I let myself remain on the fence about NARS's Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil a bit too long. It was not a question of wanting the product: I was drawn to Mexican Rose like a fly to the flame, resistance was futile! The only word I can possibly use to describe this shade of pink is enigmatic, and from the first the combination of the name and the color itself reminded me of someone. That someone, as you will see below, is one of Mexico's most famous roses, Freida Kahlo.

Freida Kahlo has been among my favorite artists for as long as I can recall. I've always been drawn to the fearless colors she used in her paintings and sketches, her irresistibly honest self-portraits and her personality. Given that Freida Kahlo is now most well known for her portraits (in which her lips were always quite bright) coupled with the fact that Mexican Rose resembles a pink hue she favored, I'd like to think that it may have been a shade she would have worn on her lips.

When photographed with a reproduction of Freida's journal as a background, it's not hard to imagine Mexican Rose as yet another artistic implement. NARS's Lip Pencil seems as at home against Kahlo's sketches as a pencil or cray-pas might be. I've long found NARS's Velvet Matte and Gloss Lip Pencils quite utilitarian: when sharpened it's quite easy to apply and touch up the very bold lip colors offered. My only complaint is the fact that the Lip Pencils do not twist up and need to be sharpened, but when I think of it as an art supply rather than a cosmetic (most cray-pas do not twist-up, of course) it seems only natural that the product would need to be treated like a real pencil. 

I was particularly thrilled to discover a sketch in Kahlo's diary that featured a shade quite similar to Mexican Rose. How perfect is it that the sun, of all things, in this sketch is bright pink? The vibrancy of NARS's Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil reminds me of the warmth and sun ahead in the same way that Freida's pink sun evokes the heat of a summer day in Mexico.

Much like a pigmented cray pas or chalk, this shade is by no means sheer and swatches as pigmented as it appears in the tube. However, if you're uncomfortable with such a loud pink never fear, Mexican Rose is just as lovely when applied sparingly and worn as a stain.

In terms of wear time I was quite impressed. The glossiness lasted far longer than I expected and the stain left behind looked lovely when topped with a bit of Jack Black's Lip Balm #1. I almost prefer the look of this Lip Pencil as a stain, and I couldn't be more thrilled that in that respect it doesn't require touch-ups throughout the day.

The fact that Mexican Rose reminds me of one of my favorite artists is the cherry on top of an absolutely magnificent product. This Lip Pencil was non-drying, its wear time was impeccable, and the shade is out of this world. I couldn't be more impressed with NARS's Spring 2012 collection (more reviews to follow). The shades released are so unique and evocative in their own right, yet the collection remains cohesive ... me encanta!

Have you set your sights on anything from NARS's Spring 2012 collection? Which of Freida Kahlo's paintings most speaks to you?