NARS Powermatte Liquid Lip Pigments and Precision Lip Liners
NARS will finally launch the much-talked about Powermatte Lip Pigments (S$40) in Singapore in September and these will be available in 20 shades. They will first be available at counters at TANGS and Robinsons from 1 September, and then at Sephora from 14, but if you’re impatient, they’ve pre-launched at the NARS boutique in Ngee Ann City already!
I’ve had the chance to swatch several shades and also tested four of them on my lips, and I’ll say the standout positive features of this range are:
- All the shades are quite sophisticated; edgy rather than outlandish. Aside from the black, I would say all the colors are very grown-up and pretty wearable for work. And as expected of NARS, expect kick-ass reds and neutrals.
- The formula is incredibly light and watery (somewhat like a silkier Lime Crime Velveteen) but also goes on very intense and opaque. The applicator is small and hard, but there is more than enough product to cover a whole mouth. In fact, the liquid spreads so well that a tiny bit goes a long way, which means your money will go a longer way too.
- The shades don’t seem to darken much or grey noticeably when set. At least for the four shades I tried, these dried down mostly how they look when wet. So you don’t end up with a shade on your mouth that’s totally different from in the tube.
- Liquid lipsticks that set will always feel dry on the lips. There’s no avoiding that. But these are formulated to remain quite flexible on the lips instead of going stiff and cracking up with movement. I can smile after these set and there are no cracks or gaps. This also makes them a bit more comfortable to wear than many other brands I’ve tried.
- They layer quite well, although they are pigmented enough that you shouldn’t need to.
- Super sleek packaging of course. This is NARS.
Some cons or just things to take note of:
- Obviously, these are not cheap. But they are still more affordable than those from designer brands like Chanel and Burberry.
- They take a little longer to set fully. And the first time your lips touch something, you might get a tiny bit of transfer if you applied a thick layer or didn’t wait long enough. I personally don’t mind this but just want to point it out.
- The formula is so lightweight and runny that I almost always have a lot more product on the applicator than I need to cover my whole mouth. Be careful about over-application. I’ve had a couple of smears during application when I wasn’t careful. Use less than you think you need and build up if needed. Also be careful when pulling the applicator out of the tube. You don’t want splatters on your dress.
- It’s NARS, so I don’t really expect funky colors but I did hope there would be more edgy vampy shades in the selection. A majority of the 20 available do lean on the neutral to light/bright side. Not that many dark sultry shades. Then again they might expand the shade selection eventually like they did with the Audacious lipsticks, if these sell well.
Alongside the Powermatte Lip Pigments, NARS is also launching 26 new Precision Lip Liners. The boast is that these 26 shades will give you an option to match every lip shade you could possibly own in the NARS lip ranges.
Some people might not like the fact that these are normal pencils but I don’t mind sharpening because I find they last longer and go a longer way than twist-up lip pencils. This is partly because regular pencil formulas tend to be stiffer (less prone to breaking) and more lasting on the lips, and also because you get a lot less product in automatic pencils.
These are smooth and pigmented and come in so many shade options that I don’t really have much to complain about.