To be honest, I’ve never really used lip liners before. Recently though, I went for a makeup class and was blown away by how much they transformed my lips. So, I obviously had to rush to the nearest MAC store and get my hands on a few shades. Since I’m all about versatile neutrals, I decided to get the Lip Duo in ‘Soar’ and ‘Spice’. Here is my review.

The liners come in the form of pencils that need to be sharpened. Whilst I’m generally not fond of such formats because it leads to wastage, I understand that the nibs need to be sharp to draw on a precise outline. Each pencil has a coloured band on one end so that you can see the exact shade. The shade name is printed in silver just above the band.

In terms of formula, both these shades were quite similar. Although the pencils initially feel stiff and hard to work with it, they soon warm up to a creamy consistency. As liners, they do a great job at defining the edges of the lips. However, when I tried applying the shades all over, I found that they tugged a little and caught on to the dry patches. I recommend using quick, short strokes to evenly coat your pout. ‘Soar’ is a brown-toned pink shade, whilst ‘Spice’ is a neutral brown with rosy undertones. The major difference between the two is that ‘Soar’ leans more towards the pinker end, whilst ‘Spice’ is firmly in the neutral territory. Both pencils have a completely matte finish and are very pigmented. I usually require two coats to get complete opacity.

I’ve been wearing these pencils under most of my lipsticks and have been amazed at how much they have increased the lasting power of every lip colour! When worn alone, each shade stays put for at least 6 hours and fades evenly. When paired with a lipstick, they extend the wear time by a good 3 to 4 hours. The only downside is that the formula feels drying and can accentuate fine lines. If I layer them under a lip colour, this is usually not a problem. However, if you plan on wearing just the pencil, I recommend applying a lip balm beneath it.

Pigmented, long lasting and versatile, these lip pencils are a must-have. The colours are flattering on a wide range of skin tones and pair well with nearly all of my pink and nude lipsticks. Unfortunately, this lip kit is no longer available. However, both these shades are a part of MAC’s permanent collection so it shouldn’t be difficult to get your hands on these!

Price: USD 18.00 for each pencil/ INR 1450.00 for each pencil/ AED 120.00 for the Lip Duo

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