Everyone’s makeup style is different. Some of us can’t walk out the door without a full beat. Others are happy with a dab of concealer and handy lip balm. Maybe you’re a mix of both extremes. Regardless of where your skills and preference fall on the beauty spectrum, a nude lipstick is one product that checks all the boxes.
Besides the fact that you can dress it up or down, what makes a color “nude” is really up to the person wearing it. The general rule of thumb is that it should be a shade lighter or darker than your skin color, but some of us rather match it to our undertones.
Case in point: brown lippies aren’t the only viable option for Black girls. That’s why our current obsession is Mented Cosmetics, a Black-owned brand that makes neutral-toned lipsticks and nail polish for women of color. Harvard Business School graduates KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson started the inclusive brand in their kitchen and now, even makeup artists are requesting samples for their kit.
National Lipstick Day is tomorrow (7/29), so we went beyond the hype to test these formulas ourselves. Keep scrolling to see ESSENCE staffers rocking a slew of Mented shades and if you like what you see, shop the entire lineup. (Pro-tip: You can also see what each shade looks like on a spectrum of skin tones here.)
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Entertainment Editor Danielle Kwateng-Clark is wearing the sun-kissed shade “Brown Bare.”
Video Coordinator Kayla Rodriguez is posin’ pretty in the subtle “Peach Please.”
Love & Lifestyle Assistant Editor Lauren Porter is also wearing the deeper-toned shade “Brown Bare.”
Digital Assistant Photo Editor Cristina Coppin is wearing the tan shade “Brand Nude.”
Head of ESSENCE Video Keisha Lamothe looks beautiful in “Nude La La.”
Digital Content Producer Priscilla Ward is slaying in “Brand Nude.”
Associate Video Producer Marissa Lewis is rocking the the brown and pink blend, otherwise known as “Nude La La.”
Digital Content Producer Whitney Gaspard looks gorgeous in the brownish-red shade “Foxy Brown.”
