NARS Satin Lip Pencils Review, Photos & Swatches

First, NARS announced the launch of their awesome new concealers, and now they’re topping off the season with another must-have product, the new NARS Satin Lip Pencils ($25 USD / $30 CAD). These luscious lip colors come in 12 different shades, including peachy nudes, classic pinks, bold brights and daring reds. Hitting all NARS retailers April 1, 2013 (but you can grab them before that on March 7th, exclusively at Holt Renfrew in Canada and Nordstrom in the USA)!

These lip color pencils resemble the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils a lot- they are packaged in a matte black pencil with a color swatch on the tail end of the pencil.  I’m a huge fan of lip color pencils- especially glossy, opaque ones (my love was first sparked by the Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color Pencils).

The pencil structure allows for both an easy and precise application, and you can ditch the lip liner as well to make the process even quicker. I did find that sometimes the cap wasn’t so easy to keep on, and it would pop off if too much air was captured in the cap… but it didn’t happen too often, and a simple re-adjustment solved the issue.

NARS Satin Lip Pencils

Note the size & packaging

The shades include:

• Biscayne Park: Pink guava
• Floralies: Light apricot
• Isola Bella: Peach beige
• Rikugien: Rose pink
• Lodhi: Vibrant coral
• Yu: Shocking pink
• Jardin Des Plantes: Fuchsia (Boutique Exclusive)
• Luxembourg: Vivid watermelon
• Hyde Park: Cardinal red
• Golshan: Spiced wine
• Majella: Garnet red
• Het Loo: Cognac brown
• Palais Royal: Sangria burgundy

These lip colors are ultra creamy- possibly one of the creamiest lip products I’ve ever used. This is both a blessing and a curse… it feels like absolute luxury on the lips, but it makes it much harder to apply the color precisely (especially the deep shades). Use a little too much pressure, and it smudges instantly. You really have to be careful, and a little experienced, in order to apply these creamy pencils with a smooth, sharp edge.

They are also beautifully pigmented- the lighter shades are medium-to-full, buildable coverage while the deeper shades are super opaque.  With a single swipe, the color is fully opaque, yet still lightweight.  They all have a satin texture to them (hence, the name of the product), leaving a slight, glossy sheen behind.

The one area in which these pencils disappointed me, is that they aren’t long wearing at all. They are super comfortable, which is great, but they don’t set down or stay put like the Urban Decay ones I mentioned.  They will last a few hours on their own, but there’s no “locking” power to this lip colors, so you’ll have to re-apply after drinking or eating for sure (especially the light shades).

I really love these new lip colors; I think that my favorite shades have to be Biscayne Park for a nude lip, Rikugien for an everyday my-lips-but-better pink, Yu for a bold, hot pink lip and Majella for a classic red. Ultra moisturizing, comfortable to wear and completely opaque… but a little lacking in the longevity department. Either way, they are gorgeous and a fun way to add some color to your makeup bag.

NARS Satin Lip Pencils (L-R) Biscayne Park, Floralies, Isola Bella, Rikugien, Lodhi, Yu, Jardin Des Plantes, Luxembourg, Hyde Park, Golshan, Majella, Het Loo & Palais Royal

Swatches (L-R) Biscayne Park, Floralies, Isola Bella, Rikugien, Lodhi, Yu, Jardin Des Plantes, Luxembourg, Hyde Park, Golshan, Majella, Het Loo & Palais Royal

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Biscayne Park

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Floralis

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Isola Bella

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Jardin Des Plantes

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Golshan

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Majella

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Het Loo

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Palais Royal