NARS Lip Pencil Review (Cruella + Rikugien)

I was minding my own business when I got an email from Sephora Beauty Insider telling me I was entitled to these lovely NARS Mini Lip Pencils as a birthday gift. Sephora Beauty Insider is open to any beauty lover who loves shopping in Sephora and all you have to do is register/subscribe and you would be entitled to some freebies including a birthday gift on your birthday month. When you spend up to $330 in a year (which is easy to do), you become a member of the VIB Rouge Member which is another level altogether. I am not yet a VIB Rouge Member but the way things are going, hmmmm...I would just leave it at that!  I had been putting off a Sephora online order for ages but this was a very good incentive to place it so these babies could come to me. I have had my eyes on the NARS Lip Pencils but I was not ready to part with £18 without trying it. Receiving these Lip pencils absolutely made my day and it is definitely a lovely birthday present.



NARS Lip Pencils (Satin and Velvet Matte)
Anyway, back to my amazing freebie/birthday gift. I received two mini NARS Lip Pencils in a cute little box. I got the NARS Satin Lip Pencil in  Rikugien and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella. I am so pleased with these two colours as they are right down my alley and I really wanted to try Cruella after reading several blog reviews. The NARS Lip Pencils are slightly chunky lip pencils which can be applied directly on the lips without having to line your lips. They are well pigmented as expected from NARS and the colour pay off is impressive. As they are lip pencils, they need to be sharpened which is such a shame because it means they are prone to waste. The NARS Mini Lip Pencils are about the same size as the Maybelline version although the full size is longer than the Maybelline offering.  I really like how cute they are and I would definitely want to try more of them as they are super travel friendly.


NARS Satin Lip Pencil- Rikugien
I was equally pleased to see that this rose pink shade with warm undertones was included because I knew it would be suitable for every day use. I feel it is sheer compared to the other NARS Lip Pencils and it almost looks and feels like you have a lip balm on. When I apply it on my lips, it looks totally different from how it looks on the pencil but that's because my lips are pigmented and I like that it enhances my natural lip colour. I have used this a few times already and I need to sharpen it now already although I have been trying to put it off as I feel it would become too short (very silly, I know).  It's worth noting that you would definitely need to reapply this during the course of the day but I really don't mind. I think it's such a pretty colour that would suit many skin tones although it may appear different depending on what colour your lips are but then, that's the beauty of it.


NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil- Cruella
I think this is definitely one of the most popular NARS Lip Pencils and I have seen it pop on various blogs especially in 2014. It is a cool toned true red colour which surprisingly looks good on my lips even though warmer toned Reds suit my lips better. It reminds me a lot of the Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencils in Red Essential and MAC's Ruby Woo although they are all slightly different in texture and formula. It is Matte Lip Pencil as the name suggests but it definitely feels very velvety and easy to apply. It is not drying at all and I really love it for this singular reason. The pigmentation and lasting power is definitely better than the Rikugien. I think it has to be one of the best matte lip pencils I have ever tried.





Overall Thoughts
I am so pleased I have finally tried the NARS Lip Pencils and I definitely think I would invest in the full size soon. I would definitely get a Matte Shade (maybe a more everyday one like NARS Bahama) and a Satin Shade (I have my eyes on NARS Het Loo). They are pricey but having tried them now, I think they are worth popping into a wish list or as a treat. You can get them from Space NK here.  Have you tried any of the NARS Lip Pencils? See you in my next post...xx