Rocaille Swatches: 5 Nude Glosses

Somehow, not being a huge wearer of lip glosses and not being big on nude lips either, I've managed to accumulate five different nude glosses over the course of the past couple of years. I surprise myself sometimes, you know.

 Anyhow, I thought I'd quickly share some swatches and thoughts about these in case you're looking for a nice nude lip gloss to add to your collection; and just to be completely clear, you really only need one, as they all look very similar on the lips - which is why I've also decided against including any lip swatches (that, and I was being a bit lazy).

1. Michael Todd Crème Glacé(e?) Lipgloss in Natural. I initially reviewed it here, and despite faulty packaging, I very much enjoy using this gloss, mostly because of the delicious scent and comfortable wear on the lips. It's more of a warm, peachy nude with very fine gold shimmer that feels very light and non-sticky on the lips.

2. Lancome Juicy Tubes in Rio Mango. I'm pretty sure most of you are familiar with the Juicy Tubes formula, but if not, it's a thicker, more sticky consistency that manages to stay on the lips for a decent amount of time. This particular shade/flavor is an almost transparent light peach with extremely fine opalescent shimmers - you can't even see them most of the time but they do add dimension to the lips.

3. Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer. I've decided to purchase this gloss after hearing all the raves on the blogosphere but to be honest, it doesn't really strike me as anything unique. It's a bit thinner balmy consistency and the shade is a translucent pale pink with almost invisible shimmers. The gloss gives a nice even mirror shine and fills in the lines beautifully but can sometimes look a bit washed out against my fair skin. Oh, and it smells of vanilla frosting if that's your thing!

4. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige. Also reviewed previously, this one is probably the least nude lip gloss of the bunch - it's more of a neutral pink that seems to work on a range of skintones. Although the fake cherry scent is not the most glamorous, it's a gorgeous shade if you're scared of paler nude pinks and a comfortable, not too sticky formula with no shimmer.

5. Clinique Long Last Gloss Wear SPF 15 in Bamboo Pink. This is just a deluxe sample I've only had for a couple months now, and probably the least favorite of the five glosses mentioned here; it's a very thick, quite sticky almost clear formula with silver shimmer. It's fine for adding dimension to a more pigmented lipstick but definitely not something I reach for to wear on its own.

And here are some swatches for you: top photo was taken under studio lights, bottom taken with flash to show off the shimmers.

Have you tried any of these and if so, what are your thoughts? What is your favorite nude gloss shade and formula?