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The New NARS Velvet Gloss Pencils Look Sharp but Don’t Always Feel That Way

January 16th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil
NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Frivolous

Wait up, guys! I gotta sharpen my gloss first…?

This spring NARS draws the lip gloss out of its shell by putting it into a chubby pencil/crayon.

The six new glosses in the soon-to-be-released Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil ($24) line contain vitamins E and A to moisturize and protect lips while imparting a subtle shine. The six shades launch February 1, but here’s a brief look at one of them.

Frivolous, a rosy, peachy pink with golden pearl, goes on smooth and non-sticky. Neither scented nor flavored, it feels refreshingly light on my lips, but consequently when used alone it only manages to last a couple of hours per application. Francois recommends lining the lips first, and then filling them in.

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil
NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Frivolous

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil lip closup

The pencil is an interesting touch, but, practically speaking, I don’t see it providing a big advantage over tubes. The gloss itself is so soft that it requires using a VERY light touch. As a matter of fact, I accidently snapped the tip off the first time I used it, and sharpening is easier said than done.

I like Frivolous’ rich yet subtle glow, but I’m afraid the pencils won’t last very long. These are so soft that I expect to burn through ’em quickly.

PRICE: $24
AVAILABILITY: At NARS counters and narscosmetics.com in February.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The New NARS Velvet Gloss Pencils Look Sharp but Don’t Always Feel That Way / Originally published January 16th, 2011

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: nars

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Comments

  1. Tiffany says

    January 16th, 2011 at 7:55 am

    Oooh I LOVE the shade of this. Have you tried the clinique chubby sticks? They are more balm than gloss in my opinion, but they twist up instead of needing sharpening.

    Reply
  2. Paris B says

    January 16th, 2011 at 7:59 am

    These are so similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks! I hear Shiseido has one too. What’s with brands and chubby pencils lately 😀

    Reply
  3. Tracy says

    January 16th, 2011 at 9:00 am

    Not very convenient if they have to be sharpened. The Clinique Chubby Sticks just twist up like Tiffany said-more portable!

    Reply
  4. Emma says

    January 16th, 2011 at 9:53 am

    Amazing shine payout given that it comes from a pencil that doesn’t look that shiny to me. I’m impressed but I don’t like the idea of sharpening and losing half the colour that way 🙁

    Reply
  5. Krista says

    January 16th, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Beautiful color and nice shine…but I agree…seems like tubed gloss is more practical and would last longer.

    Reply
  6. Rads says

    January 16th, 2011 at 10:55 am

    Very unrelated to the post..but I got Nakkar and the blush 😀 😀 😀 😀 :D…err the new Chanel one..Espiegle 😀 😀 😀 😀

    Reply
  7. Amber says

    January 16th, 2011 at 10:56 am

    Don’t care, want! Why, I don’t know. Maybe I am subconsciously trying to make up for that Sonia Kashuk pencil that looked so awful on me. Or maybe I just really like pencils. I have been wanting to try the other NARS chubby lip pencils for years and I always talk myself out of it for some reason.

    I am having a heck of a time typing one-handed, with my laptop in the other hand, because there is a cat on my lap. The things we do for those little tyrants.

    Reply
  8. Tiffany H. says

    January 16th, 2011 at 11:13 am

    Interesting concept. I think the chubby pencil is so cute!

    Reply
  9. Rae says

    January 16th, 2011 at 11:13 am

    Aww, it sucks that they’re so soft! Have you tried putting it in the freezer for 5-10 min before sharpening? It wouldn’t help with application, but it might make that aspect at least a little easier!

    Reply
  10. lexi says

    January 16th, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    I wonder if this would be similar to the gloss sticks that Stila use to do. Do they still do them? I haven’t used Stila in a very long time but I do remember how extremely soft those wear.

    This is a shame – I am loving that color on you. Because I LOVE NARS I would have to at least check it out at the counter.

    Reply
  11. Raven says

    January 16th, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Ah, it’s so pretty! Can’t wait to see the other colors!

    Reply
  12. Paintthetownscarlet.wordpress.com says

    January 16th, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    It’s a shame these crayons haven’t taken off as the colour is great. However, I agree – gloss tubes boast better longetivity and are much more compact than a crayon, let alone a chubby one!

    Reply
  13. Nina says

    January 16th, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    your experience w/ that pencil is so far removed from my great experience with the velvet matte pencils — i <3 those!!!

    Reply
  14. Makeup Morsels says

    January 16th, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    mmm that’s too bad. I still love the color though, and I always find chubby lip pencils too cute to resist.

    Reply
  15. Chris25 says

    January 16th, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    That shade looks beautiful! It sucks that it’s so soft, but I am trying to get myself into more natural rose shades, so I may get this anyway.

    Reply
  16. Kim says

    January 17th, 2011 at 5:28 am

    I’m pleasantly surprised by the glossiness of this. However, it’s a definite pass. I envision it being as fun to sharpen as a stick of butter (and cleaning the sharpener is terrible enough without a gooey mess).

    Reply
  17. Katrina says

    January 17th, 2011 at 11:31 am

    Yeah, points for thinking outside the tube, but it doesn’t seem like the best idea.

    Reply
  18. Jessica says

    January 17th, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Lipstick Queen already made these things a year ago. They’re called Chinatown glossy pencils. I have Chase, a watermelon pink.

    Reply
  19. diane says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 9:06 am

    1. I can’t understand how you can look good with any color combination!
    2. I think this packaging makes you loose a lot of the product!

    kiss

    Reply
  20. diane says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 9:06 am

    1. I can’t understand how you can look good with any color combination!
    2. I think this packaging makes you loose a lot of the product!

    kiss

    Reply
  21. Jess says

    February 1st, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    This looks gorgeous but I agree, they don’t seem to practical. Doesn’t stop me from lusting after them though lol

    Reply

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