NARS Velvet Lip Glide in "Unspeakable", "Toy" & "La Main Bleue": Review and Swatches

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For Fall 2016, NARS promises to take the liquid lipstick to a whole other level with the new Velvet Lip Glides ($34 CAD each). With an oil-infused formulation, the Lip Glide "combines the fluidity and effortlessness of a gloss with the coverage and comfort of a lipstick". Intrigued? Read on to see some swatches and my thoughts on the formulation.......

Packaging:
The NARS Velvet Lip Glide comes in a clear acrylic lip gloss tube with a matte black cap embossed with "NARS" in white. I believe this packaging is the same as the classic NARS lipgloss tubes. The doe-foot applicator is flattened on both sides for a smooth application.

NARS Velvet Lip Glide

Formulation:
Touted as a liquid lipstick with full-coverage, shine and a comfortable formulation, the NARS Velvet Lip Glides are indeed quite pigmented. However, the pigmentation and coverage are nowhere near the level of your typical liquid lipstick. To me, these are really just pigmented lip glosses. The formulation is very soft, creamy, and lightweight. There is no tackiness but the wear is just about what you would expect with pigmented lip glosses. I have here three darker shades from the range, see below for the individual shade reviews.

NARS Velvet Lip Glide

Unspeakable: A gorgeous oxblood red, Unspeakable is a nice autumn color. I had some issues with patchiness so I had to use quite a few layers to obtain an even coverage.
Toy: This is a super deep burgundy plum. The formulation is extremely patchy; I used several layers for the swatches below but I was never able to obtain an even finish.
La Main Bleue: A deep fuchsia berry, La Main Bleue is probably the best out of the three. This shade provides a much better coverage with minor unevenness.

Overall I am not very impressed with these Velvet Lip Glides. Aside from the misleading product name and description, two out of the three shades I got here are not very easy to work with. With that said, the formulation is very rich, lightweight, and non-tacky. If you love pigmented glosses, I'd recommend checking out some shades from the collection. If you are looking for rich and pigmented liquid lipsticks, these just aren't it.

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in "Unspeakable"

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in "Toy"

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in "La Main Bleue"

Availability: 
The NARS Velvet Lip Glides are available starting Oct. 1st at all NARS retailers (Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom, and Murale) and www.narscosmetics.com.