Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil

Lip pencil come lipsticks/ lip balms are one of the biggest trends in make up land in recent years. NARS do them. Clinique do them. So it was not going to be long until drugstore brands would dive into a lip pencil that works just like a lip pencil. At a much lower price point then their high end brethren, they can be a quick lip product that is easy to use and affordable at the same time. Maybelline came out with the Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils a while ago and after not reading much about these yet and only seeing them with a handful of people, I became curious and thought I’d try them. By now I have collected three different colors, which is enough for a review.

Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil In With Coral, Light It Up, Berry Much

The three different colors I picked up are all colors that I would wear and so they were worth trying it out. At € 6.99 a piece, these do not break the bank and Maybelline is on sale quite often. The range of lipsticks is quite wide. In total there are 9 different colors. There is everything from a nude to pink, to corals and reds and a nice berry shade that I also picked up. Apart from the ones I already own, Fab Orange might be a shade that I still might want to pick up as it is a great orange shade which will be a cool color for summer.

The three colors I will be showing you today though are In With Coral, Light it Up and Berry Much. These lip pencils are really just that: a pencil that you can sharpen and come with a lid. Packaging wise it means they are simple, not over done and therefore easy to chuck in your bag and bring them on the go. The pencils themselves are black with white writing indicating this product is part of the Color Drama line. The ends of the pencils are in the color that you are buying which makes for easy color selection. According to Maybelline, this lip pencil should go on matte, which should have a precise application because of its pencil form. Colors should be intense and well-pigmented.

The color I bought was In With Coral. In With Coral is a very pinky peach shade, not necessarily a true coral. This was the first shade that caught my eye though. It is bright yet wearable at the same time. I also find that this color pulls more orange when you put it next to more orange shades, which is the case in the swatch below. But on my lips this looks a lot more electric peach.

Number two was Light It Up. I’m a sucker for all things red as it is my favorite color. Combined with my blonde hair, reds always lift up my complexion no matter the undertone. Light It Up is only one of the reds in the collection and it is an orange toned red. This makes this red a very bright, fun shade to wear. It isn’t for the faint of heart as it is very in your face on the lips.

The final shade is Berry Much which is just as the name suggests a berry shade. But it isn’t a bright berry shade, oh no. This one is dark. It is the darkest shade in the range and on my lips this is a great fall shade. I love wearing these darker shades in fall and winter and so this is a color I will be tucking away for now, but I’m sure I’ll bring it back out when the weather turns.

The three lipsticks swatch beautifully. As Maybelline promises, these shades go on opaque. These swatches are one swipe across my arm and that is it. They have a very creamy texture that settles into a slightly sticky stain on your lips. That’s what makes these lipsticks last far longer than most lipsticks. A good 4 – 6 hours for the coral shade, depending on what you eat, and 4 hours for the other two. The finish is a full on matte shade and they are fairly easy to apply. When you use them for the first time, the tip is flat which can make for a slightly messier application.

Of course I put these lipsticks on my lips to show you what they look like. As you can see you can achieve a very precise application with these. When they fade, you are not left with just that ugly line around the edge of your lips: these wear very nicely and you are mostly left with a bit of a stain after a while.

Apart from the coral shade these do not overly emphasize any lines in your lips, but they do accentuate little flecks of skin if you don’t scrub beforehand. As they settle onto your lips, they can feel a little bit waxy and after a while these can feel quite drying on the lips so it is advised to keep a lip balm at the ready. The colors are still absolutely gorgeous and I think these all look great against my skin tone.

As you can see, these shades are very vibrant and full on in your face color. In With Coral is a very fresh and bright shade that lifts up my entire complexion. Light It Up is a great staple red to carry around on a daily basis. Berry Much is a great dark berry red/ purple shade that instantly adds a vampy quality to any make you where.

Yep, I am very satisfied with these. From how they wear to how they apply and the color selection, there isn’t much about these that I do not love. Perhaps the slightly waxy feel and the fact that they do dry out your lips isn’t for everyone. But if you’re looking for an affordable lip product that will put some color on your lips that lasts a decent amount of time and is easy to apply and carry around, then this is for you.

Do you have any lip pencil favorites? Which ones are they?