Beauty Lip Pencil Showdown: NYX vs Rimmel Top Model Face-Off Guide
NYX Slim Lip Pencil and Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR are two drugstore liner legends. NYX Espresso is the nude-brown workhorse for everyday definition. Rimmel Bitten Red is the bold red built for eight-hour wear. Both cost a few dollars and punch above their price. The choice comes down to shade need and formula feel. This face-off compares them across eight factors. Read the table and pick your winner in under a minute.
| Factor | NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, | Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil, Bi |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Everyday nude definition | Bold long-wear red |
| Shade | Espresso brown nude | Bitten Red true red |
| Formula Feel | Matte, precise | Creamy, smooth glide |
| Wear Time | 4 to 6 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| Pencil Type | Wood, needs sharpener | Retractable twist-up |
| Finish | Matte | Satin matte |
| Price Point | Budget friendly | Budget friendly |
| Our Pick | Best nude liner | Best red liner |
Our Verdict
Pick the NYX Slim Lip Pencil if you want a cheap, precise nude liner. Espresso defines lips without stealing focus from your lipstick. The slim wood tip gives sharp lines for detailed work. Pick the Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR if you need marathon red wear. Bitten Red holds bold color through talking, sipping, and long days. Its creamy retractable tip suits quick application. Own both and you cover nude days and red nights for less than one prestige pencil.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Want the Full Picture?
Sharpening Wood Pencils Without the Breakage
On NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, versus Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,, for the classic pencil lineup, see our best MAC lip pencils. Wide-barrel prestige pencils need large-hole sharpeners, and forcing Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil, into a standard sharpener splits the wood. Between NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, and Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,, check the barrel diameter before buying the sharpener.
NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, kept at a working point wastes less and lines better. On NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, versus Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,, sharpening waste is real, with shavings costing product, so sharpen only as needed rather than to a needle point every time. Sharp enough is sharp enough, whether NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, or Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,.
With NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil,, sharpen slowly with light pressure, rotating the pencil rather than forcing it, which cuts cleanly instead of chewing. Wood lip pencils like NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, snap during sharpening when the sharpener blade is dull or the technique is rushed. Chill very creamy NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, pencils briefly before sharpening, since cold firms the core against snapping.
Solving the Invisible Ring Problem
Test the pair together for a full day before trusting it, because the ring only reveals itself at hour six, as NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, buyers learn. If you pick NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil,, fade together or not at all. NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, matched in fade behavior to its lipstick is the real pairing criterion.
NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, in a shade close to the natural lip avoids the harshest version, since the ring then blends rather than outlines. The dark outline left after the lipstick center wears off is the liner outlasting the lipstick, and it happens because liners are formulated for longevity while lipsticks are not with NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, in mind. For NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil,, choose liner shades that fade gracefully, because a liner matching the lipstick exactly still rings when the textures differ.
Between NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, and Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,, for touch-ups, reapply lipstick, not liner, because fresh liner over a faded center rebuilds the ring. Carry the lipstick shade that pairs with Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,, and the ring never forms. For NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, users, for the fade-tested liner rankings, see our best lip pencil picks.
The Liner-Only Look: Wearing Lip Liner as the Whole Lip
Wearing NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, across the whole lip as the color is the minimalist's full routine, and it works when the formula is creamy enough to wear solo. Set the filled lip with a dab of balm pressed over, which melds the liner into a natural finish, as NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, buyers learn. Fill the entire lip with NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil,, blot once, and the result is a lived-in stain that looks intentional.
One pencil, three steps, done, whether NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, or Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,. Liner-only suits low-maintenance routines and gym bags, where one pencil does the whole job, as NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, buyers learn. NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, filled, blotted, and balmed is a complete lip look.
Our Spice lip pencil guide covers the versatile shades that work solo for NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil,. The blotting step is what makes it look modern rather than 90s-harsh, since blotting sheers Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil, into a stain. Reapply through the day as needed, because liner-only fades faster than lipstick, whether NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil, or Rimmel Lasting Finish 8HR Lip Pencil,.