BEAUTY: BRAND SPOTLIGHT | NYX COSMETICS

NYX is an American brand that has recently crossed the shores and become widely available on the Irish market. With a vast selection of makeup products available - many making it into makeup enthusiasts' go-to pile - all for a budget friendly price, it's become one of the fastest growing cosmetic companies in the US. Being the proactive beauty blogger i am, I've given some of the products a good trial runnin' and here's the verdict..

EYES:
Having not fully delved into the depths of this brand as of yet, in terms of eyes i've only tried one product, one of their most renowned products - the Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk(£5.00/€6.30). A multi-use product, this is the one to have in your product line up. It's creamy consistency makes it blend beautifully across the lid, acting as a base for shadow - intensifying & prolonging the colour. It's also famously used among the beauty community as an inner corner and brow highlight. It blends seamlessly on the brow bone, where the milky, matte white shade works at defining the brows and adding depth to your whole look. Used in the inner corner and waterline this eye pencil can make even the dullest of eyes instantly appear much more awake, making it a must have for early mornings, or the morning after.

LIPS:
Many of the brand's most known and loved products root from the lip category, with award winning products such as their Soft Matte Lip Creams being widely loved among makeup junkies world wide. On the opposite end of the spectrum you have their Butter Glosses(£5.00/€6.30) (again, award winning), which i have got my mitts on in both Merengue and Peaches & Cream. Essentially liquid lipsticks, these highly pigmented lipglosses come with a doe-foot applicator. As aforementioned, i'm not a huge lip-gloss lovin' kind of gal, but i have to say these have converted me. Although they're not at all long lasting (think 1hour at the max, if you're a chatterbox or indulging), their cheap as chips price tag means it's okay to chuck them into your handbag for on the go top up. They don't feel too heavy, or suffocating on the lips, a characteristic i usually associate with products of their kind. However they can be a little sticky when you first apply, not extremely sticky, more so a little tacky but i simply dab off the excess product which also eases the typical glossy finish of these lip glosses. They also smell delicious and very similar to the MAC Lipsticks..winner!
 Another lip product that i have tried is their Lip Pencil in Dolly Pink(£3.50/€4.99) A gorgeous, pink-toned lilac shade it's the perfect base to use in combination with the Butter Gloss in Merengue where it increases longevity, and intensifies the colour pay off, giving an almost statement lilac lip. The pigmented lip pencil can also be used to outline the lip, or slightly over draw for the Kylie J lip. Being a lip pencil means it's quite drying, making it not the most suitable for use on it's own, but it works wonders under a clear gloss.

FACE:
In terms of base makeup, two of the brands products took my fancy. The Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sun Beam(£7.00/€8.82) fed my love of glowy skin last season. A liquid highlighter it can be used mixed with either primer or foundation, or can also be used on it's own to spot highlight certain areas of the face. The pinky champagne highlight blends beautifully on its own to add dimension to the face, and highlight the cheekbones, cupids bow and brow bone. Used mixed with foundation or primer, this illuminator works at illuminating the whole base making the skin appear much more rejuvenated and awake, allowing you to say toodles to tired, dull looking skin.
Another base love of mine from the brand is the Dewy Finish Setting Spray(£8.00/€10.08), which has got its stamp of approval from even the biggest makeup critics. A spritz of this spray sets your full face of makeup in place all day long, yet doesn't mattify it or make it look cakey which is one of the downfalls of using a setting powder. While not making the skin look shiny, or overly dewy- verging on oily, this spray still gives you a dewy finish and prevents slipping, keeping your makeup set all day. I skipped the powder and opted for this spray all Summer long, and they also offer a Matte version, which i will undoubtedly be picking up for the Winter months.

ON MY MUST-TRY/WISHLIST:
NYX Matte Lip Cream(£5.50/€6.90)
NYX Matte Setting Spray(£8.00/€10.08)
NYX Blush in Taupe(£6.00/€7.50) (good'un for contouring!)

Glossy lips, matte lips, dewy skin, matte skin. It seems NYX Cosmetics have really grabbed my attention, and this love affair is definitely far from over..