do i need this?
By Hanna Flanagan, a Cut Shop editor who covers all the best fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products that are actually worth your money. Before joining the Cut, she wrote for Cosmopolitan and People.
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Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Hanna Flanagan, Retailers
Make Up For Ever’s Artist Color Pencils, a product that can be used in many different ways across the eyes, lip, and brows to line, define, and contour, are beloved among beauty editors, content creators, and makeup artist. I tried the pencils, and over the past year, I’ve reached for them when I’m bored on a Sunday and want to paint my face or re-create a Pinterest makeup look for no reason— but also just because the richly pigmented formula is that good.
Now, Make Up For Ever is expanding the Artist Color collection with the launch of the Artist Color Crayons, another multi-use product designed to be used across the face, lips, and eyes. I tested them for a few days before the launch to see how they compare to the original pencils.
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What are the Color Crayons?
The Artist Color Crayons are available in 27 semi-matte and shimmer shades —including best-selling Artist Color Pencil shades like Wherever Walnut, Anywhere Caffeine, and Limitless Brown — that can be used as bronzer, highlighter, contour, blush, eyeshadow, and more. I found that you can really use them however and wherever you want. One taupe-toned shade called Endless Cacao is too deep for me to use as a contour, but I love using it as an eyeshadow. I’m going on vacation soon and will definitely be throwing a warm tan shade called Sunny Tawny in my makeup bag, since I can use it to give my cheeks, eyes, and lips some dimension.
Here, I’m wearing the Artist Color Crayons in my eyelids, my lips, and my cheeks as contour, blush, and bronzer.
Here, I’m wearing the Artist Color Crayons in my eyelids, my lips, and my cheeks as contour, blush, and bronzer.
The formula is super-creamy and almost slippery, so I apply it directly to the face and blend with my fingers. Usually, with cream sticks like this, I find it’s best to warm them up on the back of my hand first so they don’t lift my foundation, but the Artist Color Crayons glide so smoothly I didn’t need to do that extra step. They melt into the skin and look so natural.
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What is the difference between the artist color crayons and artist color pencils?
The concept is the same but the size, formula, and function are different. Both collections are meant to be used, well, however and wherever you want. The new Artist Color Crayons are thicker than the original pencils, so they cover a larger surface area and are better suited for the face, as opposed to the eyes, brows, and lips. The pointed tip makes it possible to create smaller, more precise lines, but I still prefer a well-sharpened pencil for my eyeliner and brows. The Crayons are great for applying a wash of color on my lips; the application is quick and not too precious-looking, which is what I prefer on light makeup days. One thing to note: unlike the Artist Color Pencils, the Color Crayons are plastic and cannot be sharpened, so once the tip becomes dull, they will apply more like a standard cream stick than a pencil.
The formula of the Crayons also feels creamier and more water-based than the Pencils. They seamlessly blend into the skin, whereas the Pencils require a bit more effort. The formula of the Crayons is also more forgiving and less pigmented than the pencils, which I appreciate because I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with my contour and blush application. Both products stay put all day once they dry down, although I do like going over the Crayon bronzers, blushes, and contours with powder to enhance the pigment if I’m going for a full-coverage look. The Crayons have a much larger shade range, as well as semi-matte and shimmer shade (24 in total compared to 13 shades of the Artist Color Pencil line, all matte finishes).
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Do I need them?
Kind of. But you only need two to four shades to create a look; you definitely don’t need the full line. I would go for one blush, one contour, and one bronzer shade. And if you have oily skin, I would skip these. I think you’ll find them to be too slippery. I also would not buy them if you usually go for a more full-coverage look and prefer powder products.
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