NYX Chic Red Round Lipstick ($4.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a vibrant pink-red with strong blue undertones. It’s more vibrant compared to Guerlain Liu and just a touch more compared to MAC Prolong. It’s a very cool-toned lipstick, which means it really makes teeth look white, and it will naturally flatter cooler complexions better. I find that the intensity of reds (along with plums, berries, etc.) make them appropriate on warmer complexions, too, because of how rich and deep in color they are. It’s opaque in color and a little goes a long way!
The finish is semi-matte, but it doesn’t feel dry when applied or even a couple of hours after wearing it, which is unexpected and much appreciated. This color does stain, but it also wears for six hours comfortably and feels a touch drying as it contiunues to wear to eight hours. I didn’t experience any feathering or bleeding, though my lips are not prone to either generally. Mine didn’t have any noticeable scent, but I have had this particular shade in the to-review-bin for some time, so it may have lost it over time.
It's not only a great shade of red with a quality formula, but it's extremely affordable at $4.00. I was really surprised at how comfortable this was over time, especially for something with such a semi-matte finish!
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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NYX Ice Glitter (209) Salon Formula Nail Polish ($4.00 for 0.52 fl. oz.) is a holographic glitter polish with small particle glitter and larger hexagonal particles all suspended in a clear base. It looks almost silver, but then the particles give off a rainbow reflection. I wish the photos turned out better, because it’s so stunning in person–it dazzles and shimmers and shines. The effect is gorgeous!
This is a newly released formula by NYX, and if you have any Deborah Lippmann polishes, the bottle is going to seem more than familiar. The major difference is the cap; NYX has a glossy black cap, while Deborah Lippmann has a rubberized cap (so it has a matte black finish), and the latter is easier to hold. I tested out NYX’s formula this past week using two different shades (a shimmer on one hand, this glittery shade on the other), and I didn’t have any wear issues, just minor tip wear after seven days.
Ice Glitter has a thin consistency, which is different than a lot of other glitters like this one, because they tend to have thicker, almost gel-like bases, which often assist in giving the glitter better distribution on the nail. I felt like a thicker base would have helped pull the glitter more evenly, but I still felt like the distribution was decent overall with the thinner consistency. The thinner quality makes it easier to layer without building up too much thickness on the actual nail. As you’d expect, removal is no picnic, and you’ll want to give the remover some time to soak and break down the polish before actually pulling the polish off.
P.S. — Please forgive the random red glitters; this was the seventh or eighth glitter polish I swatched for photos.
I'm thrilled to see more budget-friendly brands putting out hexagonal glitter polishes, because they can be really fun and lovely on, but previous iterations have been less than affordable.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
NYX Apricot HD Blush ($16.50 for 0.25 oz. ) is medium-dark coral-red with a soft, satiny shimmer-sheen. The color initially reminded me of Chanel Rouge, which is certainly redder and more intense–with a light hand, they’re comparable. It also reminded me of the original MAC Posey and MAC Mighty Aphrodite. Benefit Bella Bamba is pinker.
What I’ve loved most about NYX’s line of HD blushes is their soft, super finely-milled powders; they’re silky, blendable, and fairly buildable. It’s a formula that makes it difficult to overdo it on; you have to be deliberate about greater intensity if that’s the color you desire, but it’s not difficult to achieve a more pigmented cheek. The downside to these blushes is the wear time, which is around six hours, at which point I start noticing it fade.
For an in-depth commentary on the packaging, please see my original review.
Surprisingly, despite its shortcomings, there is something about this product I like. It's a product I would reach for, but I recognize that it's below-average wear is a major issue. The packaging is less functional than it seems, and it's likely you're paying part of the higher price tag for that.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
NYX English Rose HD Grinding Blush ($16.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a pretty-in-pink shade of cotton candy pink, which leans a little blue, and applies sheerly. It can be built to about medium intensity, but it’s not overly pigmented or intense. It is, overall, a lighter shade, and it has a subtle sheen that’s neither frosty or too reflective (so it does not emphasize pores). It is similar to MAC Briar Rose but a touch pinker. It is a little lighter than Illamasqua Chased. I imagine it is similar to MAC Well-Dressed as well.
My favorite part about the HD Grinding Blushes is how smooth and soft they are, without being powdery–they are finely milled and don’t poof! a puff of dust when you go to use them. The softness lends itself to effortless application, because it blends out easily and never looks overdone–but you have to trade-off color payoff for that. I only get around six hours of good wear with this product–by the seventh hour, it’s hardly visible any more.
Please consider reading my original review of NYX HD Grinding Blush for more, in-depth commentary on the packaging.
Surprisingly, despite its shortcomings, there is something about this product I like. It's a product I would reach for, but I recognize that it's below-average wear is a major issue. The packaging is less functional than it seems, and it's likely you're paying part of the higher price tag for that.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
NYX Skin Tone Eyeshadow Base ($6.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a creamy, flesh-toned product designed to provide a base for eyeshadow to grab onto and stay on all day. It’s $6.99 on ULTA (which I liked, because NYX is sold-out of this shade) normally, but at the time of this review, it was $4.19. NYX’s Eyeshadow Base is also available in White and Pearl. The Skin Tone shade is a light-medium peach.
This is one of my favorite budget friendly bases, because one pot lasts forever, and the product itself keeps eyeshadow on all day long without fading or creasing. It has a nice level of creaminess that makes it easy to apply and blend out to cover the entire lid area, but it dries down quick enough that it doesn’t crease before you get a chance to apply your eyeshadow on top of it. Skintone is more of an opaque base, though, which is particularly good for those who want a product that also evens out lids.
If you're looking for an affordable eyeshadow base, NYX is definitely one of the best I've come across. It holds its own against higher-end bases, too--you're not sacrificing quality for price here.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
NYX HD Studio Foundation ($15.00 for 1.26 oz.) is described by the brand as a foundation that reflects light to give skin a smoother appearance and reduce the appearance of pores. It also includes “tri-peptides infused to promote collagen generation, reduce wrinkles, and rejuvenate skin.” I’ve only used tihs foundation for a week, so I’m not going to even touch that last part.
The HD Studio Foundation delivers light-medium to almost medium coverage. The consistency is thin overall, but not runny or watery, so it spreads and blends out easily but applies more sheerly. It is a buildable product, so for those who want heavier coverage (up to medium), simply apply more or apply more to the areas where you need it. The foundation dries down quickly and has a velvet matte finish–not ultra matte but not too dewy. I did about twenty lip swatches with this foundation on, and it photographed quite nicely, which is ultimately one of the major marketing points for it.
I’m NC25/NC30 in MAC, 140 in Make Up For Ever, #02/03 in Guerlain, and I found #04 Sand Beige to be a fairly good match. It did have a strong yellow tone, though, so I would only recommend this shade match for those with medium skin tones with warm (yellow) under tones.
I used one pump for my entire face, and for me, my primary concern is evening out my skin–I have some blotchiness in my cheeks and my forehead is a little darker than the rest of my face (always fun to deal with!). At the time of review, I did not have much in the way of major active acne or post-acne marks.
It compares well with Make Up For Ever’s HD Foundation, but NYX’s coverage seems slightly less buildable and ends up being sheerer overlal. There’s a subtle but noticeable chemical-like scent when I used NYX’s but it seemed to dissipate after being applied. NYX’s shade range is inferior to Make Up For Ever’s (8 vs. 25), and it seems like the lightest and darker complexions will have trouble finding a match within the existing range.
I was surprised at how well it wore–it wears nicely for six to eight hours before sheering out (for me, that means on my forehead, which is where I get a little oily by the end of the day). I get a little longer with Make Up For Ever–eight to ten hours–but NYX’s HD Studio Foundation hangs out respectably even past its initial wear period and doesn’t disappear at lightning speed.
It's one of the better budget-friendly foundations I've tried. I can definitely see myself reaching for it when I'm taking a lot of photos, because it applies easily, has a photo-friendly finish, and works well. Unlike other products in NYX's HD Studio line, this one fits the price range of the line. It's cheaper than the HD Grinding Powder by $10!
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
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