If you guys have read my recent NYX post you'll know that I received this gorgeous palette for the launch of the brand on Debenhams and said that I would review some products Separately if I really loved them. So today I wanted to talk about the utterly stunning Strobe of Genius palette!
I have to say I never got onboard with the whole strobing trend, never even tried it so I can't really talk about whether this palette is good specifically for that but I am all about highlight, love me a bit of highlight! Strobe of Genius has 7 different shades of highlight and I mean just look at them, ranging from deep bronze highlights to a beautiful cool toned lilac which I was so excited to try out as I've never used a product like this.
As soon as I swiped my brush on my cheek bone I was in love, this product is so finely milled that it really ads more of a glisten than glitter which is quite hard because I find that a lot of highlighters do end up making you look like a glitterball which is fine if that the look you want but sometimes you just want a bit of life drawn into your face without looking OTT. I liked it so much that I started using it on part of my face that I never usually highlight like the brow bone, I know loads of guys do but it wasn't something I ever thought to do. Some of the shades are a little darker for my skin tone but I think if I was on holiday somewhere warm I would totally be swishing this all over my face!
Strobe of Genius costs around £16 which could be argued that it is slightly pricier than most highlighters but personally I think you are paying for the variety of highlight you get, with colours I probably would never have picked up or tried before so it's a really nice palette to explore and play around with. Additionally I think this palette can be used by a variety of different skin tones which is definitely a bonus. I would say the packaging is a little cheap because as you can see in the picture it's wearing a little but the product inside, I love!
What is your favourite highlight?
Guys, I have some great news, NYX Makeup launched on Debenhams this September which is super exciting for so many reasons! NYX is very much an affordable make up range that boasts a larger selection of different shades to suit multiple skintones but they are also a cruelty free brand!! Today I am going to share with you some absolutely gorgeous products that were kindly sent to me, I will be doing a proper review of some of the palettes but this is very much an introduction to the brand if you have yet to try NYX.
As you guys will already know, I am a huge fan of the Lip Lingerie and already have the shade Bedtime Flirt but now I get to try out Exotic which is a very "me" kinda shade without a doubt because it's a deep kinda nude ad not THAT different to Bedtime Flirt. However I also received 3 other great lip products which included the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Budapest which I would never have tried before but when I put it on I actually quite liked it, far darker than I have ever worn before but so beautiful and it also smells like cream soda. I also received a Butter Gloss in the shade Strawberry Parfait which is more clear than solid colour and a very unique Cream Lipstick in the shade Downtown Beauty which I have to be honest doesn't work with my complexion but appears to be a nice product in terms of longevity and wear!
I also recieved 3 glorious palettes that I am so excited about because I haven't used any eye products or contouring product. I have to be honest the Strobe of Genius palette is just so beautiful, it was really hard for me to wait until after I had taken the pictures before I started swatching there are some highlights that I have never tried before but that lilac/pearlescent one is the cool tone I have been looking for! The NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette is really beautiful with a good mix of shimmers and matte shade and whilst I wouldn't wear that rich blue shade in the bottom right hand side, I cannot deny it's beauty. I also have a lovely little primer which does have that silky silicone feel to it so I'm not sure how I'll get on with that and the Contour Intuitive palette which has a lovely shimmery blush.
I'm a huge NYX fan, I can't wait to try these out and I am thrilled that they are being sold on Debenhams.
Which NYX products do you love?
*Gifted Product
Today we are talking about the Stay Matte But Not Flat liquid foundation from NYX and I know what you're all thinking, don't worry I am still obsessed with the Sleek Make Up CC Cream but I kinda wanted to try something new. NYX is a cruelty free brand but they are owned by L'Oreal I think so it's a grey area I must admit.
The first think that drew me to the Stay Matt But Not Flat liquid foundation firstly was the packaging, I can't stand foundation in glass bottles and I know it looks nice and I know that a lot of foundations are in glass bottles but a cute little squeezy tube is easier for me. Also, it fits better in the make up bag and it's lighter and because I travel a fair amount this is quite important. The NYX foundation retails for £6 which is a pretty good price to try out and about £3 cheaper than my beloved cc cream. Typically speaking, I don't like matte foundations I like to keep my complexion slightly dewy but I do like the fact that this foundation is water based and oil free.
I got the shade Ivory which I think is fractionally too light for me but the next shade up was a bit too dark but I thought because it is a good price I may as well try! The first thing I noticed was that when I squeezed the product onto the back of my hand, it was more liquid than I was expecting and a lot lighter as well.
When I actually applied to my face I also noticed that it did tend to cling to my drier patches but I just added a little bit of moisturiser to it and it evened it out a little. I normally apply my foundation with a beauty blender but I thought I would try it out with my RT expert face brush instead because I could buff it a little better into my skin. As with most matte foundations is it quite dry but it definitely wasn't as drying as I was expecting. I added a bit of the Makeup Revolution Radiance Palette powder to my face just to make it not look as matte which worked perfectly. This foundation is really impressive because it doesn't actually make your face look too cakey or matte, then when you team it with a bit of shimmer it create a really nice finish.
As the day went on the more I liked it, I didn't look in the mirror once and think "oh god, I look weird" in fact I forgot that I was even wearing a new foundation at all! The Stay Matte but Not Flat foundation does exactly what it claims to, obviously it doesn't have the dewy glow I like BUT because it isn't as matte as the other foundations you can easily create a dewy look with other products on top of it! Overall, really big fan guys!!
Have you tried this NYX foundation?
When the stunning Lizzie from Pretty Vices came to London she bought a long with her these NYX two beauties! Lizzie came from New York with work and she obviously understands my love for all things beauty and thought I would appreciate something from this brand. NYX isn't a brand I have tried before though I know you can get some products over here in the UK but I never see them in any shops. She gave me two of her favourite shades which are Maple Blondie, that is a gorgeous coral kinda shade and Creme Brulee which is a more muted nude shade.
I must admit, this girl knows me well, I adore both shades and being a fellow blondie she knows they would suit my skin tone as well.I love a lip gloss but sometimes they can often be incredibly sticky and hard to wear however these Butter Glosses are just gorgeous. They really do feel very soft, buttery and nourishing on the lips. I really do love these two shades, so easy to wear.
I found that Maple Blondie was slightly more pigmented on the lips than Creme Brulee, the coral shade definitely stands out more but it's really lovely. However I have found myself constantly reaching for Creme Brulee, it's just such a wearable shade as it only adds a subtle hint of colour to the lips.
I am in love with these Butter Glosses but this means I definitely need to try out more from NYX. I know the price point is fairly low so it's definitely going to make it easy to try more from this brand.
What are your favourite NYX products?
