makeup review: NARS

Whichever way I rolled the dice, I was simply destined to be makeup-obsessed, following (of course) the footsteps of my mom. We both tend toward lip-stick/gloss/pencil/you-name-it-we-got-it; we're especially suckers for red lipwear. Recently, in the past couple of years, I've become slightly hooked on NARS brand velvet matte lip pencil (which is a combination lipstick and lip pencil). And by slightly hooked I mean I own 4 of these bad boys ("Damned", "Dolce Vita", "Dragon Girl", and "Cruella") and at $22 a pop, that's loyalty. After I myself fell for the smoothness and richness of "Dragon Girl" and "Damned", my mom started borrowing it every now and again. Oh, how the tables have turned huh, momma?

Well, to sum up this rave review, NARS velvet matte lip pencil is perfect for getting a lasting lip. It's not the most moisturizing lipstick on the block so either make sure you're hydrated (always good for you and your lips) or that you've prepped them to be smooth and flake-less. If you need that bit of extra moisture, dab a bit of moisturizer on your lips as it absorbs into your lips better than lip balm, which mostly stays on the surface/protects/locks moisture in. Lip balm also gives lipstick cause to smear much easier making it last much less longer than normal. When I don't want to be ubermattified, I find it best to put lip balm over the lip pencil (again, it doesn't help it last as long, but it feels more casual).
I really love this product because of it's wide range of colors. I wear "Dolce Vita" on a daily because it's fairly close to my lip skin color but still adding a bit of life. And I can wear "Damned", a berry shade, at night.

Any favorite lip gold you have to share?