New NYX Lip Products -

Hello again readers!

This year is full of new makeup launches from a variety of brands! It's so much that it's a little hard to keep track of everything. NYX has been nailing it with some of their new products, and I managed to get my hands on some of the products that I've been looking forward to for a while now, ever since I started seeing swatches of these products pop up on their Instagram.

High Voltage Lipsticks

I was really excited when the swatches for these lipsticks started popping up on social media. It's really easy to be swept up in everything, and start pining over certain colors. I bought Stone, Flutter Kiss, and Twisted so far. I started with Flutter Kiss, and Twisted, and I picked up Stone on a trip to Ulta.

I'm really disappointed in the packaging for these. The cap is clear, which is great to see what the colors are inside, but they get SO dirty so easily. The same reason why I don't like the caps for the Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lipsticks.

The formula is nice, really smooth and nicely pigmented. The scent is sweet, and I am so happy about that. The product is so smooth and creamy, but then it smears all over the place. I suggest a lip liner, because they like to feather after a while.

I get about two hours of good coverage, and then I feel like I need to touch them up. Especially on the inside of my lips, they start wearing off, so I put on another layer of lipstick to make it look fresh.

They're available for $6!

 Stone: 
Beige-Taupe Neutral. I thought I would never buy this, but swatching it on my skin I fell in love. It pulls a little grey on the lips, because of the taupe.

Flutter Kiss:

Neutral Pink. It has a bit of brown in it, and it just looks so good. This is a shade that would look flattering on so many people.

Twisted:

A violet with a blue undertone. This one is the only one out of the ones that I own, that leaves behind a stain. The stain it leaves behind is a bright fuchsia, that I'm not fond of.

Intense Butter Gloss

When I saw the swatches, these were the only two that I wanted. I wasn't blown away like the High Voltage lipstick swatches, I decided on these two; Tres Leches, and Berry Strudel. Unfortunately, after a trip to Ulta, there is a couple other ones that I want now, and I was doing so good!

These don't have a scent like the Butter Glosses do, they have a scent that's similar to the Matte Lip Creams. It's a bit like cake, but a bit like chemicals.

They are SO PIGMENTED. Intensely pigmented. One swipe, and that's all she wrote. They are packed with pigment, and it's easy to cover up the lips easily.

They're a little sticky, like tacky, and they're really thick on the lips. The tackiness is something that ensures that they last long, but I'm not too fond of it. I'm lucky I have short hair, but I know if I had longer hair my hair would get stuck in my lipgloss all of the time.

They're available for $6!

Tres Leches:

A nude pink lipgloss. I loved this instantly, and it looks really good on my skin tone.

Berry Strudel:

Is a gloss version  of the Twisted High Voltage Lipstick. A blue-toned violet. 

I have a type, I really enjoy nudes and violets (whether violets agree with me or not is not for debate) and I ended up picking the same colors in both finishes because they are what I enjoy. I don't feel bad at all, but this is a great comparison on the finishes, and it can help you decide if you're still on the fence on which you would prefer to purchase.

 Thanks for reading!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Hello again readers!

I got swept up into the matte lip cream craze. With all of these brands, both mainstream and indie, putting out new matte lip products, it's easy to get overwhelmed and just break out running. I bought two, and then ended up snatching up a few more from a really fantastic deal and now... I'm stuck with 8 that I'm not completely in love with.

The packaging for these products is similar to the Xtreme Lip Creams, but with matte lids, and colored plastic bottoms. The first issue that I had with these, is that the outside packaging, doesn't accurately represent the product inside. To get the best idea of what the cream will look like, you're better off looking up looking up swatches (of if they have testers available, swatching on the back of your hand) to get the general idea of what these will look like applied to the skin.

The applicator is a standard doe-foot. It's good to apply to the cupid's bow and to the rest of the lips, but getting it to apply an even layer on the lips can be tricky - especially for the vampy shades. It doesn't hold enough pigment, and since it is not like a gloss, or an extreme lip cream, putting on uneven layers can definitely be noticeable, and it takes the extra effort to look as good as you'd like it.

Copenhagen: 

Wine red. One of my favorite shades from the collection. It applies well, and it evens out rather quickly with just a little effort.

Transylvania: 

Deep plum. The hardest lip cream to work with out of the bunch. Ironically, it was also the one I was most excited for. I never use this on it's own, only as a mixer with other lip products to deepen them up. 

Sydney:
A very light cool-toned pink. I wasn't expecting to like this shade, since I'm not a fan of light pinks, and I was right in that way. It isn't flattering on me at all. The pigmentation was really good, and applied great.

Buenos Ares:

A light coral. This is another that I was bracing myself for. It doesn't look good with my complexion, and sort of just washes me out. The pigmentation was finicky and it definitely needed two coats to look acceptable.

Istanbul:

A basic pink. I was surprised with how much I really loved this. It was one that I was looking forward to getting, but I thought I would love Milan more. I'm pleased to be wrong, because it happens to be really flattering. The pigmentation is really good too.

Milan:
Cool-Toned Pink. I was happy that this looked good on, because I swatched it loads of times before I managed to buy it. This is another shade that two coats is a necessity.

Antwerp:
A very warm pink. Not my favorite, but it's not terrible. The pigmentation was good.

Stockholm:
Warm pink-beige. I actually ended up liking this color more than the two I was lusting after (Istanbul/Milan). It's surprisingly flattering on me, and it was a pleasant surprise.

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To get the best look, each of these needs at least two layers to look their best. For the darker ones, such as Transylvania, it needs three or more to look good.  For lighter ones, like Istanbul, you can maybe get away with one really even layer. This isn't a product to reach for when you're running for the door, that's for sure.

The scent is very strange. It's a weird mixture of sweetness, like cake, but also perfume. It always shocks me, because it isn't very subtle, and it more or less lingers for a short while before you stop noticing it. I can look over it, but if you're someone who is very sensitive of scents, beware.

The texture of the lip creams is incredibly odd. To me, they never feel like they dry completely. Instead it's like a mixture between an oily Vaseline (first applied) and then a wet product covered with powder when it's "dried". I assume it has to do with the formula that is not as drying as other liquid lipsticks, but it is incredibly strange when you're expecting it to feel like most other matte lip products out there.

The pigmentation for these likes to cling to any imperfection on your lips - lines, dry patches - you name it! These are like any other matte product, that have a knack for highlighting those flaws. It's best to ensure that your lips are exfoliated and moisturized before using.

They do last a while, if you go through the steps of lining, layering, and letting it 'dry'. I got around four hours, before I noticed any fading. The lighter colors faded in a flattering manner, but the darker ones did not. I didn't notice any major staining from the darker ones.

The best part of this product, is that it has a large range of colors to choose from, and there are a lot of different nudes. There isn't just the one "universal" nude, and then a lot of vibrant colors. There is a variety, so anyone can find the shade that works best for them.

I'm not going to be buying anymore. I'm not fond of them and I don't find myself reaching for them much at all. However, I know that there are so many people out there who adore these, so they're worth a try.

Each Soft Matte Lip Cream is $6 for .27 fl oz. 

Thanks for reading!

Old NYX Eyeshadow Singles

Hello again readers!

I have a few of the old-packaging NYX Eyeshadow Singles. You can still find some in the clearance bins, and for about a dollar or so you can pick one up. Not a bad price, and if you can find a shade you've been looking for or want to try, it's worth it.

Also, bear with me while I work with the watermark... I had someone steal my photos a while back, and I don't want it to happen again.

Mellow Yellow: Matte yellow. I don't wear it on my lids, I actually use this as a blush. It's odd, but I really enjoy the colour it gives my face.

Black: Matte black. Nothing special, but I enjoy it. 

Sensual: A brown-toned burgundy shimmer. Not as pigmented as I'd like it to be, but it's nice.

 Frosted Ocean: Blackened Blue Shimmer. Least favourite that I've bought. It's patchy and I had to go over it many times. 

Irises: Bright blue. This is the one I was hunting down, and I love it!

Nude: Basic neutral. It has a shimmer to it, which is refreshing in a way. I was afraid it'd be matte.

Cherry: A cherry pink. It's not really quite a red, but it's not really a pink either. A nice medium. Good for blending out red eyeshadows.

Dark Brown: Not as dark s you'd think, just a nice brown. Great to have in a collection.

I haven't bought any of the new eyeshadow singles that have replaced these in the round packaging, but it's bound to happen in the near future. I wonder how much they have changed on these formula wise.

Thanks for reading!

Battle of the Eyeshadow Primers

Hello again readers!

I love being able to try new makeup products, nothing beats being able to test out a new product to see if you'll fall in love with it, or if you'll hate it. I've tested my fair share of eye primers, and after using a primer for the first time, I can never go back! Of course, not all of them are created equal, so I compared the ones I have to see which ones are really worth your money, and which ones are better worth a trip to the bin.

For the shadow, I used the dark green eyeshadow from Forever 21. I love the shade, but without a primer it just will never reach it's true potential. I applied it with my ELF Essential Eyeliner Brush, and left it on my arm for 8 hours.

The competitors:

ELF Eyelid Primer – Original

ELF Eyelid  Primer – Pearl

Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer – Original

Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer – Shimmer

Milani Eyeshadow Primer

Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base

Urban Decay Primer Potion – Original

Too Faced Shadow Insurance – Original

I put them in order with the (C)ontrol being the shadow by itself.

Obviously right out of the gate, they all look very brilliant, aside from E1, and F1, that look duller than the rest, and C which was almost completely rubbed off.

The next is after 8 hours of wear:

Clearly there is a lot of fading present in all of the swatches, which isn't surprising at all.

I have separated them into three categories: Low, Medium, and High Performance Categories.

Low  Perfomance:

Elf Eyelid Primer – Original

Elf Eyelid Primer – Pearl

Both of these primers are better than no primer at all, but only by a little. E2 started out looking brighter, but ended up fading the most. Out of the two, I will stick with E1 for swatches.

Medium Performance:

Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer – Shimmer

Milani Eyeshadow Primer 

These both had better wear, but not as great as the higher performance products. They faded, but still retained color and shimmer well. I was surprised with Milani as I've heard many times that it's a dupe for the Urban Decay Primer Potion, but clearly that is not true.

High Performance:

Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer – Original

Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer 

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base 

Urban Decay Primer Potion – Original

Too Faced Shadow Insurance – Original

I was really impressed with how many did well. I found that the higher end products did hold up (as they should, since they are so expensive), and I was really impressed that the Fergie primer did as well as it did, since it's so cheap. They held color and shimmer for 8 hours.

I hope that this helped some of you make decisions on some of the products you're interested in.

Thanks for reading!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil VS Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil

Hello again readers!

So I have been sitting on this post for a while, and I'm sorry to say, but there are SO many posts that have been hiding in my computer... They're hidden in folders, inside of folders, inside of folders, so I'm going to do my best to bring them to the light.

I have been trying out more jumbo eye pencils, because I really like the versatility they provide, plus they can really pump up an otherwise dull/boring eye look. I have duplicates in colours, but I wanted to really compare the colours and the formulas, to see which is the better buy.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils have been around for a long time. They're easy to apply, easy to blend out, and are easy enough to come by. They are $4.50 a piece, and you get 0.18 oz of product per pencil, plus you have SO many colours to choose from! Though, you DO have to set these with an eyeshadow, and even then, they might crease on you (if you have oily lids make sure you wear a primer!)

Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencils come in a far more limited selection (8, to be exact). They are also easy to apply, to blend out, and are easy to come by (my favourite choices to shop for these products are Walgreens and KMart!). They have the added benefit of staying for the entire day, as once they set, they are SET.  They are $4 a piece, and you get 0.10 oz of product. So, you get .08 oz less than the competitor.

Black  Bean VS Stay-On-Black

Black Bean was really hard to get even close to opaque. I kept applying, and applying... and applying, and I didn't get much payoff for my efforts.

Stay-On-Black applied really well, and with a few strokes I managed to get it fully opaque.

 I applied my dark green eyeshadow from Forever 21, since it's a colour that doesn't have good colour payoff on it's own. I applied it both over Black Bean and Stay-On-Black.

The real winner in this sceanario, is Stay-On-Black, hands down. It's cheaper, it doesn't budge, it's more opaque, and it brings out the colour of cheap eyeshadows more than Black Bean.

Milk VS Eternal White

These were a bit more evenly matched.

Milk was very creamy, and applied well. Though I have to worry about creasing with this product, the white was opaque and applied well. This blends out nicely, and creates a nice base for your shadow.

Eternal White has a drier formula, and though it lasts longer, I have to put more effort into applying it. It blends out nicely, and I do not have to worry about creasing with this product.

For layering, I used a light pink shade in one of my ELF eyeshadow books. The pink on it's own isn't much, but layered over white you really get more out of it.

Milk, since it's a creamier formula, really picks up the powder, helping it to adhere.

Eternal White is a little harder to work with, but you an end up with the same look, it just takes more effort.

I give this a tie, because they both have pros, and they both have cons, and it's really up to you which one is worth your time/money/effort over the other.

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Really, at the end of it, why not try both? See what really works for you. I prefer the Jordana pencils, but they have nothing on the colour selection that NYX offers. If you like plain neutrals, or you just want to try it out, spring for Jordana, and they also offer blue, frosty pink, violet and green glitters. 

If you want a broader colour selection, and you want to go crazy trying some different colours, then go for the NYX. There's only a 50 cent difference, so you're not saving too much or splurging too much no matter what you pick. :)

Thanks for reading!

NYX Extreme Shine Lip Cream - Absolute Red

Hello again readers!

With the obsession I have with the NYX butter glosses (and the fondness for their lipsticks) I thought I would push my horizons out and start buying a few of their other lip products to give it a try.

NYX Extreme Shine Lip Cream in Absolute Red

This was bought back during my red-lippy obsession, and if it wasn't red, I wasn't that interested in it. Of course, that love has died down, but I still love a good red lip product.

Absolute Red is a wonderful, flattering blue-toned red that suits my skin really well, and has the added benefit of making my teeth look slightly whiter.

The application is creamy, but you have to work with it a little bit. Since it's such a pigmented red, if you mess up, it's really noticeable! It's so slick, that I don't feel comfortable applying this without the use of a lip-lock pencil or a lip liner. Also, since the formula is so slick, it moves around a little bit, so it takes a little effort to get the application fully flawless (but not too much work!).

This gloss is decently long wearing, as (if I didn't drink/eat anything) I can get a few hours wear out of it. I was in love with how shiny it was, and even when it started to fade, the colour was still strong.

I don't get much use out of this, since my interests have shifted to wearing nudes, but for only 6 dollars they're affordable, shiny lip colours that are worth trying.

Thanks for reading!

Ulta Haul and Swatches

Hello again readers!

I think I like doing hauls this way, where I take a picture of everything and then show the swatches. That way I'm more inclined to post them on time and not have them get lost in my computer somewhere and then have to drag it out months down the line.

I went to Ulta with Ani, and I got a bunch of goodies. :)

Orly - Space Cadet

Oh gosh, I could have cried when I found this in the clearance bin. I have been wanting this polish since 2012 when I stupidly picked up Galaxy Girl instead of this one. I should have gotten both that day... I gave up on ever getting it for myself, instead on focusing on getting dupes, but I don't need to do that anymore because I found this shoved in the bottom for under 4 dollars! 

Space Cadet is a gorgeous duo-chrome polish, that flashes from copper, to acid green, to a bit of violet in there for good measure. Every time you move your hand around you see something different, and it's always beautiful. This took 4 coats since it's a little sheer, but I find it's so worth it! If you're also a bit like me and don't like the hassle of so many coats, perhaps try it over black, because then you can get a whole new experience, without sacrificing the colour shift. :)

Nyx - Raspberry Tart Butter Gloss and Crystal Hip Liquid Crystal Liner

Crystal Hip is a really pretty iridescent glitter in a clear base. I do like this one on it's own, even if it's not really that attention grabbing unless you're close, but I absolutely LOVE it over black. It's great to add a little extra for when you want to be more dramatic with your look.

My mission to have a sizeable Butter Gloss continutes with Raspberry Tart. I think I'll skip over the browns (because they look terrible on me no matter how much I wish they'd work) but I do really want to get Cupcake and Sugar Cookie to complete my collection.

Raspberry Tart is a darkened fuchsia. The container is purple, but the gloss inside leans more towards pink. This one was a little tricky to work with, needing about three coats to get the desired colour that I wanted... And even then it settled in odd places (you can tell in the photo where some places are darker than others). I'm not too put off with that, and I'm going to experiment to see if I like it worn sheer too, or over a few lipsticks. I'm determined to make it work, because I just LOVE these glosses.

Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss - Nude Candy

This gloss DEFINITELY needs to be layered, especially for me. I picked it up because I switched from buying primarily reds, to really indulging in nudes (best decision to be made, even though I still lust after reds). This gloss settles into ALL of my lines of my lips and looks horrible... It's light, and because I'm so pale it makes me look sick instead of gorgeous... If you have a darker complexion, you'll look better in this than I do.

Orly - Push and Shove & Lay Down That Base

I tried to pass this up, but I couldn't help myself. I'm drawn to chrome-effect nail polishes. This duo comes in a little pack (you can find it at Ulta for 4.50 while they're around the clearance bins).

You need to apply Lay Down That Base first, letting it dry and then going over it with Push and Shove. This polish really is shiny (no where near chrome false nails) but it shows every ridge of your nail... If you've seen in other blogs, this polish duo does NOT play nice with ridge fillers or other base coats... which is a shame. Also, this mani is not meant to last, it's supposed to be just for a night on the town and will start chipping with wear within 24 hours. Not a polish you'd want to invest in for long time wear, but if you're drawn to it (like I was) and you can get it for a good price (which I did) then why not try it? They are attention grabbing and really pretty, even with the ridges.

Thanks for reading!

NYX Butter Gloss Swatches

Hello again readers!

I've added two new butter glosses from the original launch to my collection, Creme Brulee and Peaches and Cream, (have you seen any of the 2014 collection yet? ;) ) and then I realized, I never swatched any of the others!

These glosses are phenominal, they're slick, they retain their shine, give a bit of a tint, and are pretty darn opaque for a lip gloss. These are great and really spice up your lip looks without any real effort behind them. :)

So far, I have 7 (now 8, but that's a new one), and I love them so much! NYX keeps launching new products that I just love with a passion.

Left to right: Creme Brulee, Vanilla Cream Pie, Maple Blondie, Peaches and Cream, Cherry Cheesecake, Peach Cobbler, Cherry Pie.

Creme Brule: Nude Pink.

Vanilla Cream Pie: Soft, bright pink.

Maple Blondie: Peach-toned pink.

Peaches and Cream: Bright, cool-toned pink.

Cherry Cheesecake: Orange.

Peach Cobbler: Warm red-orange.

Cherry Pie: Red.

Overall, I love all of them! Even the ones that are pretty similar. If you haven't tried them yet, I say go for it! You won't be sorry at all!

NYX Butter Gloss - Vanilla

Hello again readers!

I have such a love for these glosses! I have other colours, I just haven't had the time to take photos of them (or any time to do much of anything, really).

Vanilla Cream Pie is a nice, warm pink colour that adds a nice bit of colour to the lips. It's not drying, it doesn't get all over the place, and the gloss itself is inexpensive at five dollars.

The only issue I really have with these glosses, is that it does transfer, and it feels a little sticky.

Thanks for reading!

NYX - Snow White

Hello again readers~

Without Flash:

With Flash:

Snow White is one of those colors that took me far too long to track down. It's been on my wishlist forever, and now I finally  have it! It's not a super bright red like chaos, it's deeper red with blue tones in it. Applies a little rougher, but I'm glad I got it!

Thanks for reading~