NARS Joyride & Pin Up Air Matte Lip Colors Reviews & Swatches

By Alice Ruby On Jan 29, 2021

Joyride

NARS Joyride Air Matte Lip Color NARS Joyride Air Matte Lip Color ($26.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a medium-dark, pinky-coral with subtle, warm undertones and a satin finish. The texture was more velvety with a fair amount of slip initially, which dried down a bit but never felt like it really adhered to my lips, so it still felt a little bit slippery while worn.

Despite the slip, the color applied evenly and had opaque coverage in a single layer, and it took two and a half hours before the application looked rough, where color pulled into my lip lines and gathered around slight texture imperfections. I was surprised since I’d normally see this when initially applied, but this was a case where it looked nice initially but really degraded and was one of those products that wore away poorly. It was decent for two and a half hours, though most of the color lasted closer to four hours, while the formula felt non-drying.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Hourglass You Can Find Me (P, $34.00) is lighter, glossier (95% similar).
Hourglass All of Me (LE, $34.00) is glossier (95% similar).
Hermes Rose Inoui (27) (LE, $72.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar).
Shiseido J-Pop (210) (P, $26.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Makeup Geek Jitterbug (LE, $12.00) is lighter, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
MAC Sugar Sweet Cameo (LE, $20.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Age of Consent (P, $55.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Pat McGrath Amour (LE, $40.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Dior Bubble Gum (546) (LE, $38.00) is more shimmery, lighter, glossier (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Ondine (LE, $36.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).

Formula Overview

$26.00/0.24 oz. – $108.33 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be “featherweight” with a “soft-focus finish” and a “creamy feel” that offers “buildable coverage,” “soft matte finish,” and “longwear.” They’re a smooth, more velvety-creamy consistency that go on evenly and feel lightweight, but they were quite pigmented and not particularly long-wearing.

I think the lack of longevity stemmed from the fact that the product sat on my lips without adhering particularly well, so they were quick to wear away, especially eating or drinking. They were flattering on for two to three hours, but they tended to look drier and emphasized lip lines/clung to any texture imperfections for the third or fourth hour of wear, but they didn’t last much longer than that.

They were very pigmented, too; there’s no way I’d have described the formula was buildable. One pull of product delivered near opaque to fully opaque coverage on my lips. To get more buildable coverage, one would have to apply significantly less products–likely just to the center of the lips–and then use a fingertip to diffuse the color outward, which is a technique to sheer out any pigmented lip product.

They were comfortable to wear, and while they looked drier toward the end of wear on, they didn’t seem drying in formula. They had a light vanilla scent but no discernible taste.

Browse all of our NARS Air Matte Lip Color swatches.

Ingredients

DIMETHICONE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, TETRAHEXYLDECYL ASCORBATE, FLAVOR (AROMA), BENZYL SALICYLATE, BENZYL BENZOATE, PHENOXYETHANOL. MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR/(+/-): IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), RED 28 (CI 45410), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), RED 6 (CI 15850), RED 7 LAKE (CI 15850), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140)

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer)
at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable
to the product you’re purchasing, or the brand or retailer’s website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.

Joyride

LELimited Edition. $26.00.

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Pin Up

NARS Pin Up Air Matte Lip Color NARS Pin Up Air Matte Lip Color ($26.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a muted, medium copper with warmer undertones and a satin finish. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in one layer, which was more pigmentation than marketed as it was supposed to be a buildable formula. The texture felt lightweight, smooth, and velvety with a moderate dry down, so it retained a touch of sheen and felt flexible but wasn’t as slippery during wear as it felt initially.

While the shine was more likely to disappear, there was still a fair amount of movement from the product on my lips; it felt very much like it was just sitting atop but lacking some adhesion, which likely accounted for why it settled around lip texture and into lip lines over time and wasn’t that long-wearing for this type of formula. The color stayed on for closer to four and a half hours but was significantly weaker in evenness and look after three hours of wear–not a graceful wear down at all!