The Best Nude Shades + Reviews

Hi!
It's been a long, long, looongg time since I last posted on this blog. I can't believe it's been more than 2 years! Haha. Life (aka law school) got in the way, I suppose. I almost forgot I even had a makeup blog! Oh well. 
In any case, I have started feeling the urge to blog again now that I have a lot more free time on my hands. So, let me quit dithering about and let's just get down to it, shall we? ;) 
I have to say that I'm not really a nude-lipstick kind of gal. I prefer bold colors - bubblegum pinks, bright reds, deep berries and purples - these are the kinds of shades that I like wearing. If I'm going to wear lipstick (and I often do), I want to make sure that my lips stand out, no! Haha.
However, I have recently come to find that mellow, nude-y lips are quite nice to sport too. Sometimes. ;) Also, I have found that a pretty good number of nudey shades have wriggled their way into my colorful lippy collection. 
In case you are a nude lippy loving gal, here are some of the best shades that I have found for my NC35 skin and slightly pigmented lips:

Here are some arm swatches:

 Here are the same swatches in dimmer light 

1. Mauvey, Ever Bilena 

Mauvey has been a Filipina cult favorite for a long time, and for good reason. This ultra-nude matte lipstick is made by Ever Bilena, a very affordable brand that can be found even in supermarkets in the Philippines. 

Mauvey is a cool-toned nude shade that is great to pair with smokey or dramatic eye make up. Because it is quite cool-toned, I find that wearing it with "regular" make up looks tends to make me look a bit zombie-ish so I don't really use this shade on an everyday basis.

Pigmentation: 3.5/5    

It's not the most pigmented lipstick and it takes a couple of swipes for true color payoff.

Moisture:  3/5      

It's not the most hydrating lipstick, but it's not too matte to be unwearable, It is pretty comfortable to wear too. 

Longevity: 3/5

The wear time on this is around 3 hours without eating, which is average. I have to note, however, that this lipstick does not lend itself well to reapplication since adding layers can make it a bit cakey-looking.

Packaging: 2/5

The packaging of this lipstick is not too exemplary, but that's to be expected given that it's uber affordable. The tube is plastic and very light, and the colored cap which contains a bit of the lipstick constantly pops out.

Price: 5/5

This lipstick retails for less than Php 200. Definitely a great price for a cheapskate like me. ;)

2. 200 Nude Shell, Maybelline
This is one of the first nude lipsticks that I have ever tried which actually looked good on me and which didn't make me look like a zombie. It's a soft, warm peachy beige color which is light enough to give me that nude-lipstick look, but dark enough to not make me look like all my blood disappeared. 

Unfortunately, this lipstick has been discontinued. :( I'm not sure if you can still find this floating around in online shops or eBay, though. If you can still find it, though, you should definitely go ahead and buy it. 
Pigmentation: 4/5 It's not the most pigmented lipstick per se, but it is pigmented enough that it gives good color. It is just opaque enough to sort of blend with your natural lip color (which makes it such a good nude)

Moisture: 4.5/5

It is definitely a very moisturizing lipstick and it is comfortable to wear and reapply the whole day. It feels like a lip balm almost and it is very similar to Revlon Lip Butters in that aspect.

Longevity: 4/5

This lipstick lasts a surprisingly long time even if it is moisturizing. It reapplies well, too since it wears evenly on the lips throughout the day.

Packaging: 4/5

The packaging on this lipstick is not the most girly, but it is quite sleek. I also like that it seems quite sturdy and I don't have to worry that it will break when I throw it in my bag.

Price: 5/5

I think I got this lipstick on eBay and I'm pretty sure I got it for not more than Php 200 so it was a great deal ;)

3. 24 Pure, Silkygirl

I recently discovered a Silkygirl booth at my local mall (Sta, Lucia East Grand Mall), and when I saw that makeup products were on display, I couldn't help myself. ;) I picked up this shade and another pink one (review soon!) and I think I may have found a great new lipstick line! 

The bonus? It looks pretty indistinguishable from the discontinued Maybelline Nude Shell that I just mentioned in #2. Amazingly, it even feels just as moisturizing! Therefore, I think I have found a pretty spot-on dupe for that Maybelline Nude Shell that I love. :)

Pigmentation: 4.5/5

This lipstick is quite pigmented even with just one swipe! I took off a 0.5, however, since it sometimes can look a teenie tiny streaky when you put on too much.

Moisture: 5/5

This lipstick is definitely moisturizing. It feels pretty much like a lipbalm and it doesn't settle unattractively on the lips.

Longevity: -

I haven't really worn this out a lot so I can't speak for its staying power yet. 

Packaging: 2/5

The one downside of this lipstick is that it has pretty flimsy, light packaging. I don't really care for the silver color of the tube as well.

Price: 5/5

This great lipstick is only Php149. A definite steal! ;)

So, what do you guys think? What are your favorite nude lipsticks? ;)

Watch out for Part 2 where I review some of the best MLBB (my lips but better) lippies I have :)