Beauty NARS Do Me Baby vs Cruella: Which Lip Pencil Shade Wins?
Do Me Baby and Cruella are two icons in the Velvet Matte line. Do Me Baby is a warm terracotta-rose neutral. Cruella is a scarlet red with serious star power. We compare them on shade, finish, wear, and versatility.
| Factor | NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Do Me Baby | NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Dragon Gir |
|---|---|---|
| Shade character | Warm terracotta-rose neutral | Classic scarlet red |
| Everyday wearability | Blends with any makeup | Demands attention |
| Evening impact | Polished and pretty | Show-stopping and bold |
| Skin tone range | Flatters warm undertones most | Suits most undertones |
| Application forgiveness | Neutral, easy to apply | Red shows every mistake |
| Wear time | 6 to 8 hours | 6 to 8 hours |
| Fading pattern | Fades to a soft stain | Leaves a red stain |
Our Verdict
Pick Do Me Baby for an everyday matte you can wear anywhere. Choose Cruella when you want a red with real presence. Both share the same comfortable formula and wear time. Your lifestyle decides, and many fans eventually own both.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Office wearers who want a polished, low-key rose lip.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Dolce Vita, 0.08 oz
- Dusty rose Dolce Vita shade
- Jumbo pencil format
- Vitamin E for comfort
- Velvet matte finish, long wear
Pros
- Everyday rose suits work looks
- Applies like lipstick
- Comfortable for a matte
Cons
- Dusty tone can look muted on deep skin
- Needs sharpening
Best for: First-timers who want to test the famous Cruella red.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Cruella, 0.06 oz Travel Size
- Travel-size 0.06 oz format
- Scarlet-red Cruella shade
- Same vitamin E formula
- Velvet matte, high pigment
Pros
- Try Cruella for less
- Fits small purses
- Same rich color payoff
Cons
- Small size runs out fast
- Still needs a sharpener
Best for: Red-lip devotees who want the full-size classic.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Cruella, 0.08 oz
- Full-size scarlet-red Cruella
- Jumbo crayon format
- Vitamin E-enriched matte
- Long-wearing, fade-resistant color
Pros
- Iconic red with staying power
- One pencil lines and fills
- Rich pigment in one pass
Cons
- Red can stain lips slightly
- Matte needs lip prep
Want the Full Picture?
The Invisible Ring Problem: Liner That Outlasts Lipstick
The most common lip liner failure has a name among makeup artists: the invisible ring, more accurately the too-visible ring. It happens when the liner is more long-wearing than the lipstick, so by afternoon the center color has faded or been eaten away while a dark outline remains, framing bare lips like a stamp. Matte liners under satin or gloss lipsticks are the classic trigger, since the matte formula grips while the creamier center wears off.
The prevention starts at purchase: choose a liner shade that matches your natural lip tone or sits just one step deeper than the lipstick, never dramatically darker, so that if the center fades, the ring still looks intentional. The application fix is the full-fill technique: color the entire lip with the liner, not just the perimeter, so the liner becomes the base and the lipstick becomes the topcoat. When both wear, they wear together. The emergency fix for a ring already in progress is to blot the liner down with a tissue and press a matching gloss or balm over the whole lip, which softens the outline into a lived-in stain. For the foundational picks and buying advice in this category, our best lip pencil guide ranks the top liners with honest tradeoffs.
The Liner-Only Minimalist Look
Wearing lip liner across the whole lip as the color itself is the minimalist technique that turns one product into a full lip look, and the Velvet Matte pencils here are built for it. The formulas that work solo are creamy enough to cover without dragging but matte enough to stay put: true matte pencils that tug will emphasize every flake, while overly creamy ones migrate within the hour. The application is to fill the entire lip with the liner, blot once with a tissue to remove the excess and even the texture, then press a tiny amount of balm over the center for a lived-in finish.
Shade choice makes or breaks the solo-liner look. Do Me Baby's warm terracotta-rose works as a natural everyday solo shade on many skin tones, while Cruella's scarlet red worn solo is a deliberate statement that needs the blotting step to avoid harshness. The setting trick for longevity is a whisper of translucent powder pressed through a tissue over the filled lip, which locks the color without dulling it completely. This technique also solves the ring problem permanently, since there is no separate lipstick to fade at a different rate. For the iconic brown-nude liner shades that pair with everything, our MAC Whirl lip pencil guide covers the shades and their affordable dupes.
The 90s Brown-Liner Ombre, Done Right
The brown-liner ombre driving current lip trends is a specific technique, not just dark liner with light lipstick. The method: line and fill the outer edges of the lips with a deeper brown or berry-brown liner, then press a lighter nude or pink into the center with a finger, blending where the two meet so there is a gradient, not a line. The blend is the whole look; an unblended edge reads as the ring problem above rather than ombre.
Product pairing matters. The liner should be one to two shades deeper than the center color, in the same undertone family, since a cool brown edge with a warm peach center clashes. Matte liners give the most defined ombre, while creamy liners blend more forgivingly for beginners. The center color can be a lipstick, a gloss, or even a dab of concealer sheered out, though gloss centers need reapplication through the day. Set the perimeter lightly and leave the center glossy for the modern version of the look, which keeps it from reading as a period costume.