I’ve had the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama for over a year now. I received an ASOS gift voucher from work for Christmas in 2018 and it was something I picked up through it. I’ve found over lockdown I have more time to review beauty products and I’ve certainly had ample time to test it out.
About the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils
For those unfamiliar with the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, they’re basically a lipstick and lip pencil all rolled into one, promising precise application, high pigmentation and a long lasting finish. I own four in total. The other three are all red shades and I give a brief overview of them here.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils aren’t cheap, they retail at £22 for 2.4g of product. They also require sharpening and because they are an awkward size so it’s best to buy the NARS sharpener to avoid wastage. This is an additional expense which is justifiable if you have a few NARS lip pencils in your collection but not so great if you just own one. I do like the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and I think if you find a colour you like, it’ll be a constant in your make up collection that you’ll keep repurchasing. But the initial outlay can be quite high.
Anyway, this is what NARS has to say about their lip pencils:
DIVERSE RANGE OF RICH, VIVID SHADES
A repeat winner in all the top beauty books, this cult-favorite comes in a diverse range of highly pigmented colours with a velvety matte finish.
seamless colour THAT LASTS FOR HOURS
Unique silicones ensure long-lasting colour while emollients provide a creamy feel. Smooth comfortable texture keeps the matte finish looking fresh all day.
CONVENIENT APPLICATION
The original jumbo pencil provides quick, easy convenient application. Its tapered end is ideal for lining, defining and filling in lips.
NARS Bahama Velvet Matte Lip Pencil – My Thoughts
NARS Bahama is the first (and only) non-red shade I own from the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil range. To me, it’s a medium mauve-pink with brown undertones.
As you can see from the swatch above, it’s pigmented. It has just enough pink to make it wearable for me, as I find brown lipsticks just do not work on my skin tone. I think it has enough depth to work on most skin tones. It looks like an ideal nude for darker skin tones from swatches I have seen online.
Below is what NARS Bahama looks like on the lips. It’s a fair bit darker than the pink lipsticks I usually opt for. I daresay, it has a bit of a 90s vibe to it with the brown. I do like it though, as I said before, it has just enough pink to suit fairer skin tones. It’s my new go-to when I want to wear a lipstick that’s not too bright or too dark.
I know I’ve waxed lyrical a bit about the colour, so I’ll move on to other aspects of the lipstick. I feel like a common criticism I see about the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils is that they’re drying. Whilst I found that in the past about Cruella in particular [review here], NARS Bahama seems to have a bit more “slip” to it, which makes it more comfortable to wear. It also doesn’t cling to or highlight any dryness on the lips.
Like with all Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, Bahama has a lightweight texture and I did not notice any feathering or bleeding. Wear time was around the five-hour mark and it fades evenly over the course of the day.
What do you think of NARS Bahama? Do you like the 90s lipstick vibe?
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