Grey Twist

Remember my lipstick ban that I decided to embark on at the end of March? I'm pretty chuffed to report I've done better than expected in sticking to it. In fact, apart from the acquisition of Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Bare It All (which I'm not counting because a) it was cheap b) I don't have an exact dupe c) I've wanted it for ages and it didn't disappoint), I haven't bought any new lip products. I even resisted adding any of the Colourpop Lippie Stixs to my order. *pats self on back* In recognition of my restraint, I permitted myself to seek out and purchase Essence Longlasting Lipstick Nude in Come Naturally (03), a shade I first saw on Angela's blog that I immediately was compelled to hunt down.

Come Naturally is a very of-the-moment shade. As the salesgirl at Priceline said to me when she asked to look at the shade of lipstick I bought, these "purply nudes" are "in right now". Yes. Yes they are. It's tempting to attribute their popularity to Kylie Jenner, since her name has almost become synonymous with the colour trend. I've never particularly liked medium-toned, plummy/rosy/mauvey/brownish shades as I find them unflattering, overly mature-looking and dated (i.e. reminiscent of the '90s, and not in a good way), but something about Come Naturally feels like a cool, casual, modern interpretation with a twist.

That twist being the subtle injection of grey. Overall, the colour is still fairly light and pigmentation isn't super strong, so it's not too out there or intimidating. It's cool-toned, but not to the extent it drains all life from the face. There's still a good amount of pink and nude to balance out the purple and grey.

l-r: Revlon Honey, Australis Samba, MAC Plumful, Essence Come Naturally, Revlon Sugar Plum, NYX Bare It All

Compared to the shades I already have that I thought would be most similar, there's nothing that comes close. This pleases me immensely and in my mind, completely justifies my purchase. Everything else is a lot more red, fuchsia/magenta-ish, or brown. Though I do now see how similar Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Samba and Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sugar Plum are (the latter is a tad darker and glossier). Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Bare It All is a more traditional nude, MAC Plumful is a lot brighter and more pink, while Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey is like a cross between Australis Samba and MAC Plumful.

All in all, I'm adoring Come Naturally. It's an interesting shade that I don't already have in my overstuffed lipstick collection, it's on trend but still very easy to wear, plus it's cheap ($4.70, thank you very much). It has a subtle sheen and is comfortable feeling on the lips, very lightweight and decently hydrating. The pigmentation isn't too intense, so it can be worn lightly for a barely there tint, or built up for stronger colour payoff. If you're interested in trying for yourself these muted, mid-tone, slightly greyish/purply nudes, Come Naturally is an ideal place to start.