NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review

From the Brand:
Neither lipstick nor lip gloss, this matte lip cream is a new kind of lip color that goes on silky smooth and sets to a matte finish. Soft Matte Lip Cream is surprisingly durable and, unlike some matte lipstick formulas, also moisturizing.


Retails for:  $6.00

Where to Buy:  NYXCosmetics.com, Select Target stores and Target.com, Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Blush.com


My Thoughts:  It feels like everyone is using these lately, and maybe it's just the fact that I'm not a huge fan of matte lipsticks, I just can't get myself to like these.  I feel like it looks way to chalky on my lips, and it settles.  I'm the kind of person who uses chapstick 24/7.  As in sometimes I wake up out of a dead sleep to put more chapstick on my lips if they're feeling dry.  So it's not like I should have flaky dry lips, but when I put this on I feel like I can see every last line and texture to my lips.  It ages me, and I'm not a fan of products that make me look anywhere close to my age.  I'm super proud of the fact that I'm 31 and look 21 thank you!

Maybe I'm just too used to wearing gloss and the NYX Butter Gloss, which is probably almost as addicting for me as the EOS lip balms I've been using non-stop for the past few months.  It's also summer, and a matte lip can just look off during summer in my opinion.  It's too "formal" I guess.  To me, a matte lip is more for fall/winter or special occasions. 


Final Verdict:  Not a fan of these for my lips.  Kudos to the girls who can rock this look!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

NYX HD Studio Primer Review

From the Brand:  Designed to be paired with our HD Studio Foundation, this water-based makeup primer fills in pores, minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and mattifies the complexion for a seamless finish. It also ensures the durability of your makeup, which will last for hours even under the harshest lighting.


Retails for:  $17.00


Where to Buy:  Select Target stores, Ulta stores and Ulta.com, www.nyxcosmetics.com, CherryCulture.com


My Thoughts:  I'm not a fan of this primer personally.  It goes on white and doesn't absorb into my skin well, leaving a slightly chalky pale cast to my face.  It doesn't do much more than a moisturizer for helping my makeup lay "flat" on the skin and not sink into pores/lines/etc, and it also didn't work to extend the life of my makeup past what I'd expect normally.  I was really disappointed, since a lot of the NYX products look like dupes for the high end Makeup Forever brand, and many are honestly very comparable for a much more affordable price.  I absolutely LOVE the Makeup Forever HD primer, and I was really praying this would be a dupe for it.  Sadly, it wasn't.

Have you tried this before?  What's your experience been with it?  I'd love to hear back from others to see how it did for their skin.


Final Verdict:  This one goes in the "busts" bucket under the sink.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- NYX Lip Liner Pencils

NYX Lip Liner Pencils Review


From the Brand: Slim, trim but never prim, our lip pencils come in a variety of dashing shades—from auburn to orange and traffic-stopping red. The buttery, long-wearing lip liner formula goes on easily and resists bleeding.

Retails for:  $3.50


Where to Buy: http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/, Ulta.com and Ulta stores


My Thoughts:  I'm pretty sure there isn't a thing that NYX Cosmetics makes that I don't love.  Now granted, I haven't tried everything, but pretty much everything that I have tried has impressed me with its quality for the price.  They are a really good value for someone who is looking to build a kit but cannot invest in all high end products, someone just starting out in wearing makeup, or people who want to try out a new trend without blowing their paycheck every time they find a new photo to "pin".  If I'd known about them in college, there would have been fewer nights eating Ramen noodles or Kraft mac n' cheese, that's for sure.

These lip liner pencils are a good quality for the price.  They do glide nicely, remain true to their color (which does match the paint on the end of the pencil pretty well), and are decent in the lasting category.  I'm habitual with reapplying lip gloss, so I found that it ended up melting into the gloss pretty quickly and disappearing faster than if I'd just been using it under a coordinating lipstick.  Kudos to them for a cheap liner that doesn't feather!  Which, really, is the key thing here.  At least from my professional opinion.


Final Verdict:  For the price, these are a great value.  I like that there are a bunch of shades, so I can stock up on matching liners without breaking the bank.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

July Favorites

It's been forever since I've done a favorites post, March in fact!  I figured it was high time that I get into the routine of doing these every month, so here are my favorite hair and makeup products for the month of July.

L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm :  This is the only product in this list that I haven't actually reviewed yet, but I'm getting ready to do one next month.  I'm almost completely done using this jar of conditioner, and I'm totally in love.  I think this treatment has pretty much replaced regular conditioner in my shower.  Already from experience, I learned that most traditional conditioners don't give me the kind of hydration and therapy that I need with my constant coloring.  I've been coloring my hair for half my life now, so there's nary a hair on my head that hasn't been almost processed to death.  I keep my hair healthy however by washing it only 2-3 times a week and using a treatment conditioner like this L'Oreal one instead of regular conditioners.  I think I've used just about every hair treatment mask out there at some point or another, and this one has impressed me the most.  And it's only $6.99!  I picked it up on a whim at Target one day, and I have barely used anything else since.  My hair is soft and bouncy, and the shine is great!  It's honestly the healthiest it's ever felt.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation:  {Read my review here}  Since I've got a bit of a tan this month from spending a lot of time outdoors (despite the ridiculous 90+ degree temps!), I've been using this foundation a lot.  I picked it up in a color I knew was a little too dark at the time, but now it's perfect.  But that's not the only reason I've been using it.  It really does last all day long, and it's proven to be pretty humidity resistant as well.  I just use a tissue to blot my face when I feel sweaty (I don't get oily much with my dry skin), and it doesn't rub off that way.  I do notice a bit of transfer on my cell phone screen, but I think that every brand of foundation does that to some extend.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse:  {Read my review here}  This has totally replaced my Elizabeth Arden brow powder that I've been using for the past six years.  Every once and a while I'll grab a pencil to fill in my brows, but pretty much this is my go-to product for getting perfect brows that last all day long.  I think my favorite part is that it comes with a dual ended brush to apply the product and brush out the brow hairs.  And this stuff is majorly pigmented.  Just a tiny bit will fill in the whole brow, and after an entire month of using it nearly every day I've made just the barest of dents in it.

NYX Lip Butter in Eclair:  {Read my review here}  I introduced my teenage nieces to this lip gloss, and they are all about now, too.  I recently stocked up again at Ulta when they had a sale (and broke my challenge, I know! Ugh!), and I added a few more colors to my collection. I need to just start buying them online instead of in the store, because the colors I want are always out of stock in my local store.  They seriously had 1-2 of only a few colors, and I had to be nice and let my niece get the only one in a color I've been wanting.  What a nice Auntie I am! ha ha!  Meringue is a pretty decent substitute for Eclair if you can't get your hands on it by the way.  Eclair still remains my favorite though, and I use it daily.  It is the perfect pale pink and positively LIVES in my purse. (Peter Piper picked a peck.... haha)  Moving on...

Be A Bombshell Blush:  {See my review on IPSY here}  If you've read my blog about Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush {here}, you'll know how much I absolutely adore their product.  But I think I may have found a new brand of blush to obsess over for a while.  I got the Be A Bombshell blush in Sweet Cheeks, and I've used it almost every day.  I alternate it with my Frisky Tarte blush, and this color gives me a great flush without being too bright.  It's a subtle warm pink that goes great with my fair skintone, although it does look better on me now with a bit of a tan.  It's nice and pigmented and can be brushed on sheer with a brush like the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, or layered for more color with an angled blush brush.

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara: I haven't published my review for this mascara yet, but I've definitely been recommending it via my Facebook and Instagram if you've been paying attention.  (If not, why not?  Check them out and follow me now to stay up to date with my top recommendations BEFORE they hit the blog!)  This has a unique hourglass shaped wand that deposits mascara perfectly, and the formula is rich and creamy without clumping. It delivers perfect volume and the perfect price point.  Every time this month I've done my makeup, this is the mascara that I've reached for, and it's not even waterproof!  It hasn't smudged or melted off, either.  Not sure if they make a waterproof version, but I'll definitely be hunting it down at the store before I head to Florida in a few weeks to double check.

What are your favorite products this month?  Share your thoughts with us on your favorite products or on these.  We'd love to hear them!

Product Review- NYX Butter Gloss

Colors left to right: Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, Eclair

 

**Updated 3/3/14**  Here's my video review I did with an additional 7 colors I've added to my collection in the last several months!  Enjoy! 

 

 

From the Brand: Buttery soft and silky smooth, our scrumptious new Butter Lip Gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie—and makes your lips look downright luscious. Swipe it on alone or over your favorite lipstick for creamy sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky.

 

Retails for: $5.00

Where to Buy: Ulta, Ulta.com, Nyxcosmetics.com, I've also seen NYX products at Target but never this particular gloss.

My Thoughts:  This is probably my favorite brand/formula of gloss right now.  The name butter gloss says it all.  It really does feel buttery soft, and it's not sticky at all.  The colors are nice and sheer, but they don't make your lips look chalky or pale.  They smell delicious, and with names like Tiramisu and Apple Strudel, why wouldn't they?!

I currently only own three colors, but I plan on stocking up on the rest of them as soon as I'm off my No Buy Challenge at the end of August and Ulta has a BOGO deal on NYX products.  (We all know what a sucker I am for Ulta's BOGO's!)  The colors I have are Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, and Eclair.  The Tiramisu is labeled as a brown on their website, but it's more of a soft taupey nude color in my world.  It doesn't make my lips look like I'm living in a Bobbi Brown ad from 1995, and it's a very wearable color I think would be perfect on just about any skin tone.  Eclair is a gorgeous baby pink, but like I said it's not a chalky color.  I'm super fair, and I wear this on my lips with no other makeup for just a touch of color and shine.  Apple Strudel is a peachy-coral kind of color, and it definitely adds a touch of peach to my lips.  It's a little more contrasty, since I'm fair and my lips are naturally very pink, but it's still very wearable on its own.

This lipgloss wears very well.  Its non-sticky, non-drying, and leaves my lips feeling like there's something on them for about 3-4 hours even with drinking.  The color will soak in and fade a bit with drinking as will the shine, but my lips won't feel naked.  It is fairly sweet to taste but not obnoxiously so.

Final Verdict:  A total winner in my book, and I can't wait to buy the rest of the shades!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Massive Makeup Haul- Target, Ulta, Sephora, and MAC

This past weekend I went on a massive makeup shopping spree to Ulta, Sephora, MAC, and Target, and I got a ton of products to review for upcoming articles here on the blog.  I want to put together some awesome Top 10 lists on categories like foundations, mascaras, lip products and more, so I knew I needed to have a comprehensive knowledge of the many options out there available.

I'm not going to go into reviews of all of the products that I purchased, as this would be the never-ending blog post if I were to do that.  As it stands, I had to film four different haul videos to get everything up on my YouTube channel!  I'm uploading the first one as I type this, and of course it's super late in the evening because we lost internet for about 3 hours earlier right when I was getting ready to post today's blog.  I probably should have typed this up this morning before starting filming, but I was enjoying my day to sleep in while hubby-wonderful took the boys to school.  (He's seriously just the BEST.)

But here's a rough breakdown of what I got at each place accompanied by photos!  Yay photos!  Make sure you leave me lots of comments below on what products you want to see featured here on the blog or in a video, and of course your recommendations for products I should try before putting together my Top 10 lists at the end of the month.  And of course, when it's done uploading you should check out my first video on my items from Target!  (I'll update this post with links to the other videos as I upload them over the next two days, too.)

Target:
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Lava
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Copperhead
Wet-n-Wild Fast Dry- Gray's Anatomy
Wet-n-Wild Wild Shine- Caribbean Frost
NYC Precious Peacock
NYC Highline Green
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Mint Sorbet
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Crushed
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry- Quick Sand
Sally Hansen Crackle- Wave Break (over Mint Sorbet)
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength- Aisle Be There (also swatched over Essie Cascade Cool)
NYX Full Coverage Concealer in Porcelain
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Velvet Rope
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Glitter Dreams
NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe  in Glam Golden
Milani Lipstick in Dulce Caramelo
Milani Lipstick in Nude Creme
Milani Baked Blush in Coralina
L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealers in W1-2-3 Fair/Light and N6-7-8 Medium/Deep
e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set
e.l.f. Studio Lip Balm SPF 15  in Pink
e.l.f. Studio Volume Plumping Mascara
e.l.f. Studio Lip Definer & Shaper
Maybelline  Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal

Sephora:

FREEBIES- 500 Point Perk set from Benefit and birthday gift along with a Living Proof hair mask sample
Eyeliner Trio by Eyeko
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue Eye Shadow Primer
Tweezerman Lash Curler
Sephora Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Blue
Too Faced Loves Sephora Set
Charlotte Ronson On-The-Glow Kit

MAC:

I only purchased four things from MAC, but compared with everything else I got I didn't need much!

Products:
MAC Prolongwear Foundation in NC25
MAC Fix+
MAC Pigment in Tan
MAC Select Moisture Cover in NC20

Ulta:

Products:
L'Oreal Infallible Makeup SPF 18 Foundation in 602 Soft Ivory
Revlon Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20 Foundation in 002 Vanilla
Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Normal/Dry Skin SPF 15 Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother
L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer in W1-2-3
Revlon Photo Ready Concealer in 001 Fair
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Endless Sea and Endless Pearl
Ulta Super Blender Sponge
Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream Kiss and Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss
Nivea Natural Volume Lip Care
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner in Black
Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen in Black
Maybelline
Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown
L'Oreal Color Caress Wet Shine Stain in Pink Rebellion
Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whisper Lipcolor in Cherry on Top
Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Hot Pink Rose and Crystal Water
Revlon Color Stay Overtime Length Waterproof Mascara
Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara
L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara
Maybelline Full & Soft Thick & Healthy Waterproof Mascara
Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara
Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara

As you can see by recurring brand names, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Covergirl had buy one get one half off on a lot of their items, or else that'd be way more money I'd have spent.  Thankfully, I plan when I shop to take advantage of their awesome sales and use my accumulated points for dollars off my total!

Phew!  That was a lot to type up!  Now I'm off to bed before doing a wedding in the afternoon.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson and will type up tomorrow's blog when I get up instead of trying to hope the internet doesn't fail in the evening when I get back from DC.

Don't forget to leave me some feedback on what products you want to see featured and products you think I need to try before I make my Top 10 Lists!