NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush Review, Photos, Swatches
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush ($16.50 for 0.25 oz.) is one of eight shades of blush from NYX’s HD Studio line. According to NYX, by grinding a blush powder each use, you’ll avoid “oil trappings on powders, contamination, and cracking.” The blush formula itself is supposed to reflect light from the skin while giving pores a smaller and smoother look. Menage a Trois is a soft tangerine-peach with spun gold shimmer-sheen. It’s really a gorgeous shade and one that will work exceptionally well on warmer skin tones.
Next to the blush, you might recognize an elephant–the price tag. NYX is known as a brand with affordable options but still a wide variety and higher quality products than many other more affordable brands (overall). It’s obvious the HD Studio range is at a higher price point, but I think it might be outpricing the comfort zone of some of their customers. Their Powder Blushes are $6, Cream Bushes are $6.50, and Mosaic Powders are $8. The HD Grinding Blush is double the price of their more expensive blush. I’m not worried that NYX is going to change directions and move to mid-tier, but it’s an interesting move.
my thoughts on the formula: The texture of the HD Grinding Blushes is very smooth–definitely finely milled. The colors themselves are a lot less intimidating when applied than they look initially–I did not find that you could quite get the level of intensity as see in the shavings themselves, but you can get close. The softness of the blush powder makes it easy to apply, blend out, and difficult to overdo. On me, it wears around six hours before there is some fading (over liquid foundation, set with loose powder).
Though I haven’t personally tested Smashbox’s Halo powders, the grinding mechanism of NYX’s HD Grinding Blushes reminded me of them. I’m not sure if Smashbox has put out Halo blushes, but they do have the twist ‘n’ shave mechanism for their Perfecting Powders, Perfecting Bronzers, and Color Correcting Powder. It’s neither a pro nor con but more for your reference.
I’m not keen on the grinding packaging, actually. It’s cool, but any excess powder left inside inevitably seems to get everywhere else. I had twisted and ground each blush for photos and carried them to my bathroom and left little blush shavings in my wake. When I opened the blushes, the loose shavings had collected on the outer rim, where the cap screws on, and easily escaped to the freedom of my carpet, sink, and swatching pants! (And that is exactly why one wears swatching pants…) The only mitigating factor is that usually you do not twist too much excess, so there is an end in sight, unlike perhaps an entire jar of loose blush.
Where to Buy: NYX
The Glossover
I’m not particularly surprised that I’m most drawn to this shade–after all, if it’s gold, peach, or coral, I’m already there. The whole grinding concept is more of a novelty for me, and the packaging could use some tweaks so that any excess shavings stay within the jar, rather than settle around the rim (outside of the recessed opening). It could wear a touch longer; most blushes last all day (eight to ten hours) on me.
See more photos & swatches!
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush
NYX HD Grinding Blush
NYX HD Grinding Blush
NYX HD Grinding Blush
Disclosure
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Product & Review FAQ
What are you wearing in the full face photo?
Wet 'n' Wild Petal Pusher Eyeshadow Palette on Eyes, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner on lower lash line, Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara on lashes, NYX Menage a Trois HD Grinding Blush on cheeks, NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil on lips.
Where can I purchase Menage a Trois? How much is it?
NYX, $16.50.
Is it limited edition?
No.
Any dupes?
Lancome Mandarin Sky.
PRETTYYY
The color looks an awful lot like this one Hard Candy baked blush. Does anyone know the color I'm talking about?
Does it come with any applicator? A brush?
Nope!
Is this comparable to macs style? Would love to know. Thanks. Xoxo
I believe Style is more orange!
this is comparable to benefit corslista! :)
will it look good on nc42? really look good on you.wonder if its too bright on my skintone?
FWIW, this looks exactly like their regular powder blush in Pinched. I like the grinder for powders (I love Smashbox Halo) but I think this would be a complete PITA for blush. With powder if there's a little excess, you can just use it - no one notices a extra dab of powder. But with blush...eek!
that is SUCH a beautiful photo of you Christine!!! Unfortanetly, I still can't find anywhere where I could buy NYX cosmetics here in Canada, other than online, but I don't shop online. T.T But the blush is really stunning!
I read the FAQ's but you didn't mention wearing anything on your face (i.e. foundation or tinted moisturizer). Are you not wearing any base in this picture? Thanks!
NYX HD Foundation
Thank you!
Hi Christine! How is this comparable to Estee Lauder radiant peach? What blush would recommend / prefer EL radiant peach or Lancome mandarian sky? You look so lovely! I love this color on you! Thank you :)
This is a bit more tangerine, not as much pink in it! If you want something more orange, than this, but if you like a lil' pink, then the latter two!
I have Mandarin Sky, so I don't need to get pink powder all over my makeup with this...
The color is beautiful and I get the grinding function. I've had times where I've scraped a layer of blush off the product because it got a bit caked down, but charging $16 for it seems a bit steep, especially since NYX is known to be more reasonably priced. I could defiantly see a lot of product wasting if you grind too much and the powder gets stuck in the groves of the top. Good concept, but a tad pricey for NYX. The color is divine though.
Oooh, pretty and super subtle! It looks really nice on you!
Uhm..NYX was feeling themselves a bit with that pricing. That's such a turn off. It's a pretty colour, but not for 16.50, not a NYX blush.
Is this made in china?
South Korea
i love NYX, but i have to agree that this sounds totally gimicky.
That's so gorgeous! I wonder how much it'll cost in Canada though, the price will probably be bumped up :/
That is rather pretty on you. However I do like their cream and regular powder blushes, so I'll be content with those.
smashbox halo was the best thing to ever happen to me. the packaging on the smashbox compact doesn't get powder residue everywhere either. i don't think there are halo blushes though. does anyone know?
that blush shade i think looks stunning on you!
It's a pretty color but I think I'm turned off by the grinding aspect.
This blush looks a lot like Nars Orgasm blush, if you ask me!!
This is really pretty but for the price, I'd like to be able to at least swatch it before I buy it. I would be more inclined to go to Mac at that price point. I do like this color though, it looks so pretty on you.
Oh thank you for doing this! My absolute favorite blush is Lancome's Shimmer Mandarin Sky. I thought for a second it looked similar & now that you have confirmed it in your "dupes" I may have to try this one out. $16.50 may be more than the average NYX line but certainly cheaper than the $28 Lancome one. :D
Vey pretty color!
I really want this blush! I wonder i fyou can pop that metal shaver off and just stick your brush int here like a regular blush? I wonder if anyone has tried this yet or done a tutorial on how it can be done?
I have no idea - haven't tried to do that!
The colour is exactly how MAC's Springsheen looks on my cheeks. And I don't get it: is it powder underneath the grinder, so it just grinds the already ground blush? I like no mess and pressed powders, so this is a no-go for me.
It's a pressed powder that grinds off - I imagine it's a more fragile powder so it makes it easy to grind off the product.
Aah that makes more sense. Thanks!
Pretty! What brush did you use?
MAC 116
Oh beautifull! I always want to try nyx foundation but I can only buy it online. How can I be sure about my Nyx foundation shade? Great blog!
Unfortunately, you have to kind of guess! You could try to search for swatches of a particular shade.
soooo pretty! Reminds me of marine life, de picking this up.
So what exactly is the purpose of the grinding function? Is the blush not fine enough until you grind it or is it just a gimmick?
I explained NYX's reasoning in the first paragraph!
That's really pretty! It's quite expensive for NYX, though.
Is it me or does this remind me of LMdB Echo? The skin swatch and the gold sheen reminded me of it..
Echo is deeper and more pigmented!
I really like this but I love your eyes...what is on your waterline and does it stay there???
Please read the post FAQ, I listed all products there!
Well, if it's at Ulta or Harmon's they ALWAYS have coupons.
oh my god, I love that you have swatching pants.
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