NARS Dressed to Kill & Maltese Red Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches

Dressed to Kill

NARS Dressed to Kill Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a brighter, medium red-plum with warm undertones and barely-there pearl paired with a cream finish. The lipstick had opaque color coverage in a single layer, which adhered evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging. The consistency was lightweight, just creamy enough not to tug but a bit thinner overall, so it adhered better and stayed on longer. It wore well for five hours and was lightly moisturizing over time.

Top Dupes

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Chanel Ultraberry (247) (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
Guerlain #03 (P, $33.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Urban Decay Manic (P, $18.00) is lighter (90% similar).
MAC Party Line (P, $19.50) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
MAC Spice It Up! (P, $19.50) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Ines (LE, $36.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Stinger (LE, $55.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
Pat McGrath Flesh Fatale (P, $38.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (85% similar).
Revlon Goldpearl Plum (P, $8.49) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
YSL Rose Blazer (89) (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).

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Formula Overview

$26.00/0.12 oz. - $216.67 Per Ounce

NARS has reformulated their core lipstick range, which now includes 72 shades across three finishes: matte, sheer, and satin. The formula is supposed to go on "smoothly and evenly with a light feel" that is "long-lasting" and "resistant to bleeding and feathering." The sheer finish has "subtle, sheer color that shines," while the satin finish has "creamy rich color" and the matte finish has "intense color with a velvety finish."

The matte finish has a very thin, featherweight feel to it, but they didn't feel clingy or too prone to dragging during application, though they were definitely a firmer texture in the tube. There was enough glide from the inclusion of dimethicone (first ingredient for the matte finish) that went on evenly, felt velvety but didn't feel as powder-like as some of the other more silicone-heavy matte lipstick formulas that have been released in the last couple of years. Most shades were pigmented and nearly opaque to opaque. The wear ranged from three to six hours with deeper, richer shades staying on a bit longer and leaving slight stains. They were comfortable to wear but felt more non-drying than particularly hydrating.

The satin finish has more slip, feels thicker (though not actually thick or heavy) compared to the matte finish, and of course, there was subtle to light shine/sheen. They applied smoothly, comfortably, and for the most part, went on evenly and didn't sink noticeably into my lip lines but there was some variance between shades. They were typically semi-opaque to opaque in coverage with four to six-hour wear that was lightly hydrating.

The sheer finish had coverage that ranged from semi-sheer to true medium coverage but most had some translucency to them, which gave them a sheerer finish. I found most of the shades I tried were buildable to some degree. The texture was a bit firmer, but they felt more emollient and "melted" a bit more against my lips than I recall the original line of lipsticks doing. Some shades applied well with even application and were flattering on, but there were a few that sank more noticeably into my lip lines. This finish tended to wear between three and five hours.

I don't have many of NARS' original lipsticks in my stash (I have mostly Audacious as they haven't been releasing many in the core range) to compare to. The matte finish was definitely thinner, more matte, and had a velvetier look on lips compared to the original which had a subtle sheen to it. The satin finish seemed a bit more pigmented and not quite as luminous/glossy as the previous formula, while the sheer finish was creamier, more emollient, and was easier to apply. It didn't feel like a vastly different formula, but it felt a bit easier to work with (smoother, more emollient but still lighterweight and thin, far less slip than any of the Audacious range) and was more comfortable to wear across the board for me.

I didn't notice any scent or taste, though there is "fragrance (parfum)" listed in the ingredients--it smelled neutral, not waxy but I just didn't get any scent.

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Ingredients

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydroxyapatite, Diisostearyl Malate, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Glyceryl Behenate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Calcium Stearate, Tin Oxide, Simethicone, Bht, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, [+/- (May Contain/Peut Contenir): Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Carmine (Ci 75470), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Mica, Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 33 (Ci 17200), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140)].

Dressed to Kill

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

9.5

Longevity

Application

94%

Total

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Maltese Red

NARS Maltese Red Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a deep, plummy brown with subtle, warm undertones and warmer copper and gold pearl. It had more of a frosted finish, as it was more matte and the shimmer wasn’t as smooth as a true metallic finish would have been. The texture was thin, slightly firmer in the tube, so it tugged a bit during application, though not to the point of pain. It had medium to semi-opaque pigmentation in a single layer that could be built up to mostly opaque coverage; I noticed that it seemed to soften and give better coverage after a few uses, too. This shade stayed on nicely for five hours and was neither drying nor hydrating over time.