Lipstick Queen Pencils: Cupid's Bow Golden Arrow & Chinatown Pink Bluff

I think I was in a nude lip color mood the day I picked these two Lipstick Queen pencils. They're two different products, but the pretty shades are nearly the same. Cupid's Bow is a precision lipstick in a pencil form, created by Poppy King to make it easy to draw the shape of the lips, line them, and fill the surface easily, especially on the go. The finish is almost opaque and satin/semi-matte. The texture of Cupid's Bow crayon is soft and creamy, and remains so on the lips.

The color I chose, Golden Arrow is a nude blush kind of thing. Since my natural lip color is rather dark, it shows up just enough under the lipstick to create a natural rosy color that works with everything and doesn't skew beige. It's pretty and wearable, but now I wish I'd chosen something more interesting (Daphne looks delectable). You can see Golden Arrow in Action in  the FotD at the bottom of this post.

The Chinatown range was apparently inspired by Roman Polanski's Chinatown, though I'm not sure what's the connection or why. Poppy King's quoted in the marketing blurb saying something about "getting creative with your lips is child's play!". Don't get me started on that, considering the Polanski connection. Sorry. Also, I'm raising an eye brow at the black & white image on the box. What's with the helicopter? Does anyone know?

In any case, Chinatown pencils are sheer and glossy (more so than NARS Satin Lip Pencils). it's another makeup bag-friendly solution, and works extra well in cold weather when one needs nourishing lip products plus color. The warm nude pink of Pink Bluff was really not the most brilliant choice on my part, as the color is almost lost on my lips. It's a lovely sheer gloss, but I should have gone with something more vibrant.

As you can see, while both Lipstick Queen pencils are "chubby", Cupid's Bow is thinner for the sake of precision. Chinatown is massive and covers a wider surface quickly. Each comes with its own sharpener, which is a nice touch that prevents headaches and frantic rummaging in drawers, as long as you don't misplace them. As for longevity, Chinatown lasts longer than a typical gloss, though naturally not as much as the more lipstick-like Cupid's Bow. Even the light shade of Golden Arrow leaves behind a good even stain, so its performance is rather impressive. Golden Arrow is scented with a woody vanilla fragrance that lingers for about fifteen minutes, which more than I'd have preferred, but Pink Bluff is scent-free. Both contain various butters and oils, which explains the wonderful texture and pampered feeling.

Bottom Line: Great formula on both counts. Let's talk again when I try other colors.

Lipstick Queen Pencils: Cupid's Bow in Golden Arrow ($22, made in Italy) and Chinatown in Pink Bluff ($22, made in Canada) are available at Barneys and Ulta.