Oh, Beautiful, why do you tease? Yeah, I’m talking to you NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beautiful ($5.50).
It’s not just the newest of 61 colors in the Mega Shine line; it’s also the first NYX gloss I’ve ever tried.
The line gets raves for texture, color payoff, shade selection and price, and I’ve had great luck with NYX lately, so I had crazy high hopes for their glosses.
Maybe too high.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Beautiful’s color and texture — a subtle shimmery pink on the lips, medium weight texture, not too thick or sticky on the lips — but I just can’t hang with the scent. It’s like a preschool nurse’s office, part cherry cough syrup and plastic with a hint of Play Doh (for warmth and complexity), and it even has a little of the same flavor, too.
I tried to stick it out and leave it on my lips to test for wear time this afternoon, but I gave up after about 10 minutes. I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Still, it sure looks pretty, doesn’t it? I bet it would look killer with smokey eyes… Maybe if I pinch my nose. 🙂
Have you tried any of NYX’s glosses before? I’m curious, how do you feel about the scent? I admit I have a pretty sensitive nose.
PRICE: $5.50
AVAILABILITY: At drugstres, Ulta and other locations online.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: C
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Steph says
I totally agree! I love the payoff, and everything you mentioned about this lip gloss except the scent! I absolutely dislike cherry, and I lol-ed when I saw you put cough drop syrup to describe the scent. It’s 100% accurate! Great review!!
Karen says
Hi Steph,
Thank you! Have you tried many of the shades?
Vixen says
the megashine lipglosses are the best! i love smokey look and beige and natural. it’s not just you though, the smell really is like dishwasher, but it’s grown on me 🙂
Karen says
Hi Vixen,
What colors are your go-to shades?
Lulee says
i HATE the scent as well but my bff smelled it and thought it was the most amazing scent ever. lol. anyway i find the smell to dissipate fast enough
Karen says
Hi Lulee,
Guys are FUNNY that way, aren’t they? El Hub seems to always love scents I can’t stand!
Vixen says
Natural! You should really try it in Natural, it’s perfect on its own and over any shade of lipstick. It’s a magical glossy wand that makes every colour wearable. Don’t think I can live without it 😛
Karen says
Thanks, girl! 🙂 It’s always good to have an arsenal of go-to budget shades!
mkdallas says
Gotta agree with the above comments and tell you that Megashine Lipgloss in “Natural” is the bomb.com, Karen…you just are gonna have to suck it up re: the smell. “Natural” is a total dupe of MAC ‘Lust” at a fraction of the price; MLBB, massive pigmentation, no shimmer, just gorgeous color that lasts a long time. I actually like the smell now. Seriously, I have like, 10 tubes of it, because Ulta was out of stock for ages and I became panicked, lol.
Karen says
Ahh! Maybe if I hold my nose…
Trisha says
Ugh…Play-Doh…. Yikes. I hate when beauty products smell weird like that. It really ruins it, huh?
LA says
Has this been a stunning hot pink, I would’ve been all over it but it makes me wonder do all of them smell the same? The one I have smells sort of like cherry licorice. It’s called Copper Penny and it’s gorgeous!
Karen says
Hi LA,
Are there any other colors you can recommend for the line? I’m going to put together a list of shade recs here in the comments.
Vonvon says
Karen, you look lovely in the photo!
And the shade is such a pretty sweet pink!
Karen says
Thanks, Vonvon!
Blovetbeauty says
The color looks fab , too bad it has a smell to it:( cheaper lipglosses tend to have tat problem
Karen says
Hi BlovetBeauty,
Not all budget glosses have a strong scent, but this one sure does!
Amee says
Very cute and pretty shade…. and u looking fab darling.. 🙂
Karen says
Thanks!
gio says
That’s such a pretty shade but it’s too bad about the scent. 🙁
Karen says
I know, I wish it was unscented.
knownever says
The weird thing about the scent is that each of the colors seems to have a different one. Like I have a deep purple NYX gloss that smells like grapes. Why waste energy putting a different gross, cheap scent in each color instead of spending the time making one decent smell for all of them?
Connie De Alwis says
Two of my favorite glosses to wear (because the colors are perfect on me) are NYX Megashine glosses but I so know what you mean about the scent! I don’t get why they’re not doing anything about it!
Karen says
Hi Connie,
What are the names of the shades that you like? I’m going to put a list in the comments of shade recs from MBB readers. 🙂
Chelsea says
I have this is smokey look… I LOVE it! I don’t love the scent/taste, but it’s grown on me.
The other lipgloss I have from NYX is the Sheer Gloss in Vintage… it reminds me of dimetapp… GRAPE. SO ICKY!
xo.
Karen says
Hi Chelsea,
Oh, I totally know what scent you’re talking about. BLECH!
Antonia says
I haven’t tried it, but i’m quite curious about the scent now=)
Karen says
You’ll be able to give it a sniff soon now that they’re coming to your country, woo hoo!
Appu says
I have 5-6 NYX lipglosses. I got all of them as part of a sale! I don’t like the cheap cherry smell but, they kinda fade after a good 10 minutes. But yeah, they would be amazing glosses if NYX did something about the cough syrup smell 🙂
Karen says
Hi Appu,
What colors are your faves?
Appu says
My favs are Spongecake, Natural and Tanned 🙂
Shiny says
I’m not even very sensitive to smells but these puppies are just too strongly scented… like cough syrup. That being said I do suck it up and wear them sometimes as the colour payoff is quite excellent. ‘Africa’ despite looking insane in the tube is a pretty awesome bold shade for those who like a purple tinted lip!
Karen says
Hi Shiny,
Oh, I’m intrigued! That shade sounds beautiful.
Kerry says
I have four of the glosses — Smoky Look, Natural, Beige, and Perfect — and I totally agree with you. I’m not a fan of cherry scents (they always seem artificial to me), but these make me feel nauseous. Normally, scented lip products do not bother me, but these are wicked.
They’re pretty though, so I totally still rock ’em.
Karen says
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for sharing your shade recs! I’m going to add them into a round-up comment below. 🙂
makeupjunkie says
I think they’re glosses smell and taste like cough medicine.
Karen says
Totally!
Lora says
I have one lipgloss from NYX – Candy Shop. It’s pink with a slight golden shimmer. LOVE it. I never thought of cough syrup from the scent, but I just whipped it out and noticed the initial “whiff” of the stuff does have a cough syrup feel. After that split second though, all I smell are red starburst 🙂
Karen says
Hi Lora,
Hmm… it kinda smells like red Starburst if I really, really think hard. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the name of your shade! I think it’ll be handy for the girls here who want to try the gloss.
Kim says
Oh, I’m so laughing. First of all, it’s too bad about the scent because the gloss looks so pretty. However, I’m happy about the scent because it inspired your description and excellent visual. What a fun thing to read for my first post of the day! 🙂
PS I’m wearing blue liner today and very seriously thought about pink shadow. In the end, I chose a light gold, but it was very close! 🙂
Karen says
Hi Kim,
OOOH! You’re so close. Gold/blue is like the gateway combo to pink/blue!
Kim says
I thought you’d approve. It’d rock the pink/blue tomorrow night, but I’m going for the glitter and the fallout (and the deep stares). 🙂
Tekoa says
That was the best description of a lipgloss ever. The part that got me was the Play Doh “for warmth and complexity”. *giggle* I think Tabs would scratch NYX for creating a substandard smelling product.
Karen says
Hi Tekoa,
I think he batted at the tube a few times. 🙂
I know you’re a cat person… here’s something I think you might love:
Kitten Concert
Lindsay says
I totally agree with you, a scent can make or break a cosmetic for me. Cherry plastic playdough lipglosses are not for me.
Karen says
Hi Lindsay,
I’m all about the scent! My big issue is if it smells plastic/synthetic. If any of that comes through then I peace out, LOL!
lo says
Oooh, how unfortunate! Cherry cough syrup makes me want to vomit, so I think this is a pass for me haha. You would think they’d put more thought into what lip gloss smells like, since it literally sits under your nose all day!
Karen says
Hi Lo,
I guess some women don’t mind it… it makes my stomach churn!
Morgan says
Ha ha ha. After reading, I immediately went to my purse and pulled out my “backup” lip gloss, NYX’s beige, and gave it a whiff. I didn’t get Cherry cough syrup and playdough, but I definately got something. I must not have a sensitive nose, because I’ve never REALLY noticed the smell. I have about 14 of these glosses, and I L.O.V.E. them. I have noticed that some have a “scent” and others, not so much, but it has never bothered me. For the money ($4 at cherryculture.com), they are a great product. My only complaint is that they are a little drying. I’ve been skipping them for my MAC lipglasses now that its getting colder b/c my lips are a little parched.
Karen says
Hi Morgan,
You’re so funny… I keep backup lipglosses around too. They chill in my purse, coat pockets and desk drawers. 🙂
What are your favorite NYX gloss colors? It might be nice for the gals here to know which ones stand out since there are so many to choose from.
Nina says
pass if its got a strong smell! not for superallergic me!
Karen says
It’s REALLY strong. Your tummy will go nuts. 🙁
Megan says
I love NYX’s glosses! Funny, the smell doesn’t bother me, but we’re all different. That’s why we all have our preferences when it comes to fragrance, too!
Karen says
Hi Ladies,
Turns out a LOT of you love these glosses! Here’s a round up of stand out colors from the line that are mentioned above. If you have any color recs please feel free to chime in!
NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss Color Recommendations from MBB readers
Natural (a dupe for MAC Lust)
Copper Penny
Africa
Smokey Look
Beige
Perfect
Candy Shop
Monique says
This is my #1 reson for not buying NYX lip gloss. I hate the smell!
Karen says
I want them to do an unscented line!
kali says
I love your description of the scent. =P I know this is a beauty blog focused on beauty but I just think you’re such an amazing writer overall! And as always, you look gorgeous!! Keep up the excellent work. =)
Karen says
Thank you, Kali. 🙂
Georgia says
Karen! Don’t do it! I went on a NYX spree a few years back and I have about 30 of the glosses…they are all lovely, but to this day I have not been able to get over the smell and I hate wearing them because of that. I’ve since turned into a natural kinda gal (couldn’t help it, I was a pre-med) and you know something is bad for you when it smells like that.
All the best,
Georgia
HanaBerlin says
I agree. I can’t hang with stuff that smells off. You can just tell that it is not good for you!
Karen says
Hi Georgia,
Have you found any natural glosses that you like? I’d love to hear about ’em!
Wendy says
Just leave it open like two days and the smell goes away.
But sometimes no smell means plastic smell and I would rather smell cough syrup on my lips than chemicals yuck.
That’s why I love Smashbox and MUFE no smell and I mean NO smell.
Karen says
Hi Wendy,
The Smashbox glosses are GREAT. Have you tried the Limitless Long Wear ones?
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/cosmetics/smashbox-limitless-long-wear-lip-gloss-make-way-for-sheer-shine/
Wendy says
Theyre on my christmas list, can’t wait for new haul.
Melissa says
Ha! I totally peeped these at Ulta yesterday and thought the same. They look great, but seriously smell gross 🙁 I ended up going over to Sephora and grabbing a Smashbox lip gloss instead. Way more expensive, $18 I think? But worth it! I think Baby Pout is my new signature gloss 🙂 BTW, LOVE YOUR BLOG 🙂
Karen says
Hi Melissa,
Baby Pout is gorgeous! I know several girls who swear by it. 🙂
Thanks for the blog love! <3
Faith says
I own one NYX gloss. I remember also loathing the scent at first, though I don’t mind it now. I don’t wear the gloss often, so I think the scent may dissipate after time?
Karen says
Hi Faith,
Hmm, maybe. I might try it again, just for kicks.
megan says
So glad someone brought this up. I tried NYX glosses because of the hype, but I couldn’t stand the smell either. I threw it away:/
Karen says
Hi Megan,
Which color did you try?
Maggie says
I am SO with you! They smell and taste completely horrendous. I love your description – perfect! I’m not even that sensitive to taste/smell in my lip products, but these made me want to throw up 😛 Glad I’m not the only one!
Karen says
Hi Maggie,
I really do hope they do some non-scented glosses soon!
Lisa says
Hi Karen, sorry you don’t like the smell 🙁 I don’t mind it. At the very least, it’s unique lol. My fave (and only at the moment) shade in NYX’s Mega Shine glosses is African Queen, a really pretty fuschia with blue microshimmer. A fabulous color!
Karen says
Hi Lisa,
I’ve heard GREAT things about that shade. Do you wear it on its own? Or do you layer it beneath something else?
Alice says
I only have one, African Queen (which someone else called Africa earlier up), but I seriously love it. To me, it’s a very strong green apple scent, which I don’t really like but I’ll put up with it. It’s really too bright for me to wear regularly, so I like to just put on some chapstick and do a dot of the gloss on my lower lip and on my upper lip, and blend out. It turns into a seriously gorgeous bright pink.
I’m still trying to figure out how to wear it like it’s intended. I tried a thicker layer once at work and my boss commented on the color, haha. I’m definitely planning on buying several more shades.
Karen says
Hi Alice,
I thought that maybe Africa and African Queen were the same colors too, but they’re different shades (Africa’s a shimmery bronze). African Queen looks really cool though! You could always try toning it down by layering a lighter lipstick shade underneath. That’s what I like to do with really bright lipglosses!
Alice says
Oh lol, I just went and looked up the website and it turns out there IS a shade called Africa. Silly me.
Karen says
Hey Alice,
I totally thought the same thing too (see above comment). No worries! You’re not the only one. 🙂
AshBash says
i dont like the smell of nyx glosses either. im glad someone finally said it.
Karen says
Hi AshBash,
Yeah… I would love if they could whip up a non-scented version!
Deb says
I love love love these lipglosses, and the smell doesn’t bother me at all. They stay for HOURS and the pigmentation is awesome. I have them in four different colors and I love all of them.
Karen says
Hi Deb,
Lucky! I wish I could get over the scent. I just can’t hang.
82firemoon says
I love their scents!!!!! I have a lot of them, maybe too much 😉 I think that probably one day i will have them all!!!
Beside, i don´t like the scent of Round Lipstick, also by NYX
Jadyn says
Wow! I love the scent and taste. I think mine smells like bubble gum. Sorta like the dubble bubble bubblegum
The girl in the yellow shoes says
I know exactly what you mean about the scent! I wish they would change, it but the lipgloss formula is great!
corallista says
I just picked up Burgundy from this range and it does smell unpleasant! I love the shade range NYX has, I wish they changed the scent.
SueT. says
I just picked up Sugar Pie. Ugh! I HATE the smell of cherries so this lipgloss was a huge disspointment.