If we had to name a fictional person to be the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, our vote would go to Cruella de Vil. Despite her wretched behaviour and love for all things fur, you can’t deny that the woman had style. Clearly, NARS agrees with us, because they have named a lipstick after her! Here are our thoughts on the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Cruella’.

Melding the functionality of a pencil and the creaminess of a lipstick, the Velvet Matte range is packaged in the form of a jumbo crayon. We love the matte black casing, with the exact shade of the lipstick on the bottom. However, these products need to be sharpened periodically, so you will need to purchase the NARS sharpener along with it. Another downside is that the cap pops off quite easily and can cause a bit of a mess if it isn't stowed away safely. 

As far as the texture goes, we couldn’t be more impressed! Just like the name suggests, the pencils have a velvety smooth texture and do not pull or tug on application. ‘Cruella’ is a deliciously dark, red shade that will suit all skin tones. A single swipe deposits a sufficient amount of pigment, though we found that two coats gave more of an impact.

On the longevity front, ‘Cruella’ lasted for a good six hours. Even after multiple cups of coffee (requisites of our job), the colour stayed vibrant, with minimal transfer. The formula is neither drying nor hydrating. We recommend that you prep your lips with a moisturising balm.

Whether you wear this pencil alone, or use it as a base for another lipstick, we promise that it won’t disappoint you. Bold, long lasting and villainously red, ‘Cruella’ has definitely carved itself a space in our makeup bags!

Price: USD 26.00