Cheryl Shops

I am such a fan of Nars cosmetics that my favorite products probably warrant their own posts, but for now, I'm focusing on one, the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. I'd seen it cited repeatedly by fashion and beauty insiders, so I finally schlepped over to Sephora to try it out. I went straight for Dragon Girl, a bright red that tends to be the most frequently mentioned shade. And whoa. This also probably warrants its own post, but try as I might, I am just not a red lipstick girl—I feel like a clown in any lip color too different from my own, and I always worry that I'll put it on and if I kiss someone, I'll end up looking like Heather Graham in the limo scene in Boogie Nights. Anyway, next I tried Dolce Vita (pictured here), which is more of a warm rose color, or like the natural color of my lips, but better. It is perfect. The texture is somewhere between a lipstick and a pencil—it's highly pigmented like a regular lip pencil, but more moisturizing and not at all waxy. It's also a chunkier shape, making it incredibly easy to apply. The color lasts a long time and stays put--I can happily report that it passes the kissing test and usually lasts through lunch. I love the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil so much, I'm almost upset I haven't tried it earlier. As for red lipstick, I'll keep trying...