Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil

I have seen the Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencils making the rounds on blogs and YouTube videos and I was quite intrigued. At first, they seemed to be only available in Superdrug and Boots during London Fashion Week but I wanted to wait it out a little to see if it was really worth investing in. I finally gave in a couple of weeks agoand purchased a few in Boots during their 3 for 2 offer. A lot of people have compared these pencils to the NAR Velvet Lip Pencils which have two finishes-Matte and Gloss but I have not tried the NARS version so I can't really compare and seriously the NARS Lip Pencils are ridiculously expensive so I am giving it a nice miss.

 Packaging
Well, there's not much to say about the packaging; it's just a Lip Pencil but I would say it is a little shorter in real life than I expected and I feel it may not last too long after a couple of uses (especially as I have to sharpen it). What I like is that it is a chubby little stick which means you get a little more product than an average lip pencil. They are compact and easy to just pop into your bag. I also like that the little colours at the bottom of the pencil are a good description of the actual colors of the lip pencils.

Formula/Pigmentation/Application
The formula of these pencils are a little different to any lip pencils I have tried. It is a little in between matte and velvety. I know they are called Velvet pencils but I don't quite think it is a perfect velvet finish but it is not matte which is good as that means it's not drying. On application, they apply really well for a drug store lip pencil but it drags a teeny weeny bit across the lips on application so it goes without saying that your lips need to be well moisturised. Other than that, I think they are amazing. The pigmentation is really impressive and it shows up well on my lips and lasts for a couple of hours before I need to reapply. It feels super light on the lips; I don't feel a thing at all and many times I forget I have anything on my lips.

Shades/Colours I chose
As always I picked up really safe colours as I am not a huge fan of wearing really bold or bright or dark colours although I am experimenting a little with vampy lips but that's another post for another day. Anyway, I picked up shades I knew I would get a lot of use from especially for work and every day wear. I purchased 630 Nude Perfection, 140 Minimalist and 130 Love My Pink and I know they all look similar in the pictures but they are different in real life, I promise. They come in a variety  of shades ranging from demure nude and pink colours to downright bright and bold colours and for that, Maybelline get a massive 5 star from me.






630 Nude Perfection: This is a brownish pink shade which I really like because it is very flattering on my lips. It is definitely not a perfect nude for my pigmented lips but it gives my lips such a soft natural look which I have been rocking for a while now. I don't even need to line my lips when using this and I really like it.

140 Minimalist: This is more of a light pink  shade with warm undertones which I love to pop on my lips when I want to switch things up. I am always a little weary about light pink lipsticks but this is really perfect and I think this shade would suit many people.

130 Love My Pink: I picked this up as an after thought but I totally love this because it is more of a brighter pink shade but a wearable one. It's perfect for Fridays when I want to just chill even when I am at work.




Cost
They retail for £4.99 each which I think is affordable only because they always have deals in Superdrug and Boots so you never really have to pay full price per say. I got this on a 3 for 2 offer so it worked out like around £3 for each which is a really fair price I would say. I am impressed with them and I am so tempted to pick up brighter and bolder colours because I have been enjoying the ones I have. The only con I can think of right now is the size of the pencils as they are a little bit short but then they are chubby so it balances it out.

Overall
I really like them and I would definitely recommend them if you are looking to try affordable lip pencils with good pigmentation and formula. Although it is not the longest lasting pencil out there but the formula is really nice and I don't mind reapplying these after a couple of hours. That's it folks; I hope you enjoyed this little post and I would see you in my next...x