Prince night at karaoke.
Think about it. All of the only songs are Prince songs. I would totally go! It would be awesome! Let’s find someplace that does it.
I think it would be even more awesome, though, if we went wearing these new $27 NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil shades, because of the 10 of them, half are shouts-outs to Prince songs, including Let’s Go Crazy (one of my favorite Prince songs).
(Side note: if you can spot all the ones that are Prince songs, PROPS.)
These are the 10 new shades joining the permanent line, aaaaaand one of them is kinda funky, although it’s a color that’s very trendy right now. It’s a dark bluish black, and I can’t remember seeing anything like it at NARS before.
It’s one of the ones that doesn’t have a Price name, but when you say it out loud, you do have to whisper…because it’s called “Unspoken.” Shh…
So I’ve been wearing the NARS Velvet Mattes for almost a decade, and I hope the brand never, ever, EVER phases them out because these pencils are spectacularly saturated, superbly smooth and oh, so comfortable.
A lot of the time mattes are heavy and drying, and just generally a bear to deal with, especially darker colors, because you have to, like, use a separate lip pencil or lip brush, but you don’t have to with these. Just outline and fill. That’s it. Nada drama.
And they feel fabulous and lightweight, which is probably the best thing about them — like wearing a very comfortable bra. These are like that… They’re the comfy bras of the matte lipstick world.
As far as wear time, do they last as long as a liquid matte lipstick? No, I usually have to reapply them about halfway through my day, and then again on my afternoon break, but that’s fine… I’d rather have matte lips that look light and natural, even if I have to reapply them every few hours, than matte lips that look like a cat butt after six hours.
Of these new shades, of course my favorite is hot pink Let’s Go Crazy (I’m so easy), and I also love Get Off (but not the song… I always fast-forward through it on my Prince greatest hits CD). If you’re in the throes of a ’90s brown matte lip moment, Do Me Baby is really pretty, too.
Of course, it wouldn’t be NARS if there weren’t a few new bad-@ss reds, like Famous Red. Definitely try it on if you get a chance.
Oh, in case you’re wondering, these are unscented, but they do taste a little like vanilla.
They’re available now at NARS counters and online for $27 each.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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I love NARS Velvet Mattes! Apart of Let’s Go Crazy and Famous Red, I also love be Dirty Mind on you (and probably me, lol).
Kept wondering though, a shade named Pussy Control? It’ll be one hell of a name to ask someone to get it for you ?.
Can’t wait till I travel to Italy where there’s a Sephora & NARS counter to swatch them!
I am with you, I rather reapply than have a drying formula. They are the worst. And I’d be all in for a Prince karaoke, though I’d have to polish up my lyrics for that. Can’t remember the last time I heard his songs.
Ahh, those names…Nars never disappoints with these. Pussy Control looks really pretty! I can’t get over the name though, lol!
The ones named after Prince songs are Pussy Control, Get Off, Dirty Mind, Let’s Go Crazy and Do Me Baby. Did I get them all?
I kind of love Unspoken on you. I’m very fair-skinned, so I’m afraid I’d look like Wednesday Adams in that one, but I may have to try it on. Pussy Control is a must, though! I have a feeling I’ll end up buying most of these. I’ve been wearing Dragon Girl and Damned all winter long, so I need some new colors for spring.
Pussy Control?
Really?
It’s a Prince song.
Intriguing looks absolutely gorgeous on you! I think it might be one of those universally flattering shades too!
I just laughed over your “cat butt” comment. So true, though. 🙂 Lonely Heart looks amazing on you, btw. I totally would have picked Darling Nikki as a name, though. Unspoken could have been Computer Blue. Not super hard to figure out what was the most listened-to Prince album when I was growing up, is it? HAHA! Of course, it was the tape we wore out, back then. It was always sad when your favorite songs started to “wahhh, wahhh”.
These look really nice! My favorites are Do Me Baby and Dirty Mind!
Pussy Control is definitely a color that would not be flattering on me but that song is my jam.
Got a love/hate thing going on with these. Love that they’re longer lasting than most lipsticks and not drying. Hate that they need to be sharpened, instead of twisting up. And I’ve had the cap pop off once or twice and make a mess in my drawer and in my makeup bag.
That said, I will probably go swatch Intriguing, Let’s Go Crazy, Famous Red and Endangered Red.
Yes, the names might be the title of Prince songs, but I’m so over trashy sounding names. Gosh, can you tell I’m getting old and grumpy here?
I don’t mind that they don’t twist up… Well, not until I get to the very end of the pencil, LOL!
I miss sweet names for products, too. #grumpygoat4life
Just went through my lipstick drawers this afternoon. I needed to make room for things that weren’t fitting in the amount of space I have. Tossed anything that applied stiffly or felt drying or was really old. I tossed all the NARS pencils, because I really had to admit that I never wear them because I hate sharpening lipstick pencils. The sharpener gets messier than anything I want to deal with.
How many red lipsticks does one gal need anyway?
I think I like Endangered Red but not sure on the red and matte combo? My lips are very dry and I fear they might look more dry. Would you recommend these for dry lips Karen?
Hi Eleni,
My lips are dry and they do OK with this formula. It’s not highly moisturizing, but it doesn’t aggravate my flakes.
I need all of these colors, except Unspoken. It’s just too dark for me, I would never wear it. But I love all the rest, especially Dirty Mind, Get Off and Endangered Red. Let’s Go Crazy and Pussy Control are adorbs too!
p.s. Has Connor Claire gotten into your makeup yet?
Not yet! *knock on wood* So far the only things she’s played with are brushes. 🙂 I usually have them on my desk, and when she sits with me, she’ll grab one and use it like a magic wand.
Oh I love ALL of these!! Especially the nudes and Endangered Red. I much prefer having to reapply than having all moisture sucked out of my lips!
‘Cat’s butt’ = best description ever!
It’s so true though! Every time Tabs puts his butt in my face I think “Oh my! That’s what my liquid lipstick looks like after a few hours”, HAHA!
I’m interested in do me baby, but I didn’t realize that these have to be sharpened. Now I’m not so sure.
Pussy Control is so good on you! I also really like Do Me Baby.
Pussy Control might be my fave Prince song. That’s a nice shade too and so is Dirty mind.
Love love love these pencils.PLUS that they’re mostly named after Prince songs is a winner. Let’s Go Crazy is gorgeous on you and probably what I’ll go for too when we finally get there in UK.