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NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review, Photos, Swatches

NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
NARS Tender Night Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

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).

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
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

32 Comments

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xamyx Avatar

I actually like this one, but then, I’m a big fan of tinted lipbalm, LOL. As pretty as this is, at $25, I doubt I’ll pick this up any time soon; there are just way to many other products I’d prefer to spend the money on. If this shade ever goes on sale/clearance, or in the little display at Sephora when you wait in line, I’d consider it.

Wwendalynne Avatar

I think Amy meant that you could layer this pencil over some lip balm to combat that dry looking finish. I think that could be really super pretty. During the winter, and remember I’m up in the great white north, I frequently lay down a layer of lip balm before even putting on lipstick. Otherwise, my lips end up looking like a train wreck..so dry and even peeling.. ouch! I saw the post above mentioning a similar product by Milani, but I do not have that brand here and from what I’m gathering even you folks have trouble getting consistent supply.. I’d love to grab this one for half off myself 😀

SarahKita Avatar

What a shame! It looks nice on you in the photo but I can imagine it after an hour and how awful it’d be over the slightest dry patch.

Yellowlantern Avatar

I can’t even tell if this is supposed to have any color or just be clear with lavender shimmer? I’m not a fan either way.

joyce Avatar

I wonder why they chose to do this in the Velvet Matte formula? It could’ve been really pretty as a gloss pencil instead, that’s too bad.

Anna Avatar

It looks wrong to me somehow. Sort of like you had taken a highlighter eyeshadow and put it on lips. I am happy that I can see reviews on here. I buy all my Nars products online because no counter near by. I wouldn’t be able to use this on lips so if I had gotten it, I would have had to try it as a face highlighter.

Alzn Avatar

This is horrible. It reminds me a lot of the NYX jumbo eye pencil in Oyster, though the eye pencil is more pigmented than this looks.

collier Avatar

I LOOOOOVE the look of that! – just a tint with an opalescent blue sheen. If it were a gloss, I’d already be ordering! Don’t have the patience for layering lip products, though, so I’ll skip it.

Veronica Avatar

I really like the look of the product, but the quality isn’t behind the price tag. This is a major pass for me, but a real shame that it is.

Xina Avatar

In one of your Q & A posts you wrote that you thought Nars was going to gain more popularity amongst consumers, but I’m wondering what your reasoning for saying this is when you have done a few reviews where you have slammed their products. I’m not saying your assessment of their products is wrong because I think you’ve be right about which of their products suck, but how can you say you see them becoming more popular when they’re putting out so many flops? I like some Nars products, here and there, but I feel like many of their products are hit or miss. Especially problematic for me are their eyeshadows, which are only sold in duos. Do they even do limited edition products? I just don’t see Nars as being very innovative. Yes, it’s creative, but I think almost all their promotional materials feature editorial looks as opposed to consumer-friendly looks.

Christine Avatar

Hi Xina,

Based on experience over the past six years – a lot of people who buy from MAC and get disillusioned seem to migrate to either NARS or Urban Decay, and as MAC loses market share and their customers move to other brands, I’ve continued to see this migration (and of course, that is not to say that people don’t go to other brands as well). Most of MAC’s promotional images are aspirational/editorial/avant garde, but that certainly hasn’t diminished their appeal. NARS certainly has misses, but overall, I think it is a good range.

L Avatar

It looks horribly dry and very strange. I wish they would do twistable pencils, then maybe I would purchase some of the pretty colours, but no, instead of using the techinique perfected by every other brand, known as twist up pencils, they decide to spend their time creating this majestic creation. le sigh.

NARSmakeupartist Avatar

NARS matte lip pencils are the most popular of line. This shade looks beautiful under almost everything. From gold digger gloss to manhunt sheer lipstick. This pencil brightens up your look perfectly for spring!

Kathy Avatar

I actually really like this lip color. I am a huge Nars fan. I like mixing colors… tender night on top of any color gives your lips a cool duo chrome effect. I did not find it drying at all.

Jenn Avatar

Has anyone tried this as an eyeshadow? The girls at Nars showed it that way with Iceland on top, and it looked pretty but I didn’t know if anyone tried it.

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