Is the NARS Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil the lip of summer?

“A strong lip always adds power to your look” – François NARS, Founder & Creative Director.

Anyone who knows me – or asks me what I’m lip product wearing – will know how wedded I am to my NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment, which is a super duper, mega matte beauty that I own in no less than nine shades (and counting). With a lightweight texture that literally applies like ink and dries down without bleeding, it saturates lips with dense colour in the most satisfying way, and wears comfortably all day long. I have worn it pretty much since the day it dropped in store at my local MECCA many years ago, and recommend it to pretty much everyone I meet. And did I mention the shade range is truly epic? Well now I did.

Fast forward to late 2023 and MECCA has welcomed the new NARS Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil, another fully loaded matte lip formula charged with 12-hour staying power that just won’t quit. I instantly fell hard for the precision of the pencil format after playing with some samples, and love how incredibly comfortable it is to wear. The transformative cream-to-matte texture applies effortlessly and seals lips with a bold, matte finish, and yep, one swipe is all you need.
Key to its success is the fact that the lip pencil is formulated with what the brand calls a Power Pigment Complex—a dynamic blend of pure pigments and colour-locking ingredients that saturate lips with dense colour that glides on effortlessly and wears comfortably all day. It may not dry down and seal as much as the brand’s lip pigment, but it is the perfect gateway product if you’re shy of using a liquid lip (you shouldn’t be) and seriously does not transfer.

How to use it? Using the tip of the pencil, line lips first before filling in with colour to create a bold, matte look. You can also get creative by lining lips with one shade, then filling in colour with a lighter shade for a fuller look with added dimension. I have tried this with some of the nude tones (which are super strong) and it definitely brings a sexy, nineties neutral vibe, and just may be my go-to look as we head further into summer.
When it comes to nasties, the formula is miraculously paraben-free; phthalate-free; sulphate-free; mineral oil-free; coal tar-free; hydroquinone-free; triclocarban-free; triclosan-free; fragrance-free and formaldehyde releasing agents-free, which will hush the naysayers who reckon you can’t have a decent longwearing lip without requiring a ton of yucky chemicals.

If this sounds like something you’d like to discover for yourself then I highly recommend that you hit your nearest MECCA ASAP. These babies are on counter now and selling fast.