It seems everybody is crazy about NYX’s soft matte lip creams, but I couldn’t help feeling there are too few colors, and too little product in each tube. I was, however, extremely curious about NYX’s matte lipstick range, which does not seem to get any press. I couldn’t find ANY reviews on them; not even on Makeupalley. So I decided to do one myself.
UPDATE: (Sorry for not posting this earlier!) I bought all my NYX Mattes from Beautyjoint. (They're my current go-to for NYX products as they always have good prices, process orders fast, and don't overcharge for shipping.)
Colors I got (shown with flash)
Top L-to-R: NYX Matte Lipsticks Hippie Chic, Natural, Shocking Pink, True Red
Bottom L-to-R: NYX Pale Pink, Summer Breeze, Sweet Pink, Indie Flick
General Pros:
- Affordable. Each of these are under US$5 at Beautyjoint.com and Cherryculture.com. This makes it easy to experiment with many different colors to find what suits you.
- Good range of shades. I like how you can find brights, nudes, neutrals, reds, all in one line. The brightest permanent matte/satin at the MAC counters here is Pink Nouveau, which is sad, and our drugstores stock just a pathetic 2-4 shades of Revlon Matte lipsticks in the most “safe”, boring colors. You will not find nudes or brights in most places, and THESE are the colors of the moment when it comes to mattes.
- Not shimmery. There is nothing more potentially disastrous than matte metallics. Unless you’re on an 80s sci-fi film set.
- Generally great quality for the price.
General Cons:
- Textures are not always consistent. The deeper, brighter shades are generally good, but the pale, nude ones tend to be drier, and go on patchy. They are also hard to remove.
- Not as opaque as most higher-end lines like MAC or Lime Crime. Which is understandable.
- Aside from the 2 palest shades (Hippie Chic and Pale Pink), I found NYX Mattes to go on smoother than Revlon’s Mattes. They’re also a lot cheaper.
- Most of the more intense shades stain. And they stain more than Lime Crime lipsticks, even.
- Horrible, chemical “fruit-punch” scent.
SWATCHES
From L-to-R-to-bottom: NYX Matte Lipstick Hippie Chic, Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude, Lime Crime Cosmopop.
Hippie Chic could be an interesting shade, but it’s very patchy and dry, and almost impossible to even out. Works better with taupe liner to define the lips first. Cosmopop is a much more interesting orange nude and far more comfortable to wear.
From L-to-R-to-bottom: NYX Matte Lipstick Pale Pink, Lime Crime Great Pink Planet, MAC Angel
Better in the tube than on the lips. NYX Pale Pink could be pretty if you are extremely pale. This shade is way too white and chalky to be flattering for most skin tones. It also doesn’t go on smoothly. Expect to highlight every flaw on your lips.
L-to-R: NYX Matte Lipstick Indie Flick, Revlon Kiss Me Coral
Indie Flick is a lovely matte coral. It’s a little brighter, more true-to-red and less brown-based than Revlon Kiss Me Coral.
L-to-R-to-Bottom: NYX Matte Lipstick Natural, MAC Syrup, MAC Pro Longwear Till Tomorrow
Natural is a little deeper than natural, but it is a nice, rosy taupe which would be great for work. This is Syrup in opaque, matte formula.
L-to-R: MAC Russian Red, Revlon Matte Really Red, NYX Matte Lipstick True Red
Everyone should own a matte, fire-engine scarlet. Especially when it’s under $5. NYX’s is smoother than Revlon’s, and easier to apply than Russian Red. But Russian Red lasts the longest.
L-to-R: NYX Matte Lipstick Summer Breeze, MAC Pink Nouveau
Pink Nouveau’s peachy cousin. The flash makes it look a lot more blue than it actually is in real life. If you’re scared of blue-based shades but want a strong medium pepto bismol pink, Summer Breeze is the perfect one.
L-to-R: NYX Matte Lipstick Shocking Pink, NYX Black Label Hot Pink, NYX Matte Sweet Pink, Sephora Rouge R11
By far my favorite 2 of the bunch, Shocking Pink and Sweet Pink are strong, deep pinks. Shocking Pink is brighter and more blue. If you like Candy Yum Yum, but missed out or can’t afford it, YOU HAVE TO GET THIS NOW.
If you find blue-based pinks and fuchsias a little intimidating, or need something a little more appropriate for work or school, try Sweet Pink, which is deeper but much easier to wear.
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