r/PaleMUA

I’ve been meaning to compare some of my nude/taupe lip liners side by side because shades that look very similar online can pull surprisingly different on me.

For reference, I’m very fair with a neutral, cool-leaning undertone and I wear Dior 00 in foundation. I find that a lot of nude/brown liners pull considerably warmer on my skin — and sometimes even warmer on my lips than they do on my arm.

These are the first 8 liners I compared. I tried to group shades that live in a similar taupe/greige/brown family rather than just swatching randomly.

Top row, left → right:
• Make Up For Ever — Endless Cacao
• MAC — Stone
• Kylie Cosmetics — Stone
• Maybelline — Gone Greige

Bottom row, left → right:
• Rimmel — Cappuccino
• Make Up For Ever — Limitless Brown
• Estée Lauder — Double Wear Taupe
• Make Up For Ever — Wherever Walnut

A few things surprised me once I had them all next to each other. MAC Stone and MUFE Endless Cacao are definitely not identical on me — Stone reads deeper and noticeably greyer, while Endless Cacao looks softer and a little less stark against my skin.

Rimmel Cappuccino is an interesting one because it doesn’t look that warm in the arm swatch, but it pulls noticeably warmer on my lips.

Wherever Walnut is also warmer on me than I personally prefer, despite being such a popular nude. Estée Lauder Double Wear Taupe is another shade where I notice more warmth than I’d ideally want on myself.

I have a lot more lip liners (apparently more than I have usable forearm 😭), including pinks, mauves, cooler browns and a bunch of shades that are supposedly similar/dupes. I started swatching more today and very quickly realized that trying to fit everything on one arm was a terrible idea lol.

I’ll probably do part 2 in the next few days, with smaller groups so the comparisons are actually easy to see. If there are any specific shades you’d like compared directly next to each other, tell me and I can include them.

I actually swatched a much bigger portion of my lip liner collection today (last photo), but I quickly realized I was trying to fit way too many shades onto one arm for the comparisons to be genuinely useful. 😅

So I’m starting with these 8 and I’ll redo the rest in smaller, more organized groups over the next few days, with clearer photos and different lighting so the undertone differences are easier to see.

The last photo is basically a preview of what’s coming — apparently I ran out of arm before I ran out of lip liners. 😂 If there are any specific shades/comparisons you want included, let me know before I redo them!

For reference, the blush is the top swatch and the lip gloss is the one below!

I’m not gonna lie… I was disappointed in the blush color😭 The lip is PERFECT. Looking at both online, I was sure they were gonna be a great combo, but the blush is way warmer than you’d think, to the point where I thought I received the wrong one at first. I guess I should’ve taken the “Sun Kissed” description more literally, but I did think it looked quite cool, and it did have mauve in the color description, so I didn’t think it would look orange at all.

Regardless, I love Tower 28’s products, but I just thought I’d share in case someone with cooler skin was thinking of purchasing Office Hours, it might look a little orange! It looked very unnatural on me😆

Tower 28 / BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Dewy Cream Blush - Office Hours - Sun Kissed Mauve

Tower 28 / ShineOn Lip Jelly Hydrating Non-Sticky Lip Oil - Sesame - Semi-Sheer, Milky Mauve

Gosh. I don’t know why I’m making this post. Probably to remind myself in the future. Today I was at TK Maxx (the Europe version of TJ Maxx) and super thrilled to find the JUNGSAEMMOOL Essential Skin Nuder Cushion there. Some people raved about it in the past and I saw promising swatches online. Obviously there weren’t any testers so I grabbed the lightest shade available there which was „Fair Light“ and oh boy…it’s neither fair nor light on me in the slightest. It’s Orange city. My phone isn‘t even able to pick up the orange tone. I could probably use that as a bronzer and it still would be way to warm.

That’s 10 Euros down the drain for me but at least it could be our reminder altogether that swatching first (if possible) is the way to go and never underestimate your own paleness 😂

Product: JUNGSAEMMOOL Essential Skin Nuder Cushion in „Fair Light“

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Not a ton of pale shade ranges, but 3, and I feel they are true to their tones.

Im a mildly pale girlie with an olive undertone. I struggle to get a shade match, but Smashbox routinely knocks it out of the park and I don't have to add pigments.

Ooooooo myyyy gooodneessssss.

This foundation is amazing.

First off, colors are amazing with little to no oxidization effects on the coloring. The neutral still pulled warm on me, but it wasn't a heavy orange, which was great!

The cool is a great match for me and looks amazing.

I only have to use a dime sized amount - a little goes a long way for real and this stuff is full coverage but I don't feel cakey or dry or heavy - my skin is still breathing. I could easily build it to have even more coverage.

It goes on so nicely and feels like a balm and feels soft but with no tackiness in the texture.

My skins going through a bad dry spell right now, it wasn't hiding my dry skin, but it's not highlighting it at all!

I'm suuuuper picky with foundations and I did not expect to be this impressed. It lasts great throughout the day and is a super comfortable wear.

It lasts pretty great through a workout, though once you're good and sweaty there could be a bit of transfer.

This is my go to foundation now and I can go between medium to full coverage depending on what I want. I love it.

Hi all, there was this blush that I used to absolutely love and wear everyday but has sadly been discontinued years ago (Makeup Revolution "Treat"). I want to make a new attempt at finding another blush with the same shade (pictured). I think it's rosy but with a hint of warmth, not super pigmented. When I look at other blushes I usually see no in-between, either pink or super bright peach. I don't mind spending a bit for a close match. Any tips welcome!

nothing annoys me more than these samples and gifts with purchase that you get at basically every major store like MAC or Sephora.

every single time I end up getting something that is completely useless to me and then I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. like, a Sephora lip patch or this recent foundation sample from MAC.

I literally have a whole graveyard of useless samples at home that I don't know where to put or who to give them to. honestly, I'd rather get nothing than receive something that is so obviously unsuitable for me.

Does anyone have any cool toned blonde eyebrow Pencil ideas.

I tried the “NYX micro brow pencil” in “taupe” on and it made my brows way warmer/oranger than my hair

Edit* I think the gel is fine (NYX The Brow Glue in “Taupe”), if I use it on its own it’s pretty natural looking, doesn’t add much colour. It’s just the pencil that’s the problem lol. Funny how they’re the same brand and same shade but are completely different colours

I know there are sooooo many issues with my makeup. I’m trying to get better, but seriously struggling. Anyways, I can never get eyeshadow looks to be near as nice on my eyes as I see on other’s.

Would my eyes be considered hooded and, if so, what kind of look would be better. I haven’t had much luck with hooded eye tutorials as my eyes aren’t as hooded as the ones I see in most tutorials…hence the reason I’m wondering if that is even the eye type I have.

I’m also dealing with every single product I try sinking into and emphasizing my fine lines and wrinkles under my eyes. I have very VERY dry skin, but no amount of moisturizer, eye balms, creams, etc seem to help. I’ll be 39 next week, so obviously my eyes aren’t gonna look like they did 10 years ago, but I feel they could look so much better than they currently do.

I don't wear too much makeup usually, the makeup artist suggested a look with not too much foundation to stay comfortable and not cakey. Afterwards in natural light the bronzer looks a bit too brown, I mentioned that and she agreed, but wondering about the lip color?

Products - I know the lip is a chanel lip crayon, but not sure about the rest

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Eyes:

ELF lock it down primer, BH cosmetics Call Me, Nyx nude matte eyeshadow single, Juvia's Place Culture pallet the pale nude champagne shimmer shade, Maybelline Great Lash black mascara

Brows: Maybelline superlock brow mascara in deep brown

Face: Maybelline baby skin primer, Covergirl clean fresh foundation in Porcelain, WnW Incognito concealer in Fair Beige, ELF contour in Fair, Focallure Red Wine blush Sherry, WnW highlighter Precious petals

Lips: Zeesea matte lipstick shade 02, Colorgram fruity glass tint joyful tomato

These are my fave inexpensive drugstore blushes on my fair, cool-toned to neutral skin. I have been told I’m a “Summer” type and muted. The shades are Ulta Beauty Pink Smoke, Revlon Oh Baby Pink, and Colourpop New To U. I think my favorite in terms of how it looks is the Colourpop. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect pink matte powder blush though.

Yellow gold, rose or silver?