NYX

The $9.99 NYX Lid Lingerie Makes It Perfectly Acceptable to Wear Lingerie in Public

July 19th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Is this the best drugstore palette out there right meow?

If the $9.99 NYX Lid Lingerie Shadow Palette were a bra, it would be one that you wouldn’t normally pick out for yourself, but, because it was, like, on super deep discount, you buy it anyway, and even though it doesn’t fit as well as your go-to favorite bra, you come to realize, after wearing it a few times, that you love it more, the more you wear it.

Yup, that about summarizes this six-pan palette of neutral powder shadows, in a nutshell.

nyx lid lingerie swatches — Look at my lingerie!

A more affordable alternative to the Viseart Neutral Palette

Lid Lingerie, which is available now at Ulta and other drugstores, has been out a while, but it only recently caught my eye, and I think it did because of how much I’ve been thinking about my beloved Viseart Neutral Matte Palette.

I love that thing, but damn! — it’s so freaking expensive. So I’ve been looking for a drugstore option, and I think Lid Lingerie is it.

nyx lid lingerie swatches k2 — FYI (TMI?), I’m wearing my most comfortable bra in this pic. Oh, and Lid Lingerie is on my lids.

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NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighter Makes It Easier for Makeup Lovers to Get Their Affordable Glow On

July 18th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

nyx away we glow swatches final — And Awaaaaay We Glow! The NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighters from the top in Moonbeam, Daytime Halo and Gold Rush.

~~Calgon~~ NYX, take me away! Take me to that place where highlighters don’t have to be so totally in your face, and where folks cherish a subtle pearly glow.

Oh, my goodness! The NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighters are so, so good! I was expecting a chunky, obvious “hello from the outer reaches of the universe” type of highlight from these liquid highlighters, but they aren’t like that at all. I’ve tried three of the nine shades, all of which are available in the permanent line, and they’re gloriously subtle. They have more of a pearly sheen than an in-your-face frost, and I think they look just like the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors (but at a fraction of the cost).

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Drugstore Needs and Nopes, Vol. 1

May 4th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

I don’t go to regular drugstores as much as I used to, mostly because of Ulta and Target, which is basically a drugstore, only a million times bigger, but ever since I was a kid cruising the makeup aisles at Thrifty (of course, I had to get a Thrifty ice cream cone while I did this), I’ve been a drugstore beauty addict.

And over the past few years, drugstore makeup has gotten MUCH better — like next level sh*t. You can be a woman of color now and find a foundation that actually matches your skin tone, and within those foundation families, you’ve got dewy finishes, matte finishes and satins. Nowadays you can also find good drugstore cream shadows, where once you could only get those at department stores.

As for drugstores colors, you aren’t just limited to a narrow neutral range anymore. Now you can find all sorts of drugstore color craziness. It’s an exciting time for affordable makeup! That’s for sure.

Here are five drugstore products I tried this week, and whether I think they’re “needs” or “nopes.”

1. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue

maybelline great lash royal blue — Maybelline Great Lash in Royal Blue

If you were a fan of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue back in the day, it’s back for a limited time exclusively at Walmart for $6.40. It had been discontinued some time ago.

Honestly, I’ve never quite understood the Great Lash Mascara love out there. For me…it’s just OK. Decent lift and separation, but with regard to Royal Blue, I can barely see the blue color on my lashes. I have to pile it on and look in a magnifying mirror.

If you have lighter lashes than I do, I’m sure the blue will pop more.

THE VERDICT: Nope! For me, this is a nope, but I know there are lots of Great Lash fans out there.

maybelline great lash royal blue ingredients — Maybelline Great Lash Royal Blue ingredients

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These NYX Faux Whites White Eyeliners Have a Hint of Exquisite Color

April 12th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

White eyeliner is not your foe; it’s your friend!

Well…in the case of NYX’s Faux Whites tinted eyeliners, it is your faux, but it’s spelled f-a-u-x, not f-o-e, as in your sworn mortal mean girl enemy.

Semantics. 🙂

These soft $7.99 pencil liners are available now in eight lightly tinted pastel shades made for brightening your eyes. You can line your lids with them, or wear them along your lower water line or in the inner corners (or all three ways if you’re feeling sassy).

nyx faux whites swatches — From the top: Mintcream, Vanilla and Honeydew

The colors aren’t incredibly distinct, and they aren’t immediately easy to tell apart. Like, I can’t even tell if I’m wearing the mint, baby blue or the yellow liner unless I look very closely, but the hint of tint does make them a little little less stark than a pure white liner.

And their primary purpose, after all, is brightening, not adding color.

Ingredients
(Linen)

Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyethylene, Synthetic Wax, Dimethicone, Polybutene, Silica, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Alumina, Propylene Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate / Polyhydroxystearate / Sebacate. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

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Music Festival Inspired Makeup Tutorial With a Pop of Blue

April 27th, 2016 by Jen Clark 26 Comments

Warm bronze eye shadow with a pop of blue

My social media feeds have been blowing up with cute photos and snapchats of really cool, trendy people at music festivals, so I decided I would (try to) channel my inner cool person and came up with this makeup look I’d wear if I were to go to said festivals.

I love this look so much! I can’t wait to wear it this summer. I think it makes a huge impact, but it’s totally easy to do. And you can customize it if you want to. You could switch out the bronze-y shades for taupes and the blues for some lavender.

Mmm, that would be gorgeous!

I’m using the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette and the Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Palette in Aquamarine Dream.

Yes, I know the Too Faced Palette has a blue shade in it, but I’ve been dying to try out the Pixi palette. The colors make my heart pitter patter.

The Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette, $49

Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Palette in Aquamarine Dream, $12

I wanted a really warm crease, so I put “peanut butter” (an almost orange matte brown) from the Too Faced palette in the crease and just above it. By using a really soft, fluffy brush and taking your sweet time blending, you’ll get that diffused look we all aim for.