NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review

Since we are on a NARS trip, thought I would review another NARS product for you. This one is a fairly recent pick, I bought it along with the NARS Audacious lipsticks – Grace and Lana. I have reviewed Cruella and Dragon Girl from this range earlier, which have been perception changing products for me. I always associated mattes with moisture-sucking, lip drying, life-draining products, but NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils changed everything for me.  I wore this again today and got reminded how much I love this shade!

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Product Details:

The application of a lipstick combined with the convenience of a pencil in a jumbo crayon design. Lips are instantly saturated with rich pigments and a velvety matte finish. The long lasting, non-drying formula is enriched with emollients for a creamy texture, while a combination of unique silicones ensures long-lasting, seamless color for hours. Use for lining, all-over lip color, or pairing with another lip product.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

  • Rich, vivid shades.
  • Enriched with Vitamin E.
  • Convenient, easy application.

François’ Insight – 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.  A combination lipstick and lip pencil.  NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Price:

$25 in US

Packaging:

The Velvet Lip pencil is a chubby lip crayon – the base reflects the colour of the lipstick, so it’s easy to identify the shade you want if you have more than one of these. It comes packaged in a black cardboard box – as all things NARS do.  The shade name is also mentioned on the lip crayon and has a black plastic cap for cover.  This product needs to be sharpened (and not twist up), which is a pain because it makes your heart bleed to see the wastage of product.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

My Experience with NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil:

Color:  The shade is another orange red – I do love these! I have spent all of 2014 hording this shade from a dozen different brands! And the lunacy is not letting up any time soon! This one is quite amazing, it’s bright but not neonish. It would look more red on fairer complexions and more orange on darker ones. Either ways, it’s a flattering shade and looks sunny, summery!

This would be more in line with a MAC Lady Danger than a MAC Morange.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Texture: The texture is amazing – the texture is light, velvet smooth, matte, fairly comfortable. This one seemed a wee bit drying compared to the others I have reviewed earlier.  However, it could well be the fact that we are currently enjoying winters which is taking its toll on my lips, I don’t always remember to put the lip balm before sleeping. After all, I can’t leave it on my bedside table, it would be used up as a crayon by the morning 😛 If the lips were prepped, I probably would not have felt the little dryness towards the end of wear.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Pigmentation: It is EXTREMELY pigmented, about 90% color deposit in a single swipe.  The colour is opaque in the first swipe itself and hides lip pigmentation fully and effectively.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Lasting Power:  The product lasted about 6.5-7 hours on me post which it started fading.  It left a stain, which stayed for 2-3 hours and had to be taken off completely with a makeup remover.

NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

To sum this up for you:

Pros of NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil:

  • A beautiful bold orange red.
  • Lightweight velvety matte texture.
  • Excellent pigmentation, opaque in a single swipe.
  • Extremely comfortable, not hydrating but comfortable.
  • Considering it’s a bold red, it’s easy to apply from the pencil.
  • The lipstick applies smoothly, no tug or pull!
  • No feathering or bleeding, a big YAY for a red lipstick.
  • Convenient packaging, easy to apply and easy to carry – doesn’t take much space in the bag. Though I am not very happy with the cover – I don’t trust it to stay put.

Cons of NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil:

  • Unavailability in India.
  • Product wastage during sharpening.

IMBB Rating:

A definite 4.8/5 product.

It’s one of the most comfortable mattes that are there in the market. There is very very little transference. The colour pretty much set down and does not budge through food and drink. It does not make your lips look like pieces of prune. All in all, its worth trying. This could well be used as a base/lip liner for another lipstick or as a full on lipstick on its own. I mostly use it as later. I just wish NARS would introduce some more colours into this well-loved line. I have the basics covered with Cruella, Dragon Girl and Red Square. But would definitely like to try some more. Would you?

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – Cruella
NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – Bahama
NARS Semi Matte Lipstick – Heat Wave
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – Never Say Never
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque
Nars Dolce Vita Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
Inglot Matte Collection AMC Lip Pencil No 12
ULTA Matte Lip Crayon In Shade Raspberry Rose For Warm Rosy Lips

IMBB RECOMMENDS

23 thoughts on “NARS Red Square Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review

  1. wowwww!! the staying power is insane!! I dont think i have a lipstick from this range but I have these pencil types from nars and they are suuper awesome. love how summery and fresh it looks on your. it looks like morange and lady danger had a baby. 😀 you look stunning! 🙂

    1. Yup – its quite perfect – not too orange like Mornage but not really a Red either! I know I climbed the Ornage bandwagon a year too late – I think it was the colour of the year for 2013. But I am gonna wear oranges, all this year too!

    1. Ha ha Ha! You go Gurrrrl! I invariably end up reaching for orange shades when applying lippy. So much so that i sometimes consciously look for orange attire coz I wanna wear an orange lippy that day!! 😉

  2. Thankyou so much! You should definitely try the colour. For a first time wearer, I would suggest YSL Pur Couture #13, Le Orange – its orange with a hint of pink, which makes it much easier to carry off. Do check it out!

  3. Super spring colour!!! I’m loving that matted look esp with a bold colour like that…..I’m yet to venture in NARS…but thanks to you guys….looks like I cant wait any longer!

  4. KK you are going to make me broke 😀 I really want to have this s badly and have been eyeing mysterious red 🙂 hey bhagwan kya hoga mera 😛 Lovely FOTD and swatches you made them so tempting

    1. Thanks PArmita! I know the feeling – I sometimes feel I should stop reading all beauty blogs – I keep buying thanks to them! 🙁

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