So recently the “no-makeup, makeup look” seems to be trending all over the place and with this comes the need for a natural or nude lip colour. In my search for the perfect natural lip I would often see gurus and bloggers referring to lip products as their “MLBB” and after some googling I discovered it meant “my lips but better”. Love it! Such a great term! 

As everyone has different skin tones, finding your perfect MLBB isn’t a one-shade-fits-all scenario. I also feel that there’s a bunch of different MLBB tone or shade possibilities you could have, you don't need to be limited to just one. Different shades will compliment different hues that exist in your natural lip colour, letting you decide which ones you want to emphasise.  

So to help anyone out there with tea rose coloured lips, here are some of my favourite MLBB combos for myself.

~ the Straight Up MLBB ~

This is my standard MLBB, the lippies that match my overall natural lip colour the closest. For this I always reach for two of my all time favourite RBR lip products, their sadly discontinued Gleaming Temptations Lip Gloss and their amazing Colour Burst Lipstick. The colours that match me the best are Blameless in the lipgloss, (which will forever live in my handbag) and Irreverence and Prey of Lust in the lipstick.

Note: It looks like you can still order the Gleaming Temptations Lip Gloss from beautyhabit.com in a few of the shades, however they’re no longer available on the RBR e-boutique.

Prey of Lust, Irreverence & Blameless under studio lights

Rouge Bunny Rouge's Colour Burst Lipsticks in Prey of Lust and Irreverence, Gleaming Temptations Lip Gloss in Blameless

Prey of Lust under natural light

Irreverence under natural light

Blameless under natural light

~ The Snow White MLBB ~

~ the 90s Brown (that’s back in vogue) MLBB ~

Naturally my lips are between a tea rose pink and tan brown, so with the recent revival of the classic matte brown 90s lip I get to hit two different trends in one fell swoop. My favourites are two lip liners; MAC’s lip pencil in Oak and Sleek’s lip pencil in 188 Bare Essential. And if I want to add a shine or more complexity to it I love to layer of Stila’s lip glaze in Kitten (which is also a fave to wear just by itself!).  

Bare Essential, Oak & Kitten under studio lights

Stila's Lip Glaze in Kitten, MAC's Lip Pencil in Oak & Sleek's Lip Pencil in 188 Bare Essential

Bare Essential under natural light

Oak + Kitten under natural light

Kitten under natural light

~ the Delicate Pink Petal MLBB ~

In winter my lips tend to appear almost the same tone as my skin with the barest pink tinge. I like to boost this delicate pink tone as it matches the paler shade of foundation and soft pastel pink blushes I tend to wear during the colder months. The best I’ve found so far are NYX’s lip pencil in 854 Pale Pink, NYX’s Mega Shine Lip Gloss in 150 Juicy Pink and a recent discovery, Maybelline’s Colour Bloom colour changing lip balm in Pink Blossom which reacts with your body’s pH level to create a custom pink tone. 

Pale Pink, Juicy Pink & Pink Blossom under studio lights

NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Juicy Pink and Lip Pencil in Pale Pink; Maybelline's Colour Bloom in Pink Blossom

Pale Pink + Juicy Pink under natural light

Pink Blossom under natural light

~ the Nearly Nude MLBB ~ 

Its not often I’ll go for a straight up nude lip but on the rare occasion I do, I like to go for something that’s close to my natural lip colour. So far I’ve found that NYX’s Round Lipstick in Circe applied with a fingertip and blotted down works a treat, especially with a gloss like Stila’s Kitten over the top. I’m yet to find the perfect lip liner for this, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know in the comments!

Circe under studio lights

NYX's Round Lipstick in 522 Circe

Circe under natural light

~ the Original MLBB ~

And if all else fails and I’m not feelin’ any of the above combos, there’s always trusty old clear lipgloss :) My favourite clear gloss of all time is NYX’s Mega Shine Lip Gloss in LG103. Its non-sticky, a lil bit goes a long way and it just lasts. What else could you want from a clear gloss? And if you need to take down the pigment a touch of any of the other lip products clear gloss works a treat. 

Clear Gloss under studio lights

NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in 103 Clear

Clear Gloss under natural light

I hope these combinations help with your own search for a MLBB lippie! Oh and if you have suggestions or great recommendations please leave a comment below.  

Bambi xox