Beauty: 2nd NYX haul review

Hi babes! I've just returned from our holiday in France (boohoo), and I've let the blog take the backburner for a bit because I am a firm believer of doing what feels right when it comes to my blog. When I feel like taking a bit of a break, I do so, and when I feel particularly passionate about posting, I post a bit more. After all, this isn't my day job, it's something I do because I love to do it. And now, after a two week semi-break, I feel like getting back into the swing of things with an extensive review of a bunch of NYX products I got in the (insanely amazing) goodiebag we got when attending the store opening in Ghent.

I know people are crazy about NYX launching in Belgium, and the clearest proof of this is that a lot of the most popular NYX items are constantly sold out in the store. However, NYX is keeping us up to date about restocks AND have promised us that a webshop is in the making, probably launching around early 2017, so fear not. Until then, here's an overview of a bunch of NYX products so you can figure out for yourself if the trip to Ghent is worth making!

Let me start with a product that is a bit of a dud to me, because I prefer going out with a bang rather than having a post fizzle out: the NYX mosaic powder blush in Paradise.

I don't know if I'm too critical, because I've read so many raving reviews of this blush, but I can only be honest about my own impressions. Even though it looks suuuupercute (I'm a sucker for multi colour blushes and highlighters), I was underwhelmed when I swatched Paradise because I had to work quite hard to get some pigmentation. It got better after a few uses, but the blush is quite powdery and dry, making it harder to blend. That way, the lower pigmentation might actually be a good thing to keep the end product from being patchy, making it possible to gradually build up colour. 

Maybe it's just that the colour doesn't work for me: a pale peach that's close to my own skincolour, with a tiny amount of shimmer in there but mostly matte. Not a wow-blush on my complexion, especially since I ususally go for quite shimmery blushes that have more of a "wow" result. But if you like a subtle, natural, mostly matte blush with a tiny bit of shimmer (or if you're paler than I am right now), this is a nice budget option at about €10. And it looks super cute on your makeup table.

Next up, three eyeshadow monos.

I got two bright NYX Primal Colours mattes (Hot Pink and Hot Yellow) that I used in this bright neon look I showed you guys earlier, and one adorable packaged Prismatic eyeshadow, the aptly named Frostbite. Although Hot Pink and Hot Yellow are a bit dry, they blend nicely and work very well in a statement makeup look, especially when used over a white base that allows their neon to shine. Their staying power is decent too! At €6.50 these are still budget, but I think these could be a bit more affordable when I compare them to monos I think perform even better, like Makeup Geek's monos which are €5.80.  

The NYX Prismatic eyeshadow in Frostbite is like a huge bunch of very light blue shimmer in a white base, which at first view might seem like the type of eyeshadow that's a bit dated in an 80s way. However, it immediately reminded me of Urban Decay's Roadstripe, an awesome white/pale blue duochrome that is super fun for layering in colourful or more neutral makeup looks, creating a playful highlight that switches colour depending on how the light hits it. Frostbite is glittery while Roadstripe is a satin, but I think both can be used very similarly and Frostbite is a lot more affordable, at €5.90 compared to the €20-ish you pay for an UD mono. I also swatched Shiro Cosmetics' You Know Nothing Jon Snow next to it for comparison's sake, because that one also reminded me of Roadstripe. The Shiro pigment is a bit more matte and has a shift that leans more super pale teal on my skintone than true light blue, FYI.

The secret to getting the most out of your eyeshadows is to use the right type of base, though, and I had read a LOT of reviews of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils being amazing eyeshadow bases, apart from being cool on their own. Imagine my excitement when I found the two most interesting ones in my goodiebag! Meet Milk and Knight. Let me demo.

Well, if you needed convincing that the right primer/base makes all the difference, just look at how different Hot Yellow looks when applied over Milk, or how the blue shift in Frostbite pops when applied over Knight! Dark bases are great for duochromes and white bases work best with neons, just FYI. I used Milk with the neon mattes in this Chris Chang look and everything looked pristine all day, but it worked less stellar with my Makeup Geek foiled shadows, which did crease a bit. The foiled Makeup Geeks are a bit fussy and work best by far with my UD primer potion in Sin, the rose gold shimmery version, so I wouldn't blame the jumbo pencil for the creasing and fading as I've noticed the same issue with other bases. Definitely recommend these, great buy at €5.90 and available in a wide range of colours. I've got my eye on French Fries and Yogurt!

Moving on to the NYX Stay Matte but not Flat powder foundation, which I received in the shade "natural".

It comes in a nice, black compact with a mirror, and underneath the pan, there's a small space that contains a sponge applicator and airholes to keep the sponge from getting moldy if you put it away damp after wahsing it. Great eye for detail from NYX!

First of all, I was a bit intimidated by how yellow the powder seemed and how it seemed almost too dark for my complexion, but I was like "eh what the heck" and I tried it anyway. Turns out, I liked the finished result so much that this powder actually managed to convince me to use a powder after my bb cream/foundation again, after years of thinking my skin was too dry to use a setting powder. 

I've found that I get the most gorgeous result if I first let my foundation set a bit (I usually do my brows while I wait), then I lightly dab on some powder with a big fluffy brush or the sponge applicator that comes with the powder. I find that it keeps my foundation looking flawless all day, and that it makes applying my powder blush, highlighter, contour powder or bronzing powder easier, less prone to look cakey or patchy.

From left to right, top to bottom: first picture is my bare skin, in the second I've applied Urban Decay's One & Done with my beauty blender, in the third I've done my brows and applied NYX's Matte but not Flat powder, and in the bottom right I've added some blush and highlighter. I never feel like it dries out my skin or gets cakey throughout the day, and I'm definitely going to continue using this one! I think it retails at about €13.

Finally, let's talk about the lip products.

When I first checked out the NYX store, my eye was immediately drawn to the Ombre Lip Duo's because it's such a fun trend to try out. An ombre lip is tongue-in-cheek in a way, a not so subtle reference to the tacky sexiness of 90s bombshells like Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra, but as time goes on and my understanding of stuff like slutshaming and classism grows, I've come to understand that there is no such thing as an objective measure of style and class and that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. I mean, just compare the way our society talks about Brigitte Bardot (French, vintage, classic, a sex symbol even snobs can get behind) vs Pamela Anderson (American, cheap, trashy, the type of babe you'd expect on a poster in a toolshed) even though their look is virtually the same.

Anyway, I'm rambling, ombre lips rock! Here's what Cinnamon & Spice, a combo of a dark raspberry lipliner and a brick red/brown lip crayon, looks like on me.

First, the good: easy to use, pleasant on the lips, practical way to create an ombre lip, nice colour combo. I can keep the bad pretty short: I don't really like the colours on me. I think these would look better on someone with a darker skintone or fuller lips. For some reason the colour reads "old" or "dated" on me, which is something I often have with purple leaning browns. But this is a great product if you want to try out the ombre lip trend for €9.90.

Next, I received two macaron lipsticks (Violet and Chambord; 6.90), and three matte lipsticks (Hippie Chic, Perfect Red and Siren; €7.90).

Upon arm swatch, I was excited to try all of the colours but slightly intimidated by Hippie Chic (too light?), Violet (too lilac?) and Chambord (black lipstick, dayum). But you know that thing about the magic happening outside of your comfortzone? Yep! Lipswatches!

OK so first impressions: Hippie Chic is pretty crap, impossible to apply evenly - trust me on the fact that it looks better in the pic than it did in real life. Even though I like the colour, I would not leave the house wearing it. Siren, Perfect Red, Violet and Chambord all apply beautifully, although I could have applied Chambord a bit more carefully. Close ups always reveal every imperfection, but you'll see that it looks great when we zoom out to normal people distance. Full face pics!

Hippie Chic is a surprisingly lovely colour, much lighter than what I'd normally wear but the shade is flattering, fresh, sweet. However, I can't deal with the patchiness, sadly. Next!

Ah, now we're talking! Siren is a stunning deep red with a slight duochrome effect thanks to that purply shift. I adore this shade, it's easy to apply and comfortable on the lips, and I imagine myself wearing it a lot this fall.

Ding-ding, another winner! Perfect Red is a gorgeous true red that applies like a dream, the lipfeel and quality actually reminds me of the 714 Urban Decay lippie I have. Can't think of higher praise than that! If you're looking for a perfect poppy red, this one might be it.

OMG you guys you won't believe how excited I was when I swatched this one. Lilac lips? Looking good on me? Get outta here! But I actually LOVE Violet, it's super flattering and so much more wearable than I thought. I like to think of this as a lavender pink (like Gaga was a lavender blonde), and that totally takes away its intimidation-factor. The lipstick fades away evenly leaving my lips lilac-stained, which I love because you don't get that less than pretty ring around the mouth effect. Amazing product, the best way to dip your toe in unnatural lipcolours if you don't want to spend a lot of moola-lah!

And yes, the fangirling continues: I never thought I would think black lipstick could look good on me, but Chambord makes it happen with its dark blue sheen. I still find the colour quite intimidating but I am DETERMINED to wear it. This one is a bit more smudge-prone than Violet, so beware.

Finally, NYX Liquid Suede in Stone Fox. I have already reviewed another Liquid Suede, Life's a Beach, and if you recall correctly I was not feeling it - patchy, sticky, bleh. However formulas often differ from colour to colour, so let's check out Stone Fox, a gorgeous denim-esque grey blue.

YES I love it. I even love it so much that I wore it to work one day, and although the colour is a bit out there, the comfort of this product on my lips totally made up for any selfconsciousness I felt. My biggest issues with liquid lipsticks are that they feel like you've got dried paint on your lips and that they are a total pain in the ass to reapply (crumbly, flaky, cakey mess), and neither of those are a problem with Stone Fox. Reapplies without a hitch, stays comfortable. All the thumbs up! It doesn't dry completely down, but that's not an issue for me. This one will be yours for €7.90.

Whew, we got through that in one piece! Hope you enjoyed my second NYX review. I have to say that the more I get to know the brand, the more I like it even though not every product is a smash hit. In the end, NYX has a wide selection of amazing items in gorgeous colours that perform as well as more expensive brands. A lovely addition to the Belgian beauty scene!

Check out my previous NYX haul review here.