NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($25.00 for 0.086 oz.) is described as an “iridescent lilac.” It’s true-to-description: it’s an iridescent lilac with a shimmering frost finish. MAC Bubble Gum has more of an iridescent lilac feel (but it has more of a golden shimmer than true iridescence). If you have an iridescent lilac eyeshadow, you could pat it over your lips and get a similar effect.

It’s really like a layer of iridescent lilac shimmer more than it is a color or a lipstick, because the color is sheer. I could see this type of color being used maybe as a layering product on top of other products, but I just don’t see it working very well that way–it has a very dry consistency that would make it hard to spread out over another color. Other Velvet Matte Lip Pencils have not only been incredibly pigmented, but they are creamier and have a more emollient texture that enables good glide and application. Tender Night was harder to apply for even, all-over color coverage. It felt like an old school frost lipstick but with a thinner consistency. It wore just under three hours on me, and it was drying (and it looked dry).

The Glossover

LE	Tender Night D
	Sometimes I find this formula to be slightly drying, but it is normally very long-wearing and pigmented, so then it's about trade-offs, but this shade is drier overall, harder to apply, and doesn't wear very long.
	Product 6.5/10 Pigmentation 6/10 Texture 7/10 Longevity 6.5/10 Application 3/5
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NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

One Vibrant Fuchsia in Pencil Form

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.086 oz.) is described as a “fuchsia.” It’s a vibrant fuchsia-red with the barest flecks of iridescent blue sparkle that just peek through the color. Tom Ford Aphrodisiac is less matte and has no sparkle. MAC Moxie is similar, but it is completely matte and less blue-based. Illamasqua Atomic is extremely comparable–it even has the iridescent shimmer; it appears to have more of it.

NARS’ Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is supposed to combine the convenience of a pencil with the application of a lipstick . The formula is meant to be rich in color, long-wearing, non-drying, and have a “velvety matte finish.” It can be used for lining, all-over lip color, or paired with another lip product.  It has opaque color coverage, and the finish is definitely matte–there’s a tiny sheen from the sparkle, but it really looks rather matte on.  I found this particular shade a wee bit drying.  It wore for six hours on and left behind a slight stain, but my lips were parched after wearing it.  The pencil itself did tug and pull at lips during application, so getting even color took more effort than your typical lipstick would have.

The Glossover

LE	413 BLKR B
	The consistency was on the drier side, and the formula itself was somewhat drying when I tested it. It wears long, and it has good color payoff, it just doesn't feel as comfortable to wear or as easy to use as expected.
	Product 7.5/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 7.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS 413BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.086 oz.) is described as a “siren red.” This is an extremely intense, vibrant cherry red with pink undertones and a blue base. It’s very cool-toned and equally bright. It’s bluer than Maybelline Very Cherry. It’s more vibrant than Giorgio Armani #406. CoverGirl Hot has a similar brightness level but not the same blue undertones. Chanel Rouge Byzantin is darker. MAC Ruby Woo is redder and darker.

The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil formula is designed to allow you the precision of a lip pencil with the ease of all-over application like a lipstick. It’s supposed to be opaque, matte, creamy, long-wearing, and non-drying. Dragon Girl wears and wears and wears; its strongest suit is in how well and long it wears–a full six hours of excellent coverage and looks good enough not to need a reapplication until eight hours. It hardly transfers, so it lasts through a cup of coffee with ease. It’s not moisturizing, but it isn’t drying; you’ll want to properly moisturize and prep lips in advance (or just have a good lip health routine), since it’s not adding any moisture over the course of the day.

Dragon Girl has to be one of my favorites within the range, because it applies evenly and easily without tugging or pulling on the lip, so there’s just enough glide and waxiness in the base to get that even, opaque color, but it clings to lips so it wears a long time (not in a bad clingy way, though). It has a matte finish, but it appears so bright that it almost has a sheen.

The Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are large, jumbo-sized crayons, and you’ll need to sharpen them periodically. You will lose some product, but because the texture of this is fairly dry and firm, there is less product loss than from the brand’s Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils. Many readers have suggested freezing a pencil briefly prior to sharpening to help minimize waste.

The Glossover

P	Dragon Girl A+
	Everything about this product is fantastic--except for some of the waste that happens when you sharpen the pencil, which is something that occurs with most pencil packaging--the color is rich and opaque, and this shade wears six to eight hours with ease.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5
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NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Diffused Flash)

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Studio Lighting)

NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as a “lilac rose.” It’s a cool-toned rosy pink; it’s not as red as raspberry pink, but it’s not so cool-toned that it leans magenta or purple. NYX Rose is similar but has a very frosted finish, so it appears lighter. Guerlain Bloom of Rose is a warmer pink. Guerlain Belgravia is slightly pinker. Revlon Carnation is a bit frosted. MAC Unlimited is lighter and less cool-toned.

The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is supposed to be richly pigmented, have a “velvety matte finish,” be long-wearing, and have a non-drying formula. NARS recommends using it as a lip liner, all-over color, or paired with another lip product. The drier, matte texture allows Never Say Never to wear long and hard–a solid five and a half hours–but my lips feel dehydrated after four hours. After six hours of wearing this shade, my lips weren’t cracked or severely chapped, but I did feel the pull for a boost of hydration.  The texture is soft, creamy enough that it doesn’t pull or tug too much at lips during application, but it is dry enough that it does feel like a matte lipstick.

It comes in a large, jumbo-sized crayon that needs to be sharpened, so you will lose product when this occurs, though it’s not as much as with the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils, since this formula is drier and harder (not as soft and as pliant as the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils). Readers have recommended freezing the pencil prior to sharpening it to minimize the waste.

The Glossover

P	Never Say Never A-
	This shade will flatter the cooler-hued products in the collection, which is primarily the Marie-Galante eyeshadow duo. It doesn't pair as well with the warmer shades, like the Ramatuelle eyeshadow trio!
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Diffused Flash)

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Studio Lighting)

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Fall 2011: Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as a “deep aubergine.” Velvet Matte Lip Pencils deliver rich pigment with a “velvet matte finish.” It’s supposed to be creamy and long-wearing without being drying. This shade is new and now part of NARS’ permanent range.

If this looks familiar to you that means 1) you’re a regular Temptalia reader and 2) you have an excellent eye. It looks nearly identical to MAC Smoked Purple. Train Bleu is a vampy purpled-burgundy with a near-matte finish. It has a subtle hint of sheen when you look at it close-up, but it is fairly matte when viewed at a normal distance.

Train Bleu wears a solid six hours on me, but my lips start to feel the need for added moisture by the fourth hour. The pencil formula makes it easier to apply, because you can easily edge around the lips, but you will lose product when you go to sharpen it. The color coverage is opaque and lush–much better than Smoked Purple–and the texture is creamier and has a lot less tug and drag in comparison. Of course, the price is nearly double.

The Glossover

P	Train Bleu A-
	It's not the easiest matte formula to work with, but it is one of the easier ones. The color is really rich and dark--very fall--and will be gorgeous on lighter complexions for a dramatic look.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Summer 2011: Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as a “pink cantaloupe,” while the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil formula is all about “rich pigment” delivered via a “jumbo-sized crayon” that imparts a “velvet matte finish.” It’s supposed to be long-wearing without being drying, while still being creamy. This shade has been added to NARS’ permanent range.

I thought the color was closer to that of grapefruit, but I guess if cantaloupe was pink, it might look something like this (and then kind of like grapefruit, ha!). It’s a lightened pink with just a hint of coral. It looked more coral swatched than it did once I applied it to my lips, though.  It actually bears a lot of similarity to MAC Ever Hip, though ever-so-slightly paler and, obviously, the finish is different as Bolero is matte.

The finish is completely matte, and with the lightness of the color, there is a touch of settling into lip lines and emphasis on any imperfections of the natural lip but really quite little overall and not noticeable from a normal viewing distance (you know, not close-up!). It does have enough creaminess in the texture to easily apply it, smooth it out, and get a nice layer of even color, and the pigmentation is excellent–really dense, opaque color without having to wear the pencil down to a nub.

With some of the really deep shades of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil line-up, I can see six to eight hours of wear, but with a lighter shade like Bolero, it wore just over four hours (which is slightly above average for a light color like this, where I normally see three to four). The length of wear was good and above average, but it’s not excellent. I did find Bolero a little drying by the fourth hour.

These aren’t your best bang for your buck lip product, considering you only get 0.086 oz. for $24–a NARS lipstick contains 0.12 oz. but also costs $24.00. They do apply color more precisely than a lipstick, because it has a more chiseled tip, but the cap is not as secure on this jumbo-sized lip pencil than it is on a lipstick–such a game of trade-offs! I didn’t find that the cap was easy to come off, but I do acknowledge it is less secure by its nature than lipstick.

The Glossover

LE	Bolero B
	If the wear was more on par with long-wearing lipsticks (including other shades within this range, which tend to be six to eight hours), the product would have rated higher. I think the color is one that will appeal to many, and it should work well on both cool and warmer skin tones, as the pink dominates over the coral, making it flattering on both.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
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NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil