NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review

I recently purchased the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Vault which has mini versions of all 36 shades in the collection. I'd wanted to try this range for awhile and I wasn't sure which colours to go for so when the vault was available for a good price, I thought I'd buy that. I've certainly never had so many shades in the one product before.  I've also never been so excited by a makeup product. It's been really fun to try shades I wouldn't normally so I thought I'd share my thoughts here. It look me almost an entire day to complete this post! 

The lip product I use daily and have for many years is Maybelline Provocalips. It's perfect in terms of texture and staying power but I find the colour range limited. Other than the red and dark red, the other shades don't appeal to me. So that was my motivation behind finding another brand. In the past I've also tried Too Faced Melted which has an amazing colour range but it doesn't always stay on the lips and ends up in unwanted places on the face. It's also rather expensive. NYX soft matte lip cream addresses many of the issues I've had previously with lip products. There are so many shades I love but at the same time there are many I wouldn't wear such as the browns and neutrals.

I'd like to repurchase some of my favourite shades but it's so difficult with limited stockists in Australia. I only know of Target and Priceline which have NYX but there aren't many colours. The NYX website doesn't ship internationally. I'll have to work out where I can buy them. 

Adis Ababa and Copenhhagen
Adis Ababa is a medium pink which is similar to many in this collection. I like it but it's not a particular standout. and in terms of repurchasing I'd probably go with Paris.  Copenhagen is my absolute favourite in the collection and I have worn it continually since I bought it. I've already used up the sample and need to repurchase it. I look forward to wearing it with the Rouge Noir version of the Dita Cardigan when the weather is colder. It has a red undertone compared to Moscow which is more of a blue undertone and Transylvania which is a purple undertone. That makes it more wearable for everyday. 

Stockholm and Moscow
Stockholm is a neutral shade with a pink undertone. As far as neutrals go I like it and believe it suits my skin tone, however I wouldn't wear it as I always prefer bright lips. Moscow is one of a few dark colours in this range but this one has more of a blue undertone. It's a little bold for every day wear (even for me) but since I like it I hope there's some occasion I can find to make it work. 

Manila and Paris
Manila is a coral shade with an orange undertone. I often don't look good in orange but this is exactly the right amount of orange. It's a little different from the colours I wear on an every day basis but I like it and I'll certainly be using it again. Paris is the brightest pink I've tried so far in the collection but it's not particularly unique as many brands have similar shades. It's one I'd get a lot of use from so I'm likely to repurchase. 

Transylvania and Abu Dhabi
Transylvania is unique and bold and I can definitely make it work. It's one of my favourites from the whole collection and I've been looking for a shade like this for ages. It has more of a purple undertone in comparison to Copenhagen and Moscow. It will definitely be a repurchase. Abu Dhabi is a neutral with a brown undertone. There are too many shades which look this way in the soft matte range. It's too plain, the brown undertone doesn't suit me and I won't be using it again. 

Sydney and Seoul
At first Sydney was disappointing but after a couple more tries I don't mind it. It's not the most flattering shade but it's fun to wear and I haven't got any shades like it. The consistency isn't as smooth as most of the other colours though. Seoul was a surprise. I was expecting it to be more purple from the container; it's more of a berry pink hue than I thought. It's a winner and will be a repurchase. 

Istanbul and San Juan
Istanbul is a standard and average medium pink. I don't mind it and favour it over many of the neutrals in the collection, but at the same time it's not a standout. San Juan is a very bright orange, even brighter than it appears in the pictures. Orange is a new shade for me and I like it. However, I don't think it could work for every day. I hope I'll be able to find an occasion where it is appropriate. 

Havana and Los Angeles
Havana is one of my favourites from the collection and exactly what I was hoping for; it's more the colour I thought Seoul would be. I have always loved purple lip shades. It's very bold for every day use but I adore it too much so I'll have to make it work. I'll definitely be repurchasing. Los Angeles is another neutral with a brown undertone. I'm not used to brown tones on myself and it's not my style. 

Cairo and Berlin
Cairo is my least favourite of all the colours. It's too plain and looked like I was wearing nothing on my lips. I won't be using it again. The texture wasn't as smooth as the other colours and it was very patchy to apply. Berlin is the darkest brown in the collection. I like it better than the other browns and appreciate it is fairly pigmented. However, again brown is not my style. 

Morocco and Milan
Morocco is one of my favourites and will definitely be a repurchase. It's a more wearable version of San Juan as it's less orange and is really a red orange shade. It suits me a lot better than any other orange I've found in the past. Milan is another medium pink which is between Istanbul and Paris in terms of brightness. Again, I like it but it's not a particular standout. I'll have to choose just one of the pinks I like best to repurchase. 

Zurich and Antwerp
I expected Zurich to be another brown based neutral from the container  but it has more of a pink hue. It's one of the better neutrals but it's a little plain and I don't have any use for neutrals so probably won't use it again. Antwerp is similar to Milan but has more of a coral undertone. I'm likely to repurchase it. 

Tokyo and Cannes
Tokyo is a pale pink shade which is similar to Sydney but less fun and bright. It's a little too plain and just another pink which is too similar to others in the collection. The application was patchy too. Cannes is yet another neutral and as far as neutrals go, it's one of my preferred shades. However, as mentioned previously I don't think I'll have much use for it. 

Buenos Aires and Dubai
Buenos Aires is one of my least favourites colours in this range. Again it was patchy to apply and the texture was not smooth. It's a neutral with a pink or peachy undertone. Dubai is one of the darker browns very much like Berlin. I prefer it to the lighter or neutral browns because it's richer but again brown doesn't suit me. 

Athens and Monte Carlo
Athens is another neutral with a pink undertone. It's very plain and almost looks like I don't have anything on my lips. By this point I am so over the neutral tones. There are way too many in this collection. Monte Carlo is very much my style and I will continue to use it. It's most similar to my current every day lip colour and what I have in a lot of other brands. I was beginning to wonder why there weren't enough red shades in the range. 

London and Ibiza
London is a disappointing shade being another neutral shade with a brown undertone and it doesn't suit me. Ibiza is another medium pink which is similar to Istanbul, Milan and Antwerp. It's a little more pale and there are others I like better so don't think I will be repurchasing. 

Madrid and Prague
Madrid is my favourite of the reds in this collection and is completely my style. It's very similar to my everyday lip colour in other brands. I prefer it over Monte Carlo because it's richer and darker. It's a very classic shade. I'll definitely repurchase. Prague is a medium pink, similar to Paris but a little darker. I like the shadesbut it's fairly close in colour to the pinks done by most brands. 

Bangkok and San Paulo
Bangkok is such a unique standout and one of my favourites. I've bee obsessed with purple lip colours since I discovered Too Faced Melted Violet a couple of years ago. Bangkok is a little brighter and even more fun than Havanna. However, that does make it harder for every day use but I'll make it work because I love it. San Paulo is similar to Ibiza and Antwerp. It's a lovely shade but there are others I like better. 

Rome and Budapest
Rome is a brown tone but of all the browns it's my favourite in the collection. It's less harsh on my skin tone, maybe because the undertone has a little pink to it. Even though I never usually wear brown, I'd consider using this again. Budapest has more red to it which is evident next to Rome. I definitely like it but prefer some of the traditional reds like Monte Carlo and Madrid more. 

Antwerp and Vancouver
Antwerp is a fun and bright red tone, again very similar to many reds I've worn in the past. I like it and would wear it again, but prefer the more classic reds such as Madrid and Monte Carlo. Vancouver is a standout. I love how bold it is, there's almost a gothic feel to it. I'd like to repurchase it. Vancouver is a little more plum or purple than Transylvania but similar. 

My favourites are Havana, Copenhagen, Bangkok, Morocco, Transylvania, Madrid, Vacouver and Seoul

Have you tried NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream? 

Makeup: Velour Lips by Australis

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about my new favourite lip colours from Savvy by DB. Last week I've discovered a range that I love just as much and that is the VelourLips by Australis. I've become much more interested in makeup recently partially because I've started following a few youtubers (that became my main hobby during winter time this year). After many year of only using very few different products, I've broadened my makeup collection. I still don't experiment a lot but these new products of mine make me wonder how I ever survived without them. As a result I'm much better at makeup now and therefore more interested in it. 

Australis is a brand to which I have paid very little attention in the past. However, when I was in Priceline I was drawn to the range ofVelourLips because of the vibrant shades. I often feel so frustrated that lip products come in very limited colour ranges. After researching the product subsequent to buying it, I realised that VelourLips has actually been around for quite a while so I am probably writing this post a year too late. However, I know that a number of these shades are new release so it is  still relevant. In my usual style, I ended up buying six different colours. There was a buy two get one free offer on Australis products in Priceline so that helped. 

These lip creams are a gloss when applied but dry to a matte finish. My preference, when it comes to lip products, is to use matte products but then add a clear lip gloss over the top. I hate using coloured since they are not very pigmented and can end up all over my face. I also hate using just matte products because of the dryness and also the look (I know this isn't the case for everyone but I prefer the look of glossy lips). So in the pictures below I have added clear gloss in each case. The staying  power of this product is amazing; it stays on well all day even after eating and drinking.  They are all well pigmented but I prefer to apply two layers since I like the shades to be extra bright. 

Main Benefits
-affordability ($9.95)
-colour range
-durability

Negatives
-the names seriously annoy me!

Lun Dun 

I usually don't wear lip colours this pale but I was looking for a third shade given the buy two get one free offer. I will probably wear it less often than many of the other shades but I still think it's very pretty. I've been using some vibrant lip eyeshadows recently so this paler lip colour does have its uses.

Mi-a-mee

I haven't worn this shade yet. I tried it out for the first time just now for the purposes of this post. It has a slight orange hue, I was surprised that it's more of a coral than a pink. I'm pleased about this because I've come to like coral more and more in recent times. I think I'll get a lot of use from this colour. 

  

Nyc-ee

Red lips is part of my signature look; for the past few years I've had red lips almost every single day. I never try out a new brand without picking up the red too. I definitely love this red product. It's classic and beautiful. It's a very bright red; in contrast to the deeper red which I've been wearing a lot from the Savvy by DB range.

Tok-i-o

This is certainly a bold choice and may not be to everyone's liking but I definitely adore it. I read on a website the other day that this wasn't a traditional work wear colour. Well, these rules never apply to me and  did wear this to work the other day. To be fair, it looks less crazy than it appears in this close up photo. I love how unique, bold bright this is; I seriously adore this and I think it's my favourite from the entire collection. 

Rio-D

I've wanted an orange lip colour for quite awhile now so I thought I'd be brave and try this one. It's actually brighter in person so I feel rather daring.  I'm not used to orange so this will be one of the least wearable shades for me.  If I'd known that the Mi-a-mee shade was slightly orange then I may not have chosen this one. However, I'm up for the challenge of this bright orange.

  
Ma-li-boo
This shade is so bright that it's almost a fluro pink. Again it may not be to everyone's taste but it sure is to mine. I love this so much and it was the colour which initially drew me to this range. It's also the colour I was wearing  in my last outfit post with my pink tartan skirt. This is a really fun and summery shade; you can never have too much pink in your life. 

Has anyone ever tried this product?

Makeup Look

Hi everyone! Lately I've taken more of an interest in makeup in addition to my love for clothes. Although I wear a lot of makeup, I've never been particularly interested in it because I'm not very good and I don't use a great variety of products. However, my love is starting to grow given that I've purchased a couple of amazing products recently. In particular the discovery of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo gel eye shadow has made make up increasingly enjoyable. for me I've wanted to write about this product for awhile now and now seems like the right opportunity given that this is a post about makeup. I've always loved eyeshadow but have very limited skills when it comes to its application. I've been so frustrated with powder eye shadows due to their limited durability; I hate it how I have to apply so much to get a vibrant colour and I'm always annoyed how its practically disappeared by lunch time. As a result I decided to try gel eye shadow and it is perfect. I never want to return to the powder variety. This particular Maybelline product stays on so well. It claims to last for 24 hours and I can definitely say that's true. I was very bad and slept in it (I was so tired one night after work I fell asleep before taking it off) and the next morning it still looked as intense as the day before. It's very easy to apply with a good consistency. I have this product in six different colours now but so far it's only the gold and silver I use frequently. 



I'm sure I'll grow to like the others after experimenting a little more. It's interesting because the purple and blue (which is a really fun and vibrant shade) appear to have a different consistency and don't stay on as well.  They appear creamier and lighter, if that makes sense. I went a little crazy purchasing these products. I often find myself in Priceline during lunch time on a work day so that's how all the damage was done. After years and years of eye shadow disasters my new product is amazing. I can happily say that this product, in combination with  the new lip products which I posted here, give me so many more makeup opinion. For years I used to wear random assortments of eye shadow and red lip stick each day. While red lip stick is certainly still my absolute favourite, I'm having such fun combining my new eye shadows with my new lip colours. Apart from that I like to keep my mascara, blush and face powder consistent. I like to break some of the traditional makeup rules and wear eyeshadow, vibrant lips and blush all at the same time because that's just me!

 

The products I've used are:
-Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eye Shadow in Bold Gold
-Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black
-Savvy DB Ultra Matte Lip Colour in Icon
-By Terry Growth Booster Mascara
-Clinique Almost Powder Makeup in Fair
-Clinique Blushing Powder Blush in Precious Posy

I'm wearing:
-Hello Sailor Spot Top from Kitten D'Amour

Makeup Review: Savvy High Shine and Ultra Matte Lipglosses

Hi everyone. Today I have a different style of post which is a makeup review. I don't often post about makeup because 1. I'm not particularly proficient at makeup and 2. I have the same makeup every single day. However I thought it could be interesting to show a different dimension to my blog and also I found an amazing new product which I really wanted to share...that is the Savvy High Shine and Ultra Matte lipglosses. 

I found these at Priceline. I wasn't familiar with the brand but I believe it is an Australian brand. I was impressed by the colour range and the affordability of only $7.99. (I was able to purchase three or four lip glosses for the price I'd normally pay for one). For this product, some of the colours are a high shine version and others are a matte version. I like both so much that I now own four different shades. I often feel extremely frustrated when buying lipglosses and lipcolours. This is mainly because it is so difficult to find products that actually stay on the lips and are intense enough in their shade. I often find colour ranges generic and boring so the variety of Savvy colours immediately stood out.  Both the high shine and matte appear glossy when applied but soon after the matte version loses its wetness and sets. It stays on slightly better than the gloss version and is more smudge proof but both generally perform well in this area. I sometimes add clear gloss over the top of the matte version because I prefer the shiny look.  I like to be brave when it comes to lip colours. I hope I can build up the courage to try the bright orange version. I'm very pleased to discover this product and can't speak highly enough of it. For me, there are no negatives. (I apologise these photos aren't the best- Expect to see more of these lipglosses, incorporated into my outfits, on my blog. 

Main Benefits:
-affordability (only $7.99)
-colour range
-durability
- 

Paparazzi

It may not appear so from the photos but this is definitely the colour which is most out of my comfort zone. It's extremely unique and stands out so much once applied. I look really different in this colour. However I like that and it's the shade which made me go back to Priceline to purchase subsequent colours. It reminds me of Barbie pink. This colour comes in the high gloss version and is perfectly suits my existing girly look.

Rodeo Drive

This is more of a fluro shade than it appears in this photo and makes such a statement. It;s extremely bright and fun and I rarely see a makeup product in this hue. This is the colour I've been utilising the most lately and is quite possibly my favourite in the range. This colour comes in the matte version.

 

Fame and Glory
As a lover of the classic red lip, I'm very fussy when it comes to finding the right red lipgloss but this one meets my standards. Since it's a safe choice for me and has formed part of my everyday makeup routine for awhile now, it was definitely a must buy. It's a lighter shade of red (I note a deeper shade of red is available in this range and is called "Miss Monroe which I prefer. This colour comes in the high gloss version and is perfectly suits my existing look.  

 Icon

This is a purple hue so I wasn't sure of exactly what to expect from the shade. However, I am very impressed and it makes a fun alternate to the generic reds and pinks that we so often see. I am surprised by the wearability of this colour; it comes out much more purple on the swatch but really fits in with the rest of my makeup once applied. It' reminds me of a mulberry pink/purple shade. This colour comes in the matte version.

Savvy High Shine and Ultra Matte lipglosses are available from Priceline here. There are several other shades. The next one I want to try is 'Bright Lights.'

Has anyone tried this product before?