NARS American Woman Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil Review & Swatches
American Woman
NARS American Woman Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil ($30.00 for 0.08 oz.)
- Opaque pigmentation in one stroke
- Lightly emollient, creamy, lightweight
- Set to a flexible, lightly tacky but transfer-resistant finish
- Applied evenly and smoothly across lips
- Long-wearing (5.5 hours), non-drying
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Guerlain Warm Almond (159) (P, $36.00).
- Bite Beauty Sesame (P, $28.00).
- MAC Come Over (P, $19.00).
- Laura Mercier Brun Pale (P, $32.00).
- ColourPop Missin' U (P, $8.00).
- MAC Princess Incognito (LE, $20.00).
- Fenty Beauty C-Suite'Heart (P, $29.00).
- NARS Walk This Way (P, $26.00).
- Makeup by Mario Brielle (P, $24.00).
- NARS Shag (LE, $26.00).
Formula Overview
$30.00/0.08 oz. - $375.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a matte finish with "12-hour" wear with "one swipe, instant color" that is comfortable to wear and "transfer-proof." I think they've improved upon the longevity compared to the brand's Velvet Matte Lip Pencils of many years ago, as even the lighter shades are long-wearing, but 12-hour wear is a stretch (that's not a surprise, though).
The formula featured a soft setting process where the initial texture was more emollient, creamier, and easy to maneuver with along the curves of the lips, but it set to a lightly tacky finish that was transfer-resistant and remained flexible, so it was comfortable to wear. Most shades wore between five and six hours with a couple of the deeper hues lasting over six hours. It was a non-drying formula to wear over time.
The shades were pigmented in a single layer, and I felt like they were quite easy to use to get a nice, even line of color along the edges of my lips. It was also a more forgiving and flattering finish as it didn't emphasize lip lines or lip texture for the most part.
Browse all of our NARS Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylyl Methicone, Octyldodecanol, Synthetic Wax, Lauroyl Lysine, Dicalcium Phosphate, Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyethylene, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cera Carnauba/Cire De Carnauba, Stearyl Heptanoate, Stearyl Caprylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Propylene Carbonate, [+/-(May Contain/Peut Contenir): Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Love this shade so much because it is literally the matte version of my more glossy, slightly darker and warmer MAC Cosmo! Could be perfect for a specific official upcoming event, I think.
Pleasantly surprised, on your behalf, that these are non-drying! NARS shot themselves in the foot with the longevity claim, though.
Are these crayons anything like the velvet matte crayons Nars is replacing with them?
Thirty dollars for a (small) lip pencil is just egregious to me. And the colors in this collection are all so similar! Hard pass.
The formula looks faintly hydrating but I’m not sure how it would go on someone with dry lips.
Very pretty but not in my preferred shades!