NARS lip crayons don’t twist up, so the only way to get at fresh color is to sharpen the pencil. Wipe the blades of the NARS Pencil Sharpener with a cotton swab and alcohol, put the pencil in, and twist until the point is even.
The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and the Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil both work this way. NARS sells the sharpener separately from either one, and it warns against using other sharpeners on the Velvet Matte.
Do NARS lip crayons need sharpening?
They do. NARS calls the Velvet Matte version a lip pencil and lists it as a jumbo size with a tapered end for lining and defining lips (and filling them in), plus a note that it works best with the NARS Pencil Sharpener. The color is lipstick-level, but it comes from a pencil tip with nothing to twist up.
“Crayon” is retail shorthand. Strawberrynet’s listing describes the pencil as a lipstick in jumbo-size crayon form.
The Velvet Matte is the original jumbo pencil, matte with a tapered tip. The Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil is sharpenable too, and NARS says to sharpen it before each use with the Pencil Sharpener, sold separately. Going by a 2012 review, the older Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil also needed sharpening and wasn’t twist-up.
One Sephora Community poster with two Velvet Matte shades kept trying to turn the body to push more color up. They said it was hard on their hands, until other members pointed to the NARS sharpener.
If the body won’t turn, nothing is stuck.
Product pages call these lip pencils, which is why a guide to sharpening a NARS lip pencil covers much of the same ground.
NARS Pencil Sharpener vs generic sharpeners for jumbo pencils
Use the NARS Pencil Sharpener. NARS states that other sharpeners may be harmful or damaging to the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, and buyer reports line up with that warning.
| Sharpener | Where reported | Result |
|---|---|---|
| NARS Pencil Sharpener | NARS; Feelunique reviewers | Smooth turn, minimal color loss |
| Another brand’s sharpener | Feelunique reviewer | Took a lot of product |
| Generic sharpeners | Ulta customer question; Space NK reviewer | Damaged pencils, split bodies, broken nibs |
These are buyer reports, not lab tests. The pattern is consistent, though.
The box has a dual blade, a removable adapter that adjusts to the largest pencils, a blade cleaner and a cover that captures shavings. NARS Artists answering questions on Ulta say it handles lip pencils, High-Intensity Lip Pencils and standard-sized cosmetic pencils.
They also confirm the High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliners sharpen in it, so sharpening a NARS eyeliner uses the same tool.
Fit is where the sources disagree. NARS says the adapter fits even the largest pencils, while one Ulta reviewer reports that a large pencil no longer fits once its top goes flat, even though the sharpener works well and makes a clean point.
Needing a brand-specific tool irritates some buyers, and a one-star Feelunique review of the Powermatte pencil complains about exactly that. Buying a sharpener on top of the pencil is mildly annoying, no argument there.
Thinner standard liners are a different case, and the guide to sharpening an everyday lip liner handles them.
How to sharpen a NARS lip crayon
Prepare the sharpener
Wipe the blades with a clean cotton swab and alcohol first. NARS lists that as the first step, ahead of inserting the pencil. Then set the removable adapter to the pencil’s width and keep the cover and blade cleaner within reach.
Sharpen the pencil
- Hold the sharpener steady and insert the pencil tip first.
- Twist the pencil, as NARS instructs, rather than forcing it in.
- Stop once the point is tapered and even. Every extra turn removes color.
- Pull the pencil out and check the tip before using it.
- Empty the shavings from the cover.
- Clean the blades with the included blade cleaner and put the cover back on.
For the Powermatte pencil, NARS says to sharpen before each use for best results.
How much product does sharpening waste?
None of the NARS or retailer pages reviewed publishes a loss figure, and reviewers split on whether the waste matters. What is documented is the starting amount. A Velvet Matte pencil holds about 0.08 oz (2.4 g), according to retailer listings and Temptalia’s reviews, so each shaving counts.
A 2017 Ommorphia review notes waste at sharpening time and says the reviewer scoops up the shavings and applies them with a lip brush. A Cult Beauty reviewer says the pencil is small enough to turn into a stub quickly.
Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog (2019) takes the other side. It reports sharpening every NARS lip pencil without trouble and finding product all the way through each one.
Both can be true. A full pencil still sheds a shaving every time the tip is cut.
Two unrelated sources point to the same trick. Temptalia readers recommended freezing the pencil before sharpening to minimize waste, and the directions on the Natio sharpener listing give a similar tip for a sharper point, which is 20 minutes in the fridge first.
Neither source tested NARS pencils, and NARS lists no chilling step. Treat it as a reader tip, not a brand instruction.
How sharp the tip should be and how often to sharpen
Sharpen when the tip rounds off and the line starts coming out thick. The Velvet Matte listings give no sharpening interval, so the tip decides.
A Dragon Girl review on makeupandbeautyforever.com lists a blunt tip as a con, because precise application gets harder, and a sharpened tip as the fix.
Lining needs a fresh point, and NARS tells users to line the lips with the tip first, then fill in. For filling and all-over color a worn tip does the job fine, since NARS lists wearing the pencil all over the lips as a use. If you want more definition, NARS suggests following the pencil with a lip liner one shade deeper.
NARS also suggests lining with one shade and filling with a lighter one for added dimension, the same idea behind a two-toned lip look.
So sharpen before lining and skip it before a quick all-over swipe.
What goes wrong when sharpening a NARS lip crayon
Even with the right sharpener, buyer reports keep turning up the same handful of complaints.
| Problem | What buyers report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Frequent resharpening | Pencil needs sharpening often, and the required special sharpener is inconvenient | Hwahae testers |
| Fast shrinkage | Small pencil turns into a stub quickly | Cult Beauty reviewer |
| Spilled shavings | Sharpener cover falls off at the slightest disturbance | Cult Beauty reviewer |
| Trapped product | Powermatte design makes it hard to use the whole pencil | Sephora UK reviewer |
None of these has a documented fix. No source reviewed explains how to rescue a snapped nib or use up the last of a Powermatte body.
The pencil format itself is the cost. One Cult Beauty reviewer regrets choosing the pencil version over a lipstick for exactly that reason.
If sharpening and shrinkage sound like too much upkeep, a twist-up lip product has nothing to sharpen.
NARS Lip Crayon FAQ
Where can you buy the NARS Pencil Sharpener?
NARS sells it directly, and its US, Canadian and European sites all list it. Ulta, Cult Beauty, Feelunique and Space NK stock it too.
It is sold separately from the pencils.
How much does the NARS Pencil Sharpener cost?
As of October 2026, NARS lists it at $7.00 in the US and C$10.00 in Canada, with one Canadian listing showing C$8.00. Cult Beauty lists it at £9.00 in the UK and 10.00 EUR on its European site.
Promotions move these prices, so check the listing before buying.
Does the NARS sharpener fit non-NARS cosmetic pencils?
Yes for standard-sized pencils. NARS Artists answering questions on Ulta say it works with its lip pencils and any standard-sized cosmetic pencils.
NARS markets it for its own lip and eye pencils and says it can’t guarantee compatibility with other brands’ pencils. No source documents how it handles another brand’s jumbo pencil.
How is a lip crayon different from a lip liner?
The crayon is a jumbo pencil that doubles as lipstick and base color, and it can outline the lips too. A lip liner is slimmer and firmer and built for outlining.
NARS even suggests following its pencil with a liner one shade deeper for added definition.
Is One NARS Lip Crayon Worth a Dedicated Sharpener?
Mostly yes, because the sharpener costs so little next to the pencil it protects. It’s also the only sharpener NARS names for the job.
NARS lists the Velvet Matte pencil at a regular price of $27.00 and the sharpener at $7.00, so one ruined pencil costs the same as nearly four sharpeners. NARS’s US page has also shown the pencil as a final-sale item marked down 30% to $18.90.
The downside is a second tool to carry and keep clean, plus a pencil tied to NARS hardware.
This advice holds as of October 2026, while NARS sells both the Velvet Matte and Powermatte pencils in a sharpenable format. A twist-up redesign of either would remove the need for the sharpener.
Once the point is set, the next job is learning to apply lip liner so the line stays clean.
She started writing on the site after fielding the same questions from clients and friends often enough to just write the answers down: which red won't turn orange on a warm undertone, how to keep lipstick from feathering into fine lines, why a "12-hour" formula rarely survives dinner.
Every review on the site follows the same rule she uses with paying clients: wear it first, then decide if it's worth recommending.
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