NYX Cosmetics review – Beauty on a Budget

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photos: we heart this

There’s one major lesson that I’ve learned when it comes to beauty products and that is to never ever underestimate the power of inexpensive makeup. When an economical brand does it right, then you’ve got yourself one happy wallet and some awesome products to boot! One such company, NYX Cosmetics (named after the Greek goddess of the night), has highly pigmented, top quality products and is fit for everyone from professional makeup artists to everyday makeup users. Best of all, they are cruelty-free. In fact, their mascot is a cutie pie Bijon Frise pup named Sir Bruce Barkalot!

The team recently received three favorite items from the NYX collection for our inspection, including their Felt Tip Liners. With eyeliner, it’s hit or miss with me, and about 99% of the time it’s a miss. What can I say, I’m a bit smudge-prone. When faced with the Felt Tip Liner ($8), this black liner devotee was ready to put it to the test! The first thing to jump out at me? There are two shades of black: Jet Black and Extreme Black. Extreme Black is a blue-ish black while Jet Black appears to be the true black between the two. There is a third option as well, Dark Brown.

Top swatch – Extreme Black: Bottom swatch- Jet Black

The felt tip brush applicator is more on the stiff side to give you greater control for drawing a perfect and steady line. It feels more like a pencil than a marker. Thanks to the brush, application is seriously foolproof! Plus, I am very happy to report that the staying power of these Pen Eye Liners is outstanding. Not only do they last, but also the line stays put – no feathering or faded lines at the end of the day. And guess what? No reapplication was needed!

We also received the Sheer Tube Gloss ($5.50) in the four colors shown below (listed as “updated colors” on the NYX website). In my opinion this is the ultimate anti-sticky lipgloss. And how cute is that floral design on the tube?

left to right: Luscious, Hot Coco, Lavender Note, Earth

I received this gloss in two hues, Luscious, which is red, and Hot Coco, a dark nude with a touch of mauve. Glitter Warning #1: Both are infused with glitter but when applied, the glitter was there but barely noticeable. My lips were left with a gorgeous, dewy, sheer wash of color.

The formula is very smooth, conditioning and wore well. Also of note, all of these glosses have a strong candy scent that I personally love, but might make some cringe. As for packaging, the brush applicator is not really necessary for a sheer gloss, but appreciated and I did feel chic “painting” my gloss on. I’m totally in love with the Sheer Tube Glosses.

Upon first glance at the third item for review, the Rouge Cream Blush ($6.50), it’s hard to tell how incredibly creamy this product is – until you touch it (with clean hands please!) These blushes are extremely pigmented and you only need a tiny dab of product to cover each cheek.

left to right: Rose Petal, Boho Chic, Golden

photo: Amanda for we heart this

I tried Boho Chic, (left swatch) a girly pink, and Golden, (right swatch) a nude with a touch of peachy-pink. Glitter Warning #2: This is another product that contains micro glitter. On a positive note, it looks very natural on. The formula is slick, blendable and long lasting too.

All in all, NYX Cosmetics really do deliver alongside their affordable price points. It makes playing with makeup even more fun and guilt-free! we heartsters and testers – Are you a frugal friend of NYX?

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.

Author

  • mandabear

    Amanda is a beauty & fashion lover who hopes to own a Shiba Inu one day. She spends most of her time frolicking and chowing down in NYC. She's also getting seriously involved with her iPhone. skin tone: NC30 skin type: oily to normal favorite beauty product: nail polish and lipstick

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25 Comments

  1. @mandabear, you are a woman after my own heart! Inexpensive makeup with a payoff!? I love it!
    I am in the market for a new liquid liner and was going to my tried but true YSL, but they dry out so fast…why not try NYX!?
    Also, I have a misconception that because a line is less expensive they will not be cruelty free..problem solved. Thank you for opening my eyes to a new product line AND saving me some $$!

  2. I tried out the cream blush in rose petal. I was very skeptical too, at first, but I quickly realized this stuff is just as good, if not better than my current cream blush (which is WAY more pricey than NYX). I end up barely dabbing my blush brush in the cream blush because it’s SO pigmented…you don’t need much, and it gives me a natural looking flush to my skin.

    I LOVE this stuff!

  3. Affordable, cruelty-free makeup that delivers in quality and color selection – how can I not give this 5 stars?

    I am constantly finding myself reaching for these products on a daily basis! Sometimes I go out after work and after sitting in a drab office the entire day, I really need some pick me up products.

    The Sheer Tube Gloss in Lucious has been my go-to lately because it instantly provides this slight reddish pop of color to my lips! Sometimes that ends up being all I need to look a bit more presentable :) And the Rouge Cream Blush makes the perfect fast action blush application any gal will need when they are on the go. It glides like buttah.

    @glamazon56 – I feel like I am the perfect candidate to be a professional eyeliner tester. It really does deliver, I think you’ll love it! It’s the best I’ve tried in this price range.

    @niftyfoodie – I totally agree. That is why the Rouge Cream Blush always makes its way into my touch up makeup bag. Quick and efficient :)

  4. The cream blush looks awesome!! I am going to pick some up asap. Question though-has anyone here tried NYX’S Eye Shadow primer? I have been dying to try it.

  5. Can I say that liquid liner pen is FANTASTIC! You can create the best cat eye with it. I love it, love it, love it!

  6. I love, love, love NYX! My drawers are brimming with their eye shadow singles and palettes. (Did anyone else scoop up the BEAUTIFUL glitter palettes around Halloween?) So it’s a surprise to me that I’ve never tried any of these products! I love felt tip liners, so I think that’s going to be my next purchase.
    Great review @Mandabear !

    1. I am also a new NYX makeup customer.I am very happen to find a product comparable to MAC makeup for half the price! I can finally afford good makeup again…It is cheaper then buying makeup at Walgreens.
      I found A 30% coupon code for the website:
      NYXLOVESBGG

  7. @cori – you can purchase right at their main site: http://www.nyxcosmetics.com happy shopping, there’s a ton of goodies to go through!

    @dwj1 – I love that the liners are so precise. I’m a fan of a bit of wing to my liner always!

    @mandaleem – thank you! I’m no stranger to NYX jumbo eye pencils, shadows AND their mega shine glosses, and I’m exactly the same – haven’t tried these until now! Once again, very impressed!

  8. Here I come to spoil the party! While I was super impressed with the pigmentation in both the cream blush and the sheer gloss, each had a big problem for me.

    I got the cream blush in Golden. Super creamy, super excited to try it, but once I did, it had way too much glitter for me. And I have to say, I don’t really get glitter in a blush? Why not shimmer instead? Shimmer you can blend, glitter hung out on the surface of my skin and just looked kind of ridiculous. It’s a shame, the color is pretty (a peachy nude) and it feels great. But the glitter ruined it for me.

    Speaking of glitter, the sheer gloss in Earth is PACKED with it. I can do glitter on my lips though. Earth is a light nude, I was excited to try it just in the center of my bottom lip, over a nude lipstick. But oh, the smell! Candy overload, even with just a small dab of it. It’s overpowering, and sadly, totally yucky to me.

    Does anyone know if any of their lip glosses don’t have this candy scent?

    I wanted to like these products, I really did! I had high hopes, and I will try them again because the prices are fabulous (maybe I’ll try eye products next time). But these are getting only 1 star from me, sorry.

  9. I got to try the Felt Tip eyeliner and was blown away. I did a side by side comparison with a high end liner that costs about 3 times as much. And NYX totally held it’s own. It wears forever, it’s a gorgeous deep, deep black (I tried Extreme) and the felt tip applicator is perfection; Just firm enough to give you a clean line, but soft enough so you don’t feel like you’re going to poke yourself in the eye!

    Combined with the price, I don’t see how a liquid eyeliner can get any better than this.

    5 glowing stars!

  10. I tried the Rose Petal cream blush, and was very skeptical. I’m not a cream blush gal and it looked almost coral in the packaging. Once I got it on I was in mad love though. I wear this at least 3 times a week and I am a convert to cream blush because of this. This one doesn’t have glitter in it as far as I can tell so I think you might like it @veronica
    I also tried the felt tip liner, and while I love it for going out, I probably wont wear it daily. At least not without more practice. For me the tip was a little too hard, and ended up dragging my eye lid a little. But if I’ve got an extra few minutes to put my make up on, this product is amazing! Perfect cat eyes that last ALL night. I did wear it to work a few times and it lasted all day as well, including happy hour, this is seriously a 12 hour product. Combine that with the price and these will easily get 5 stars from me.

  11. @glamazon56 – I love the YSL eyeliners too – the NYX felt liner looks very similar (and how cool is it to have 2 blacks? whee!) After reading @Mandabear ‘s review I am going to try NYX instead of shelling out the department store price.

    @Cori – if you are looking for a retail shop that sells NYX, you should try Ulta and Rite Aid.

  12. I was a lucky girl and got to try three products…the cream blush, the felt tip liner, and the Sheer Tube Gloss.

    The cream blush in Boho Chic instantly caught my eye. I loved the pretty pink hue in the tub and couldn’t wait to apply it. The texture was nice and creamy and easy to apply. The color was very pretty on. The only downside which was a huge one for me was the micro glitter. Sad this had glitter because I really liked the product otherwise. I’ll be giving this to my 5 year old to wear when she plays dress up. I just can’t pull off glittery cheeks at my age.

    Next up, I tried the felt tip liner in extreme black. I’m don’t wear eyeliner on a daily basis, but do when I’m going out at night. I couldn’t wait to try this out because I have a hard time with eyeliner staying put on me…greasy eyes! This one went on flawlessly. So easy to apply. Best of all, this stuff stays put. Love it!

    Lastly, I tried the Sheer Tube Gloss in Jilted. The color looks pretty dark in the tube, but it goes one really sheer like the name says. It has a nice minty flavor and makes your lips tingle just a tad. I really like this gloss and would buy it again…especially for the price.

    Overall, I was mostly happy with all the Nyx products I reviewed and would definitely buy this brand again. Love a drugstore bargain and this brand is worth trying. I’ll give these products 4 stars…5 if they would remove the glitter from the blush!

  13. @mandabear, thanks for the great research behind the label of the products we test. It’s nice to know that information! I too received the Sheer Tube gloss in luscious. At first glance it looked a bit juvenile for me- mainly because of its size and the glitter. What I do know is my teenage nieces would flip-out over it. Then it was confirmed by the sweet scent! I actually liked this on and started to change my tune.. While it fits right in your pocketbook-and won’t tap out the wallet! Come on $5.50! So, I was not overly thrilled with the sweet scent it has. Other than that, for a few dollars it looks great –stays on and is not sticky–and lasts for hours!
    I’m interested in checking out the felt tip liner in dark brown- I love a good brush applicator and for $8.00, it’s worth the try!
    Saving the review of the Rouge Cream Blush in Rose Petal for last. Stop the boat! This is ONLY $6.50? Okay, I use a similar creamy rouge blush that is $18.50 and I like this more.. And talk about how incredibly creamy with the perfect pigment that has great staying power for the day- wow! .. Only a dab is needed of this too.. I’m just floored by how great this one is! Thank you NYX!! My Cheeks thank you too. Five stars on this product!

  14. Thanks @tyna I like to look at makeup in person before I make a purchase.

  15. I’ll have to check out NYX next time I’m at Ulta, particularly felt tip pens. Cat-eye eyes are pretty, but a pain to create!

    For all my Greek mythology fanatics: Nyx isn’t just the goddess of night, but she also is Night. Some of Nyx’s notable children are Charon (the ferryman who transports the dead across the river Styx), the Three Fates and Eros. Talk about a variety of children.

  16. I tried the NYX “Chocolate” Lip Liner Pencil and I really liked it. Sometimes less expensive liners can feel waxy, they’re hard to apply, and break often. The NYX liner went on so smooth it felt like one of my luxury lip liners! I was also very happy with the color and intensity. I will definitely be stocking up on some different shades of this liner.

  17. Awesome review, @mandabear! You know I love me some NYX, so I was very happy to receive two products I had yet to personally try from this line. The Felt Tip Liner in Extreme Black is one of the darkest felt liners I own. A lot of times I find that felt tip liners tend to be lighter in pigmentation, but not so with this one. I love love love the control I get with the applicator and application is truly a cinch. Highly recommend this one to my fellow liquid liner fans.

    I also received Sheer Gloss in Luscious and OMG, this is such a gorgeous shade. On my lips it’s a warm pinkish-berry (one of my fave types of shades) that goes with virtually anything. I did experience a tiny bit of grittiness (due to the glitter) but I’m happy to report it fades quickly. Plus, this shade smells like popsicles to me! Love!

    Oh, and I LOVE the brush applicator on this gloss. I think it’s genius. Usually the brush applicators on glosses are reserved for the click-pen delivery system. But if you’ve used a click pen, you know that often times one click too many and you’re looking at way too much gloss on your brush. Since this is a squeeze tube, I find that I’m able to better control the amount of product on the brush, making it absolutely perfect if you like using a brush to apply your gloss.

    I just can’t recommend NYX enough. These products definitely did not disappoint, and I think that even those self-professed “makeup snobs” out there will be pleasantly surprised by their quality and performance. Five glowing stars from me!

  18. I LOVE that NYX is cruelty free, has some great products, and is affordable!

    I received the NYX Sheer Gloss in “Earth,” a champagne sort of color. I liked the color and the applicator. It feels nice and moisturizing on my lips. Buuuut, it’s quite shimmery, and there is a slight artifical fruit scent to it, but it doesn’t bother me too much (I’m very picky about fragrance in my beauty products).

    Overall, a pretty good product! I’d give it four stars :) And I might have to give those eyeliner pens a try–the pigmentation looks fabulous!

  19. I forgot to say how much I LOVE the brush applicator on this gloss too. It’s great to sqeeze the tube for the desired amount vs. clicking one too many times and getting a boatload! Great feature on this lipgloss!

  20. @mandabear – Great Review. What is not to love about NYX? They are Accessible, Affordable and Cruelty Free.

    Plus, they supported the Race for the Rescues!

  21. Great Review! Crystal Clear Pics! Totally love your blog. All of those NYX products looks really good

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