As much as I love a good bold lip color, sometimes it’s not realistic to wear one every day. Some days I want to go a little crazier on the eye makeup or I just don’t feel like looking that “made-up”. For those days I need another option, but nude lips are not my thing because they make me feel like a corpse so I have to find other ways to get it done. A lot of times that ends up being a very sheer balm or something but not lately!

Lately my go-to toned down lip has been this mauvey-plum combination and I’ve been wearing it so often and diggin’ it so much that I felt like I needed to share it with you. Sharing is caring and all that jazz.

I have my preferred combination which includes a mac lipstick, but I also figured I would include a drugstore option to give you a very similar look for less cash.

Both looks start off the same way.

I line the lips and fill in the other corners with NYX slim Lip Pencil in Mauve, which I really like by itself for a more matte look, but that’s not what this post is about. Focus, Nicole!

Ok so my personal preferred option that has been my daytime lip BFF is . . .

OPTION #1:

The NYX Pencil in Mauve applied like I showed above with MAC Lustre Lipstick in Plumful.

I really love the subtle dimension it gives and how the mauve pencil kind of darkens up the plum color to make it more fall appropriate. The darker edges add depth and shape to the lip and kind of just make the whole thing more interesting. . . I just freakin’ love it. I swear it looks even better in person.

If you don’t feel like shelling out the money for a MAC lipstick, no worries I gotchu

OPTION #2:

Nyx Mauve Lipliner and Maybelline Color whisper in A Plum Prospect

This option is definitely a bit pinker and brighter so it’s not quite as mauve looking, and the finish is a bit more shiny but it gives a similar effect. Personally I prefer MAC Plumful but it’s always nice to have a drugstore option too, right?

Do you have any mauve lipstick combos that you swear by? Or any daytime appropriate nudes for that matter . . . I always loving trying new ones that don’t make me look like a zombie 😉