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