Lipstick Bandits: Universally Nude

Just to make things clear, this is not a post in which Lipstick Bandits undress together to pose for a charity calendar or something: it is about a universally nude lipstick, of course!

We'd been racking our brains for the longest time on this one - how do we find a lipstick that is beautifully wearable across our very different skintones and also readily available around the world? There have been many suggestions, but finally Tracy came up with our perfect lippie, which is nude to boot!


Ladies and gents, I present you MAC Viva Glam V. I'm not entirely sure what it is about this lipstick, but I walked past Viva Glam V every time I visited the counter, even though it's one of the most popular shades and I support MAC's AIDS cause with all my heart. So when I came home with this after our final decision, I wasn't too impressed to be honest. I mean, just look - it's... brown. With sparkles.


And then, it just looks so right on! As you can see in the lip swatches below, MAC Viva Glam V definitely leans more pink on my pinky lips; worn sheer as in the top swatch, it lets a lot of my natural lip color show through, worn opaque it covers all my lip imperfections, and worn with a nude pink gloss on top (Stila Guava) it shimmers with gold and glides over the lip. I've been wearing this bottom combo for the past week, and it's a great work appropriate lip look!

Compared to other nudes in my collection, it's most similar to Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Caramel Kiss, but a bit lighter. It's still a close enough dupe if you're looking for a less expensive alternative.

In the daylight full face shot, you can also see that Viva Glam V is definitely not a dark shade - it looks very subtle, but never washes me out, as most nudes tend to do. I have a lot of Lustres in my MAC lipstick collection, and this formulation doesn't disappoint in Viva Glam V either - the golden shimmer is very fine and provides just a bit of extra shine and dimension to the color.

To see how MAC Viva Glam V looks on other Lipstick Bandits, make sure to check out the links below!

• Arianne, at Glitter Geek


• Dani, at Call It Beauty.


• Danielle, at Bloomin' Beauty Blog


• Jenny, at My Funny Valentine


• Jessica, at Getting Cheeky


• Larie, at Eye Heart It


• Mariella, at Musing On Beauty


• Paris, at My Women Stuff


• Rae, at theNotice: a beauty blog


• Tracy, at Beauty Reflections


• Xiao, at Messy Wands

Which lipstick do you find universally flattering? What is your favorite nude lip product?