toned morenas as it may look a bit too light for the deeply tanned. Girls of all skin tones hoard this though so it’s often out of stock; keep an eye out and see if you get lucky!

Revlon Ultra HD Matte LipColor in Seduction (P575 at the beauty section)

While we were initially drawn to the pretty packaging, these are also excellent creamy lipsticks. Seduction isn’t exactly a brown; it has a warm beige tone with a hint of pink. It's more of a velvet matte than a true matte, but we like that it doesn’t dry the lips or get hard and flaky.

Everyday Love Nude Lips in 04 (P199 at Everyday Love on Instagram)

This is another lovely peachy nude with a brown base. This dries into a long-wearing layer - seriously, it's hard to get off once it sets - but make sure to prime your lips with balm first as it can be drying. Check out the other nude shades from Everyday Love, they're quite lovely!

Pink Sugar Lip and Cheek Tint in Honey Bunny (P345 at select SM Beauty Stores and Watsons)

If you want a matte formulation that isn't too drying, the Pink Sugar Lip and Cheek Tint Honey Bunny is made for you. It's a great pinky camel shade, and is possibly the nude-est out of all the options here! It would look perfect with extravagant eye makeup. The staying power and resistance to transfer are amazing for such an affordable lippie.

Pink Sugar HD Lipstick in Butter (P299 at select SM Beauty Stores and Watsons)

This is a new shade in Pink Sugar's extensive lipstick collection. The buttery brown color applies smoothly and has a satin finish. 

Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Lip Liner in Skinny Dipping, (P499 at Happy Skin Cosmetics)

We instantly fell in love when we first saw the swatches of Heart's collection. We especially liked Skinny Dipping as it's such a fresh nude! It gives our lips a pretty but subtle hint of color, and the formula itself is incredibly pigmented and long-wearing. It’s not as cheap as drugstore lip liners but considering how little we put on with each use (and how infrequently we need to apply), it actually offers great value.

Burt’s Bees Lipstick in Blush Basin (P799 at Beauty Bar) 

The brand is well-loved for its fantastic balms so expect their first ever lipsticks to perform just as well! Blush Basin is a pinky nude shade that looks perfectly my-lips-but-better on me, and it feels super moisturizing on my lips, too. It's the perf combination of balm and lipstick.

Are you a proud morena? Which of these lippies are you eyeing? We also want to know what your go-to nude lippies are!