NARS Undressed II Lip Set Review & Swatches
Undressed II
NARS Undressed II Endless Summer Lip Set ($49.00 for 0.58 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of four, full-sized lip colors that’s exclusive to Nordstrom. Two of the shades are part of the permanent range, which I’ve noted below. The set contains $52 worth of lip gloss and $52 worth of liquid lipstick for a total value of $104, so it’s a great deal if you like the formula and shades included.
Ingredients
Undressed II
LELimited Edition. $49.00.
Bound
Bound is a medium, rosy mauve with subtle, cool undertones and a cream finish. This shade is part of the permanent range. It had nearly opaque pigmentation with a smooth, creamy consistency that applied evenly across my lips and smoothed out most of my lip lines. The lip gloss lasted for four hours and was hydrating while worn.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Urban Decay Backtalk (P, $20.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Heartmelter (LE, $21.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Haley (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Sarah (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Ann (P, $10.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Mauve Wives (P, $19.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- NARS Santo Domingo (LE, $26.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Flying Horses (DC, $10.00) is lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
- MAC Love Child (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$26.00/0.2 oz. - $130.00 Per Ounce
It's supposed to be a hybrid between lipstick and lipgloss that is hydrating, richly pigmented, and comfortable to wear. They have stronger color payoff, a non-tacky consistency, and a smoothness to their consistency that is a lot like a good lipstick, while they have a plusher, thicker texture that gives lips a plumper, fuller look along with a glossy sheen that is more like a gloss.
Some of the lighter shades settled into lip lines, but it varied from shade to shade. The wear varied between three and five hours for me, which is more like a gloss than a lipstick. They develop a more “velvety” finish, which is code for “less shine” after two to three hours, and at that point, they tend to look more like a natural finish lipstick than a gloss.
I would classify the formula more as a pigmented gloss than a glossy lipstick, if I had to put it firmly in one box. The formula has a vanilla scent but had no discernible taste to me.
Browse all of our NARS Velvet Lip Glide swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Kaolin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isostearyl Isostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone SilsesquioxaneCrosspolymer, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Nylon-12, Dicalcium Phosphate, StearalkoniumBentonite, Propylene Carbonate, Ethyl Vanillin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Lecithin, Silica, ArganiaSpinosa Kernel Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Tocopherol, Orchis Mascula Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, [+/- (May Contain): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Look Using this Product
Bound
PPermanent. $26.00.
Cartagena
Cartagena is a deep, raspberry pink with cool, blue undertones and a cream finish. It had nearly opaque color coverage in a single layer, which applied evenly and smoothly across my lips. The gloss was lightweight, non-sticky, and creamy so it spread well and filled in my lip lines. It wore well for five hours and was moisturizing over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS Staying Alive (LE, $26.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- NARS Danceteria (P, $26.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- NARS Promise (LE, $26.00) is more muted, less pigmented (90% similar).
- MAC Soft Dream (LE, $21.00) is less glossy (90% similar).
- Sephora Plum Fiction (19) (P, $12.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Chanel Caractere (P, $30.00) is more muted (90% similar).
- ColourPop Berry Ripe (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Maybelline Sassy (P, $7.99) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Boom (306) (P, $29.00) is darker, more muted, less pigmented (85% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Hot Hot Hot (332) (P, $29.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$26.00/0.2 oz. - $130.00 Per Ounce
It's supposed to be a hybrid between lipstick and lipgloss that is hydrating, richly pigmented, and comfortable to wear. They have stronger color payoff, a non-tacky consistency, and a smoothness to their consistency that is a lot like a good lipstick, while they have a plusher, thicker texture that gives lips a plumper, fuller look along with a glossy sheen that is more like a gloss.
Some of the lighter shades settled into lip lines, but it varied from shade to shade. The wear varied between three and five hours for me, which is more like a gloss than a lipstick. They develop a more “velvety” finish, which is code for “less shine” after two to three hours, and at that point, they tend to look more like a natural finish lipstick than a gloss.
I would classify the formula more as a pigmented gloss than a glossy lipstick, if I had to put it firmly in one box. The formula has a vanilla scent but had no discernible taste to me.
Browse all of our NARS Velvet Lip Glide swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Kaolin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isostearyl Isostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone SilsesquioxaneCrosspolymer, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Nylon-12, Dicalcium Phosphate, StearalkoniumBentonite, Propylene Carbonate, Ethyl Vanillin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Lecithin, Silica, ArganiaSpinosa Kernel Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Tocopherol, Orchis Mascula Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, [+/- (May Contain): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Cartagena
LELimited Edition. $26.00.
Save the Queen
Save the Queen is a medium-dark, rosy plum with subtle, cooler undertones and a flat, matte finish. This shade is part of the permanent range. It had one of the truer dry downs in the formula, as it was more matte from the get-go (others tend to wear down to matte within an hour or so). It had good color coverage–not quite opaque–in one layer, which could be topped up for full coverage using less than a layer on top. The liquid lipstick was fluid, thin but not watery, but spread well across my lips and was workable where I didn’t feel like I lacked control over it. This shade stayed on well for five hours and was non-drying.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS Haze (LE, $26.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Marriage Material (P, $12.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Lively (P, $15.00) is brighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Maybelline Mauve It (DC, $7.49) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Givenchy Neo Nude (P, $37.00) is lighter, brighter, glossier (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Kate (P, $30.00) is darker, warmer, glossier (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever M206 (DC, $22.00) is more muted (90% similar).
- ColourPop Ice Cube (DC, $5.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- MAC Private Party (LE, $19.00) is warmer, glossier (90% similar).
- Urban Decay WSM (P, $18.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$26.00/0.18 oz. - $144.44 Per Ounce
The new formula is described as “liquefied pigments with infinite matte color saturation for lasting, weightless wear.” It’s supposed to have “full coverage in one swipe” that “dries down instantly” for “smudge-resistant, carefree wear.” The formula has a very fluid consistency that is thin, smooth, but not at all watery, and the majority of shades were nearly opaque or opaque in a single layer.
The dry down started quickly but was forgiving as I maneuvered around the edges of the lips but remained a bit tacky when I pressed my lips together for over a half hour later, though as long as I did not press my lips together until five minutes post-application, the color did not lift. I have found the wear to be comfortable so far–non-drying–but not the longest-wearing nor the most budge-proof in liquid lipstick, as just sipping water, tea, or coffee caused color to transfer onto my cups.
There was plenty of coverage, so it still lasted through drinking but did start to break down noticeably during a meal. Even just touching the color after a half hour of wearing it yielded color on my fingertips. The formula had a soft, vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
Browse all of our NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment swatches.
Look Using this Product
Save the Queen
PPermanent. $26.00.
Haze
Haze is a soft, medium plum with subtle, cool undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had rich color coverage in a single layer, which applied evenly across my lips. The consistency was lightweeight, fluid, and thin but was controllable. It dried down a mostly matte finish, but I could feel my lips stick together slightly when I pressed them together, though the color did not lift up. This shade stayed on well for five and a half hours and was neither drying nor hydrating.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS Save the Queen (P, $26.00) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Marriage Material (P, $12.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Sephora English Rose (86) (P, $14.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- YSL Rosewood Gang (5) (P, $36.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Lively (P, $15.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Ice Cube (DC, $5.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Givenchy Neo Nude (P, $37.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Maybelline Mauve It (DC, $7.49) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Bad Habit (DC, $6.50) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Moody Bloom (P, $10.00) is brighter, cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$26.00/0.18 oz. - $144.44 Per Ounce
The new formula is described as “liquefied pigments with infinite matte color saturation for lasting, weightless wear.” It’s supposed to have “full coverage in one swipe” that “dries down instantly” for “smudge-resistant, carefree wear.” The formula has a very fluid consistency that is thin, smooth, but not at all watery, and the majority of shades were nearly opaque or opaque in a single layer.
The dry down started quickly but was forgiving as I maneuvered around the edges of the lips but remained a bit tacky when I pressed my lips together for over a half hour later, though as long as I did not press my lips together until five minutes post-application, the color did not lift. I have found the wear to be comfortable so far–non-drying–but not the longest-wearing nor the most budge-proof in liquid lipstick, as just sipping water, tea, or coffee caused color to transfer onto my cups.
There was plenty of coverage, so it still lasted through drinking but did start to break down noticeably during a meal. Even just touching the color after a half hour of wearing it yielded color on my fingertips. The formula had a soft, vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
Browse all of our NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment swatches.
I bought this set at Nordstrom yesterday. I am loving the Velvet Lip Glides, but not so much the Powermattes (as I mentioned in the comments for the other set). I’m wearing Bound today. It is similar in shade to UD Backtalk, which I also own in both bullet and gloss, but the NARS Velvet Lip Glide formula is soooooo much nicer!
I’m open to suggestions for a clear gloss or balm that could possibly go over the Powermattes to make them easier to wear without changing the shade.
A little balm would help – I’d probably opt for one that’s a little thicker and isn’t as slippery/oily.
Thanks for answering my question…twice!!! Lol
I have Kiehl’s, Jack Black, Vaseline Lip Therapy, and Aquaphor Lip Repair…I’ll give those a try. It’s been so long since I’ve used matte liquid lipstick that I’ve gotten used to having something creamy and hydrating on my lips all the time!
I feel like Jack Black’s texture works the best 🙂
Thank you!!! I can’t wait to go home and try it tonight.
I’m gonna have to try those recommendations. I run into the problem of glosses “breaking down” the matte lip product. I hope that makes sense.
All really pretty, all in my preferred lip shade family, all regular sized and at a good price point. I think I need these!
I was really surprised at the value!
These are pretty shades! I already own Bound VLG, neither it nor the the other Sephora VLG set’s shades ever dry out my lips at all. Only have had some problems with that Ulta exclusive set. So I may consider this set.
Interesting that you did have some issues with the Ulta set, though!
Right? Makes me wonder what Nars put in that Ulta set that isn’t in the rest! (the more vivid bright dyes? Who knows!)
Add to cart… click… and purchase!
🙂 😉 😀
Enjoy 😀
I like this even better than the other one — Cartagena is my jam! Haze is great too, and it doesn’t look at all dry.
Cartagena is SOOO beautiful!
I do like all of the shades in this set, although I don’t know if I would like the liquid matte formula. I usually steer away from them. Good value for NARS!
Are there any liquid mattes you DO like? I find NARS to be more comfortable than some, but it is still… a liquid matte, IMO.
Pass. Only love one. No mattes for me and don’t care for the pale gloss. I’m too old for it to work.
Easy skip then! 🙂
Pass. Only love one, Bound. No mattes for me and don’t care for the pale gloss. I’m too old for it to work.
The shades look divine. I might try a single Lip Glide. The mattes wouldn’t suit me for sure.
If you haven’t tried the formula but like gloss, it’s well worth a shot!
I already have the two permanent ones, but I desperately want the other two as well. Lucky for me I have a sister.
Lucky sister ;D
I love how smooth and evenly pigmented the lip glides are
Cartagena is beautiful
I love Cartagena!
I definitely wanted to get this set but as it’s moving month no spending for me booooo
Good luck on your move, Anne!
I absolutely love the look of these shades but those power matte shades are going to be way to drying for my already chronically dry lips. Damn, I really like all of the shades in this too…figures! I’m happy that glossy lips are coming back. The matte look just sucks the life out of my lips and ages them something awful. Just not something I can pull off it seems. I need moisture in my lippies.
Darn!! 🙁
LOVE this!! The Powermattes are my fav liquid lipsticks EVER. I can’t get over how they are perfect for me and Ihope they don’t change the formula anytime soon. I haven’t tried the lip glosses yet but I will when I get this set.