MAC Nightingale Lip Pencil Review

Hello gorgeous gals,

I seem to be on a MAC lip pencil review spree – after reviewing “Edge-to-Edge,” “Fashion Boost,” and “Boldly Bare,” I have for you the review of the shade “Nightingale.” I did go to great lengths to get my hands on this one. Why? Let’s find out 🙂

Product Details (from the website):
A pencil designed for shaping, lining or filling in the lip. Lip pencils have a smooth, creamy texture that is perfect for lining the lips or filling them in. They are long-lasting and available in a wide selection of colors that work well with many different lipstick shades. The color of lip pencils is protected by vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant, and they contain emollients that moisturize the lips. Lip Pencils can be worn alone, with lipstick or lip glass.

Price:
$16.50 in US/INR 1450 for 1.45 gm.

Packaging:  The lip pencil is a regular sharpen-able wooden pencil, which comes packaged in a black cardboard box. The good thing with the packaging is that the plastic cap is snugly secure and doesn’t come off easily. Also, the pencil bottom is colour coded corresponding to the product shade, so it’s easy to identify it in the stash.  There is no smudger or sharpener that comes along with the pencil.

My Experience with MAC Nightingale Lip Pencil:

Color: The shade is described by MAC as a “mid-tonal cream plum.” It’s a berry-ish, plum purple pink! Ya! I just said that! But that’s how the colour is!!! It’s quite a mélange of shades and depending on the intensity you give it, the depth of the colour varies the shade itself. It works very well with your deeper plummy or berry shades or the ones which have a bit of purple in the name. The reason I sought this one out is because I read that it made the perfect base for MAC Rebel. MAC Rebel is one of my favorite shades! I love it to death, with only one problem, that it’s satin finish. I don’t really get along well with MAC’s satin finishes, I find them drying and they tend to get patchy and cling to dry areas over time, which for me is a bummer because I really do like this shade “Rebel.” So, when I heard (on the blogosphere) that Nightingale was a match made in heaven, I was all for it! And yes, it works very well with Rebel, giving it longevity, evenness and depth! Not only MAC Rebel, the shade works very well for purple-hued berry or plummy lipstick shades.

Texture: The texture of this one is fairly smooth. Considering that it is a newly-launched shade, the stock was new, which may also have had something to do with the smoothness of the product. You have to prep your lips before applying this. Once prepped, it glides easily without tug and pull on your lips. As is usual with most MAC lip pencils, on its own, it’s tolerable for a couple of hours.  Crossing the 3-3.5-hour mark, it gets really drying on the lips. You either need to top it up with a lipstick, lip gloss or balm.

Pigmentation: The pigmentation is good. It covers lip pigmentation very well and provides an even base– working on the assumption that your lips are well prepped. If not, it will cling to dry patches and tug and pull over it.

Staying Power:  The product lasted about 6-6.5 hours on me, on its own, but it does get drying over time. With a lipstick applied on it, you get better wear time and more depth to the shade.

To sum this up for you:

Pros of MAC Nightingale Lip Pencil:

• A unique berry-hued plummy purple shade.
• Lightweight matte texture.
• Gets precise application.
• The pencil applies smoothly on prepped lips.
• No feathering or bleeding.
• Convenient packaging, easy to apply and easy to carry, doesn’t take much space in the bag.

Cons of MAC Nightingale Lip Pencil:

• Not a hydrating formula – this was understood anyway, right?
• Tends to cling to dry patches, would suggest exfoliating lips before applying.

IMBB Rating:
4.5/5

Is it a must-have shade? Only if you are a lover of berry or plummy shades and would like a good base for them. If these deeper colours are not up your ally, you can definitely skip this pencil and if by any chance you love MAC Rebel, please do yourself a favor, pick it asap!

MAC Lip Pencil Cherry
MAC Fashion Boost Pro Longwear Lip Pencil
MAC Spice Lip Pencil
MAC Beet Lip Pencil
MAC Lip Pencil in Soar
MAC Absolutely It Pro Longwear Lip Pencil
MAC Chestnut Lip Pencil
MAC Whirl Lip Pencil
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – Cruella
Urban Decay Ozone 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque
NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil