The nude lip: An oldie but a goodie from Maybelline's Moisture Extreme collection

The quest to find the perfect nude lipstick, similarly to the quest to find the perfect red, is a potentially perilous one. You risk wading through reams of shades that are too brown, too pink, too berry, too red, too purple, too beige, too orange, too yellow; swiping swatches from your finger tips to your shoulders in an increasing state of desperation all the while getting no closer to finding that one nude that makes all your nude lip dreams come true.

*Sigh *

I'm a lover of the nude lip look and have a collection of nude-toned lipsticks, glosses, tints and balms. I need more of a pink based nude than a beige or brown based nude and while browsing the Maybelline stand in my local Boots recently my eyes were drawn to the little row of lipsticks lying lonely, forgotten, at the bottom of the stand. Who remembers Maybelline's Moisture Extreme lipsticks? Housed in sleek red and silver packaging, which I actually prefer to their newer translucent lipstick tubes, the lipsticks stocked in my local Boots from the Moisture Extreme range form a capsule of nude shades, among which my perfect nude resided. 

Maybelline Moisture Extreme, 'Pinky Beige 721', £5.19 at Boots

Not too brown, not too beige, with the perfect pink base and a super creamy finish to boot. I'd never come across these before and guessed they must be an old release as they do look quite different to Maybelline's more recent lipstick collections, but just because something is from an older collection doesn't mean it isn't worth using! I'm glad I went for it because it has become my favourite nude lip product and I know I can slick it on every day without worrying about whether or not it clashes with what I'm wearing or whether or not it's suitable for whatever occasion  I have lined up that day. A bit of a make-up bag essential, really. 

Like all of Maybelline's lipsticks it has a sweet, pleasant smell and the pigmentation is high, even though the finish is quite sheer. It feels very creamy and moisturising once applied, although this does mean it tends to fade quite quickly after application, unlike lipsticks with a matte finish. The colour is truly natural and gives a lovely enhanced pink sheen to the lips. 

'Pinky Beige' quite heavily swatched to catch a good shot of the colour and finish

I'd say that in real life 'Pinky Beige' appears slightly paler, although I did swatch it quite heavily to give a good impression of the shiny finish. It's easy to build up the colour with extra layers, although I prefer a lighter finish with just one or two swipes. One of the benefits of buying from an older collection is the price difference, with Maybelline's Moisture Extreme lipsticks retailing at £5.19 each as opposed to the new Colorsensational Vivids lipsticks retailing at £7.19 each. 

A beautiful nude lipstick at a bit of a bargain price. I think my quest is pretty much complete... Until the next nude I fall in love with!

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