If I were writing a list of my all time most used and most loved make up products there's no doubt the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils would rank highly (I now own a eye watering six of them, but who's counting?). As a lover of a bold lip there's nothing more convenient than a liner, colour and long lasting formula all in one and these pencils boast just that as well as an amazing range of colours and finishes. The one problem is the not so friendly price tag - at £18 each they may not be the most expensive lip products out there but they're certainly not the cheapest.
While the packaging may not be quite as swish, the Maybelline Colour Drama Lipsticks do look undeniably similar to the NARS Pencils. In the last year alone there have been an abundance of lip crayon launches from nearly every high street brand, most along the lines of a twist up glossy formula with little colour pay off - not exactly my cup of tea. I didn't expect Maybelline's newest offering to be much different but surprisingly they're just as good, if not better than their high end counterparts. The formulas are just as pigmented, go on smoothly and in my opinion feel far more comfortable to wear than the NARS pencils which can lean on the dry side a few hours post-application.
The two shades I picked up are also incredibly similar to two of my favourites from NARS - Fab Orange being a perfect dupe for Red Square, my go-to orangey toned red and Red Essential matching up identically to Cruella, a rich Autumnal burgundy. Although ultimately the NARS Lip Pencils win in terms of colour range these high street alternatives have become a firm favourite for an easy bold lip and at less than a third of the price what's not to love! The Colour Drama Lipsticks also have a good set of nude options - one of which I'm sure has the potential to be a Kylie Jenner type shade and there's also a fluorescent pink I've got my eye on for a future trip to Boots.. Hooray for budget finds!