5/23/13
After my recent foray into lipstick land, I began to notice NARS lip pencils popping up in various magazines, posts from beauty bloggers I trust, and my favorite stores. So of course I immediately wanted them and bought two. The pencils (not to be confused with lip liner) come in three formulations. There's the Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil, Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, and Satin Lip Pencil. I immediately disregarded the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, as it contains "hydraulic spheres," aka sparkle/shimmer/frost. I like my lips sans frost, so I quickly moved along to the other formulas.
The Satin Lip Pencil was first on my mind due in large part to the newest "must have" shade, Yu. Yu is a highly pigmented, bright pink color that lights up my face. While it's very bright, it's surprisingly wearable and looks great with many skin tones. The formula is glossy and application is a breeze. They're designed to build up color depending on your preference, which is nice. I was nonplussed by most of the other colors, many of which were rather neutral with the exception of a couple. Jardin de Plantes caught my fancy, but it's a NARS exclusive, meaning you'll need to buy it through them directly. Done deal.
Next I hit the Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil. I'm generally not a fan of matte lipsticks, as they tend to be drying. Matte lips are on trend this season, so in the spirit of branching out I selected Damned, a nice deep red. I applied my beloved By Terry Baume de Rose underneath both formulas, and still found this pencil to be a tad drying. The real draw here (no pun intended) is the staying power of matte formulas. Less applications throughout the day, and it sure makes eating and drinking far easier. That said, it comes in a broader range of colors than the Satin Lip Pencil. I'll certainly use these when I need real staying power. Tasting menu and wine pairing, anyone?
One downside is the need to purchase a NARS sharpener. Trust me on this; other sharpeners don't work. The upside is that it's a mere $6, with the pencils costing $25 each. These are great for travel since they're a lip liner and lipstick in one tiny pencil.
The verdict? Love the Satin Lip Pencils, & the Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencils are the optimal choice for staying power on the go. Just be sure to moisturize first!
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