This is what convinced me to become a nude lip convert

This writer 'couldn't wear' a nude lip colour because of her thin smackers, but this product converted her.

When you don't have Kylie Jenner style lips you can't wear nude lipstick, right? Wrong, with intentional bolding and italics. Lips come in all shapes and sizes, but these days, there are more plumped pouts than ever before given the popularity of lip fillers. I've seen too many bad lip jobs to ever want one myself, but even if I was oblivious to the disasters, I'm perfectly ok with my thin-ish lips. Except when I smile in photos and they're nowhere to be found.

How to plump your pout with matte or plump lip product. 

Even before the encouragement of the Kardashians, juicy lips were popular. They're a typical, even classic, signal of beauty, as small dainty noses are and big almond shaped eyes. As we all know, these beauty standards are complete bullshit and everyone is darn hawt in their own way. Now, if you want to change your appearance, if it will make you feel good, I'm all for it. I do it every day by putting on makeup. I dye my hair. But, still, when I smile in photos those smackers are near invisible and it's bothersome.

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The nude lip; thin lips' foe?

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That's why I was not a fan of the nude lip. I'm very pale, so a nude lip would typically make my lips disappear into my face. I said I accepted my lips, I don't need to blow them up, but I don't want them to vanish either. Thanks to working in Beaut Towers, I've had the chance to try a tonne of nude lipsticks. I've tried them in all shades of nude. And there's always been something off about them.

But it turns out I just hadn't found the right formula for me. Or, as it turns out, the right shade. Last year, we received a delivery of new Buxom lipglosses called VaVaPlump. The texture is really moisturising and hydrating but it leaves more of a matte finish than a gloss. Because of the hydration, though, the matte-ness doesn't flatten the lips in the way more drying textures can and it also contains that tingling lip-plumping thing because the lippy is from Buxom and that's their job.

My shade is 'Feel The Passion' which, according to the brand is a warm rose hue, but hey, that can be nude on a certain skin type (mine). Nobody gave me a medal for finding my nude shade, but I deserved it. And now I'm sharing my new-found wisdom.

How to choose the perfect nude shade

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Don't think about the notion of 'nude' too literally. Lips that are the same colour as the face they're on may look cool on magazine covers, but it doesn't translate well in real life. No matter what, lipstick exists to enhance your lips; they shouldn't be hiding. So, paler skin types should look for a nude with a pink undertone.  If you have sallow skin, look for warm, caramel undertones (but if your skintone is cool, again, look for pinks).  Bronze-y tones look great on caramel skin tones and dark skin tones suit a one shade lighter than their actual lips.

As for texture, a hint of gloss always makes your lips look that bit healthier, but a buttery texture could be the best.

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