#032

Bite Beauty #032 The Lip Pencil ($18.00 for 0.05 oz.) is a medium-dark plum with warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that applied decently all-over lips, though I felt like lightly pressing and rubbing my lips together was the easiest way to ensure more even coverage (which is not usually the best method for evening out a lip liner). The texture was thin, clingy but not drying, and comfortable to apply to the lips as it tugged just a bit (when filling in). This shade stayed on well for six hours. Bite Beauty recommends wearing this particular shade with Chai, Verbena, or Honeycomb; I think it would work well with Rhubarb (lighter) or Pepper (warmer) -- see comparison swatches.

The Lip Pencil formula is supposed to have "perfect, allover, opaque lip coverage" with a lightweight feel. I think the formula worked exceptionally well for lining the edges of the lips and keeping color on longer and more within the lines (e.g. a lipstick feathers on its own wouldn't feather when layered over one of the lip pencils). Some shades worked well for filling in the lips for all over color, but some applied more unevenly or were less comfortable to fill in with. The consistency was soft, just barely creamy--almost more velvety than creamy--and oddly spreadable, as I found the best way to "even" out the coverage was to press my lips together, and while there was a touch of tackiness, the color almost always appeared more even after that than if I kept trying to maneuver and push the color around with the pencil itself. They do feel lightweight, and they lasted anywhere from five to six hours on their own. They weren't spectacularly long-wearing as a standalone lip product, but they extended the wear of lipsticks by two to four hours.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.

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