hunt for the ultimate nude

Edit: I've discovered the wonder that is MAC's Creme D'Nude...divine!! Not matte, so it doesn't look like I've kissed a chalkboard, but not so sheer that it disappears after a smack my lips together.

I've never really been a lipstick girl - I've always reached for the glosses believing that they make me look younger and more fresh-faced. I've seen my mum wear her signature bright pink lipstick for years and pull it off like no one else, but lipsticks have never really caught my attention until recently, I've realised. It seems as though this infatuation with lipsticks has coincided with my starting full time work.

I think there's something quite sophisticated about a light colour and it's definitely appealing to me more than the blindingly shiny lipglosses that have accumulated at the bottom of my bag.

so I've been around and around the shops, in and out of department stores, cheaper stores, looking at swatches online (which never give a correct indication anyway) in search of a pinkish nudey lipstick that will:

1. eliminate my natural lip colour....which is kind of the purpose of a nude lipstick anyway...

2. not disappear as soon as I apply it

3. be a flattering shade that's not too outrageous for workdays, but is lovely and versatile enough to be worn out.

I've found out the hard way that it's quite difficult to find the shade that I've got in mind - some are way too pink (which may work well on my mum, but seem to drown the rest of my face out), some are too glossy or sheeny and end up disappearing on my lips and others just look plain odd.

The other day, I was happily trying out some colours on my hand at the Lancome area before a rather pushy Clarins sales assistant asked if I needed help as the Lancome SA wasn't there. She then proceeded to push me towards her own counter. I started getting slightly annoyed as she began showing me colours that were no way near the nude category or that would be flattering with my complexion. Although a minute incident that I'm sure really wouldn't turn me off asking for help in the future, I decided that I had to take matters into my own hands and not accept anyone else's help. It was a mission I had started on my own and one I wanted to finish by myself! (Yes, lame...but I'm so over pushy assistants!!)

So far, I've purchased 2 cheapies - a Maybelline moisture lipstick and Rimmel long-lasting one. Both seem to cake up in the little lines on my lips and although the colours are ok, they just don't seem to be quite right. Next, I purchased a lovely Estee Lauder colour called Pink Sands which is really nice, but it seems to disappear quicker than I expected for this brand and has a little bit of a shimmery effect. I also purchased a Lancome one - I think it's a 350 or 353 colour which is nice, but it's a little brighter on my lips that I was hoping.

Today I went up to the shops attempting to escape this awful Australian coast humidity and walked past the YSL counter and picked up the lightest colour I could find - Rouge Volupte #7. Love love love!!!!!!

Although I'm not completely convinced that it's a nude, it's still the most happy I've been with a lipstick so far and with my current brunetteness, it sets off a lovely girly innocent look.

So a bit of a long-winded entry...but I'm pretty happy with the outcome!