NARS Cosmetics | Cruella Velvet Matte Lip Pencil | NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil | Review | Swatch
“I wanted to create a modern way to wear a very classic matte lip. The creaminess of the texture makes them very easy to wear.”
– FRANÇOIS NARS, Founder and Creative Director
I had never known about Luxurious International Brands such as Nars, Urban Decay, Estee Lauder, Too Faced, Clinique, until my better half had travelled to USA. And I got lucky in the process that I made myself familiar with these brands and their cult favourities!
I received two sample sized Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils (1.8 gm each) on my birthday from Sephora USA. One of the shades washed me out, so I had passed it on to a dear sister. However, the other one is my staple favourite. Cruella it is!
Cruella, the name might sound very weirdly “cruel”, but the shade is to die for!
NARS describes Cruella as Passionate Scarlet Red.
NARS claims – Cult-favorite Velvet Matte Lip Pencil instantly delivers the impact of a matte lipstick with the spontaneity of a pencil. The long lasting, non-drying formula is enriched with Vitamin E and emollients for a creamy texture, while a combination of unique silicones ensures long-lasting, seamless matte color for hours. Lips are instantly saturated with rich, vivid pigments and a velvety matte finish. Its jumbo size provides the application of a lipstick with the convenience of an artist pencil, and the tapered end is perfect for lining, defining, and filling in lips. This versatile formula also makes it easy to pair with another lip product for added dimension or as a tinted base. Whether it’s soft and neutral or bold and edgy, this lip pencil is ideal for making a lip statement. Works best with NARS Pencil Sharpener. Other sharpeners may be harmful or damaging.
DIVERSE RANGE OF RICH, VIVID SHADES
- A repeat winner in all the top beauty books, this cult-favorite comes in a diverse range of highly pigmented colors with a velvety matte finish.
SEAMLESS COLOR THAT LASTS FOR HOURS
- Unique silicones ensure long-lasting color while emollients provide a creamy feel. Smooth comfortable texture keeps the matte finish looking fresh all day.
CONVENIENT APPLICATION
- The original jumbo pencil provides quick, easy convenient application. Its tapered end is ideal for lining, defining and filling in lips.
How to Use?
- To create a long-lasting lip look, use as a base to lip color and layer additional lip products on top.
- To create dimension, try one shade as a liner and another to fill in the lips.
- For three-dimensional definition, follow with a Lip Liner in a slightly deeper shade.
Packaging
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil comes in a black cardboard box, with all the details engraved on it. The lip pencil’s end shows the colour of the product, which makes it easy to locate if you own more than one. The name too is written on the side (although in tiny letters). The pencil comes with a black cap, however, in my opinion the cap isn’t too sturdy.
Please excuse the poor quality of the pencil at the moment!
Texture
The texture is matte, light, velvet smooth and extremely comfortable. It survives meals for 4 to 5 hours, and then starts fading. It is non-drying and your lips do not scream for hydration (as is the case with a lot of matte lip colours).
Pigmentation
I was overjoyed when I had first tried Cruella on my lips. One swipe, and my lips looked so opaque. It definitely hides pigmentation and delivers intense colour on first application. The shade looked so flattering on my skintone (I am NC 45 by the way), and I have received a lot of compliments whenever I sported it. It does leave behind a lip stain, which can be removed with a makeup remover.
My Review
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil delivers the colour of a lipstick, while it comes in a crayon pencil form. You can even use it to line your lips. However, the only con (according to me) is that it needs to be sharpened quite often, which results in a lot of wastage of the product. It would have been great had it been a retractable pencil.
It is not everyday that you come across a nice, comfortable matte red, that instantly brightens your face. A lip colour that draws compliments whenever you use it. NARS Cruella is one of those shades, that exactly fits the description. I will let the swatches do the rest of the talking!
Thumbs Up for:
- The colour is beautiful and universally flattering
- The texture is light and matte
- One swipe alone delivers enough pigmentation
- Can be used as a lip colour as well as a lip pencil
- It is very comfortable on the lips
- It is easy to use and apply
Thumbs Down for:
- Being pricey
- Needs to be sharpened often
- Not easily available in India (you need to contact Instagram re-sellers)
Will I repurchase it?
YES. Will definitely repurchase during Sephora Black Friday SALE.
Price : $27 plus taxes (Roughly 1850-1900 in INR)
Size: 0.086 oz/ 2.4 g
Disclaimer
This is not a sponsored post and the opinion expressed in this post is on the basis of my experience with the product.
Informative 👍🏻
Thank you so much sweety!