Review: Nars Lip Pencils in Yu, Tender Heart and Majella

Here's a review on Nars Satin Lip Pencils (Yu, Tender Heart, Majella)

Price: P1,450.00 each

Bought From: Free

Other Locations: Available in the following Rustan's and Essences branches: Robinson's Ermita, Powerplant Mall, Shangri-La Mall, Alabang Town Center, Glorietta

THE VERDICT:

When I was younger, I had a massive collection of coloring books and boxes of crayons, from the regular ones down to the jumbo types. I liked drawing a lot and mom thought that I would become a painter someday, but little did she know that I would ditch the coloring books and try painting my face with crayons (I'd even crush the jumbo crayons and apply them on my cheeks, as if I was putting on blush. The red- colored crayon was my ultimate favorite), or secretly color family photos, acting as if I was applying makeup on people. She was right-I was destined to be a painter...A FACE PAINTER! Seems legit. LOL! :D

I'll always have that soft spot for crayons (or anything close to it) because I have always believed that it helped me realize the thing that I'm very passionate about, (and that's glaringly obvious!) and this is why I have a ton of pencil makeup in my stash. The newest gals to join my pencil makeup family are these Satin and Velvet Matte lip pencils from Nars. 

Now to be honest, I never really bothered checking them out because I thought they're not any better or at par-at the very least-with my fave Nars lipsticks until the Nars Spring/Summer 2013 collection unveiling-I tried on a few and got convinced right away that they're awesome-they're lip liner and lipstick all rolled into one!

Click READ MORE for the swatches and for the real foolproof lipstick!

NARS LIP PENCILS (YU, TENDER HEART, MAJELLA) IN DETAIL

Nars' lip pencils come in three finishes: The classic Velvet Matte and Velvet Gloss, and the new Satin line. Francois Nars had created these as a sleeker counterpart of the lipsticks. 

L-R: Yu (Satin), Tender Heart (Velvet Matte), Majella (Satin)

These babies are the perfect epitome of convenience: They're in an ultra travel- friendly form, the small, rounded tip of the pencil perfectly matches the natural contours of the lips and ensures a spot- on application, and the formula sets instantly and stays in place-no need for lip liner to prevent color bleeding, albeit I'm not sure if this is the same case with the Velvet Gloss variant.

Satin Lip Pencil: Texture is very smooth and soft without being runny, and it dries off to a semi- matte yet moisturizing finish. Coverage is full, pigmentation is superb, and the featherweight consistency lets you build the color sans the heaviness, although some shades have the tendency to make lip lines look more prominent. (Go for the darker colors if you want complete line coverage) Lasting power is pretty okay, about 3- 4 hours if left untouched.

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil- This one goes on completely matte, but with a smoother texture and lighter feel unlike conventional matte lipsticks. It has better wear time than the Satin variant, but it makes lips feel and look a lil' dry a few hours after wearing. I have never ever encountered any problem with Nars' matte lipsticks, except this one-the only explanation that I can think of right now is perhaps it is due to the pencil's formulation and the particular shade I have. Oh well, it's not the best choice for those with very dry lips, but I can imagine how stunning it would fare on those with normal skin around the lips. (Envious!)

NARS LIP PENCILS (YU, TENDER HEART, MAJELLA) IN ACTION

Here are the swatches. Enjoy!

Tender Night- An icy lavender shade with silver frosting and a very sheer finish. It's part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection. It's a very nice and unique shade.

I find that Tender Night is quite a tricky shade to work with: If applied heavily, (like the first lip swatch) it can look flaky and rough, and payoff can be a lil' patchy. This photo showcases Tender Night layered once only-it looks way better and gives off this wearable pale hue that goes well with dramatic eye makeup in shades of blue, violet/purple, black, and pink. Now you know how to work this thing!

With its sheerness and paleness, Tender Heart will look better on darker skin tones-methinks it will wash out very fair to fair complexions.

Tender Night, to me, is more of a highlighter shade that will enhance deeper lipstick colors-apply it on the center of your lower and upper lip for an ombre or plumper effect.

Majella- A garnet red shade with teeny weeny hint of wine.

Majella is an elegant deep bordeaux shade, and it's the only deep red shade I've encountered that makes skin glow.

Yu- A bright, blue- based pink.

If there's a blue-based true red, then there's a blue-based true pink and that is Yu! Its overall hue is bright, but has a little warmness to it. Nars Schiap has a cooler hue than this. This is my most favorite among the three!

The only thing is, the actual product is quite soft and if you ain't careful, it will break. (It happened to Tender Night!) Lastly, they need a special sharpener, which you can purchase from Nars only. You may go for bookstore sharpeners as a cheaper alternative, but you may have to waste money on a few wrong sharpeners before getting the right one. I already have 5 new cheapo sharpeners with me, and none of them can fit my Nars lip pencils. Oh well, guess I really have to buy the one from Nars!

I'm very happy with these pencils, especially the Satin range. For Velvet Matte, you have to get the more pigmented colors for a better outcome. This product is best for you if you want a steady and more controllable type of lipstick, or a lipstick that defines your lips easily and painlessly.

NARS SATIN LIP PENCILS (YU AND MAJELLA) RATING

NARS VELVET MATTE LIP PENCIL IN TENDER HEART RATING

Please visit RUSTAN'S PHILIPPINES on Facebook for the complete range of Nars' lip pencils.