Review: NYX Eyeshadow Base in White ESB01

I have practiced many eye makeups and never seemed to review the very most basic ingredient I used on most of my creations: The NYX Eyeshadow Base. Okay, I think it's about time.

First of all, what is an eyeshadow base? An eyeshadow base is used before applying your eyeshadow, making your eyeshadow color more vibrant.

This product is packed in a tiny transparent glass jar with white plastic cap.

The type I own is ESB01 or White.

There are three types (if I'm not mistaken). White pearl, skintone, and the basic white like the one I have. I'm also curious of purchasing the other two, especially the white pearl since it can magically change any matte eyeshadow into pearly one.

Ingredient for ESB01:

Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Mineral Oil / Paraffinum Liquidum / Huile Minérale, Ceresin, Isododecane, Isobutylmethacrylate , Bis-Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate Copolymer, Isopropyl Isostearate, Petrolatum, Phenyl Trimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax/ Cera Microcristallina / Cire Microcristalline, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Beeswax / Cera Alba / Cire d'Abeille, Phenoxyethanol. MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007).

(source)

Please note that ingredient for other type of this product may be different.

One thing I dislike is the packaging itself. It's not very hygenic. But considering the hard texture, what could be better than a jar packaging? Just becareful with your nails since some of the product might stuck on nails when you take it out with your fingers. I just can't imagine how will I take this out when it almost hit the bottom.

The texture itself is some greasy cream, but it's pretty hard, not soft.

I despise its smell btw. It reminds me of the old school cream foundation that my grandmama used to wear. If you ever known the smell of the legendary Kelly Pearl Cream, I think you can tell. Blegh...

If you don't blend it well, I can tell that this also work as white cream shadow, very similar to the famous NYX Milk Jumbo Eye Pencil. I usually just set it with white powder shadow, and it create a perfect white surface.

This is very easy to blend. However, if you don't blend it perfectly on your eyelid, the white shade might be a little too obvious. So make sure don't apply too much, and blend it evenly. This makes me want to purchase the skintone type even more.

On the picture above I use NYX single eyeshadow as an example. Those products will be reviewed soon. As you can see that the swatch with primer is far more pigmented that the original one. I have tried this eyeshadow base with many eyeshadow type and brand, from powder, loose, and cream eyeshadow, from drugstore products to high ends, and they all turned to be extremely pigmented and buttery if based with this product, just like magic.

Above picture is an example of how this product works on my eyelids. I blended it, of course, so you may not see that I was wearing a white eyeshadow base.

One thing this product lacks of is it settles into lines. If you zoom in the picture, the lines will be extremely obvious. Although after applying eyeshadow afterwards, the creases won't be too obvious anymore. Well, considering this is an eyeshadow base (not an eye primer), I think I have to accept this fact. To reduce the creasing effect, I usually put the thinnest layer and add some face primer before applying foundation or concealer. It doesn't totally vanish the creases, but at least reduce them. So the makeup sequence on my eyes will be like this:

 Face primer - foundation - concealer - face powder - eyeshadow base - eyeshadow

And as for its staying power is truly incredible for a drugstore item. My eyeshadow stay vibrant all day, the same goes with my eyeliner that didn't smudge at all. Pease remember that I have very oily lids. In short, my eyemakeup stay just the way it was when freshly applied for 8 hours.

Verdicts:

• Creamy texture
• Makes the color extremely vibrant
• Good staying power
• Tends to crease into lines
• Bad smell
• Not very hygenic packaging, but is very tiny and travel friendly
• Tends to stuck on your nails when you take the product
• How much: the official price is USD 7 or IDR 165K. But are sold in many online stores with variable prices.

Review: NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss (Natural/LG122)

I think I bought this months ago and I'm pretty sure this product is near its expiry date. LOLs. So let's review it before I send this babe six feet underground.

 

 

 

The bottle is quite simple yet sleek, with transparent bottle and black plastic cap.

 

 

A little extra point for this cute tiny bow on top of the cap.

 

My shade is Natural or LG122.

This product available in 39 wearable shades ranges from shiny to glittery ones.

 

 

Do you notice that the applicator is a bit more bended than regular lipgloss?

 

The spongy doe-foot applicator.

 

 

 

The shade Natural is what I'll describe as nude brown color with a hint of pink. Best for fair complexion. It's very beautiful, wearable, and since it's nude, a dark smokey eye makeup will compliment it. The consistency is very very thick, and I guess this will turn very sticky once applied to your lips.

 

What I hate the most from this product is the smell. From reviews I read online, most of them described it as a sweet cherry fragrance. While for me it's more like a tobacco smell. Blegh! Reminds me a lot of a cigarette box when freshly opened. You like it? Me no, no, no. Besides, how cherry and tobacco smell relate to each other is still a mistery for me.

 

 

Bare lips.
 

 

The texture itself is very creamy and the finished look is not just creamy, but very very shiny. It's also very pigmented for a lip gloss. But another thing I dislike is the stickiness. It doesn't seem to disappear even after quite some time.

 

Since it's a claimed to be a lip gloss, it can't cover my real natural lip color. As you can see from the picture above, it settles into my lip lines. So you can't expect a full coverage when you wear this product alone, although by doing that won't make you less pretty. What I'm trying to say is, the color will still pop out.

If you want a better coverage, you can wear lipliner in advance. Or you can also wear similar lipstick and top it with this lip gloss. Some lipsticks I know to have similar shade with this product is Wet n Wild in shade Bare It All and Silky Girl Lipstick in shade Fig.

 

 

How it looked like in natural lighting.

 

However this lip gloss doesn't stay too long on my lips. Well, It's lip gloss once again, what would you expect? By the fourth hour, it fade away and once it fade it'll leave some ugly clumps inside my lips. This lipgloss also doesn't moisturize my lips nor drying them.

 

Btw, this bad clumpy experience also happened to me with another shade of Mega Shine Lip Gloss in the shade Ice Princess (LG 162 which I burried already since it already had that funny smell). That shade comes in glittery texture.

 

I bought this online from a seller in kaskus.co.id and can't seem to remember the seller name nor how much this product cost me, but in www.nyxcosmetics.com it cost around USD 5.00. Maybe in Indonesia it will be around IDR 70K perhaps? I'm not so sure.

 

Overall, this product is not a favorit of mine since I tried so many lip poducts with better texture and comes with better price. But, sheesh.. I really love the shade. I guess it's a love-hate relationship afterall, is it?

 

 

 

Above picture is one of my makeup look I created some time ago using NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in shade Natural. Well, I did added a brown eyebrow pencil underneath (yes, eyebrow pencil! I haven't got myself a brown lipliner at the time) and it helped to create a more solid coverage although at the same time darkened the actual color a little bit.

 

***

 

Thank you for reading.

Hope this review is useful.

 

 

 

 

Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen, Addis Ababa, and London

Got bored with so many reviews of these infamous lip colorants? Well, don't be, because I just got myself three of them!

 

 

The ones I got are in the latest version of packaging. The cap is black with soft velvety feel when you touch it. And the bottle is made of plastic.

 

 

I chose the colors that represents normal lip colors worn by most women: dark burgundy (Copenhagen), shocking pink (Addis Ababa), and nude brown (London).

 

I would just skip the nude pink and chili red, since I already got them from NYX SMLC in Istanbul (review) and Etude House Color Lips Fit in RD 301 (review).

 

 

The comparison between the wand and the bottle height.

 

 

The doe-foot applicator.

I feel the need to show you this picture. Unlike the ones you bought on the internet, the items sold on the official counters has importer and distributor label. But that doesn't imply the ones you bought online are fake, guys.

 

 

 

The texture are wet cream when freshly applied and will dry into a soft matte cream on your skin/lips. It has a nice smell like vanilla. You might find some clumps when they're still wet.

 

One dip goes a long the the way because the cream is very pigmented, so you don't need a lot of product to cover your whole lips.

***

London.

 

I was a bit confused to choose between Abu Dhabi, Stockholm, and London since the shades looked a bit similar. But I chose London finally, because I thought it stands in the middle. And I was right, it's a perfect pale nude brown. Suitable for fair skin tone. The color reminds me of WetnWild Lipstick Bare It All. However, the texture is pretty clumpy for a nude shade, so you have to apply this evenly before it dries.

 

***

 

Addis Ababa.

 

I was a bit surprised by this since I thought the color would be a very hot pink like in the bottle, turned out it's more like a bright barbie pink but still can be categorized as a "safe color". I don't know why this looks very bright on some people, but not on me. And yeah, I did applied several layers. Aaand, nope, this one's definitely not fake since I purchased this on NYX official counter. But I still love this, it's a beautiful color.

 

Although my camera shows you some clumps, but of all these three, this one has the best texture. It goes on very smooth and silky without so much effort

 

***

 

Copenhagen.

 

A threatening dark burgundy. The kind of shade that will bring you to a fuckin' absolute victory in every argument. LOLs. Of all these, this one's I love the most in terms of color, but also the hardest to apply since it clumps when first applied. So I have to be extra careful applying it, so that it will look nice and even once dried.

 

I usually got that 'bleeding' effect everytime I wear a stand out color like this, so I have to apply extra lip liner in advance, but because this one is matte, you don't need to worry about that.

 

***

 

So I think amongst many lip colorants I have, NYX SMLC is still my favorite. Yeah the texture is not the best and a bit hard to pull off if you have dry lips, but can be settled easily if you take care of those lips. The product doesn't easily trasnfer, although if you meant to wipe, the color will surely fade away. Also, I don't suggest to wear this everyday. It really really dries me out.

 

***

 

Verdicts:

• Wet and clumps when first applied
• Soft matte cream once it dries
• A little goes a long the way
• Some colors are a bit to pull off
• Dries your lips, for sure
• Vanilla fragrance
• Doesn't easily transfer
• How much: around IDR 85K on internet, or IDR 100K on official counters.

 

***

 

 

One of my FOTD using Copenhagen. Please ignore the weird looking eye makeups. I was practicing at that time. I didn't mean to look evil, but I guess that's just my natural expression.

 

 

See you!

 

 

Review: NYX Eyebrow Gel (Brunette/EBG 03) with Mashami Shouko Brush #307

When I first knew that my favorite line, NYX, launched their very first eyebrow gel, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this.

The product was infused in a tiny transparent vynil tube, comes with a box as well.

There are five shades available: Blonde, Chocolate, Brunette, Espresso, and Black. The shade I chose was Brunette. 

Actually I was a bit confused to choose between Chocolate or Brunette. The seller suggested Chocolate for a more suitable shade for Indonesian skin tone. But after googling some beauty blogs and Youtube channels, turned out that Chocolate has a more reddish brown, almost the same with my Silky Girl Eyebrow Pencil, while Brunette is more greyish undertoned. So why should I bother purchasing the shade I already have? 

I also aim for the Blonde one, but haven't dared to purchased it yet.

This product is actually very tiny, only 10ml. It has a small pointy hole and a tiny black cap, which is a bit unpractical. Just like my OCC Lip Tar that has a very mini cap, I fear that I might lost the cap. Sheesh... Btw, I must warn you, that the consistency is runny, so don't squeeze too hard ya, or you'll waste some. 

***

SWATCHES

So here are the swatches on my hand.

1. The very first strokes I squeezed freshly from the tube. It looked brown with grey undertone. 
2. This is the last strokes I made from the remaining gel on my finger. Somehow the shade turned to a reddish brown, similar to the Chocolate shade.

I only need a very small dot to draw those two lines, a very little goes a long, long way. It will be ages before it run out completely. And judging from these swatches, the color also buildable, depends on how thick the strokes you draw.

From the reviews I found on the internet, all of them would suggest applying ths with an angled brush. Unfortunately, I don't even have a good one because the tip is not pointy enough (fyi, kuas angle-ku abal2 heheh). So this is the only brush in my purse that matches this eyebrow gel. It is flat instead of angled, but has very pointy and a bit hard tip for a more precise line. This brush also good for smudging the gel on the inner eyebrows.

I used to regret buying this brush since I just didn't what to do with it, now I feel lucky having it.

***

I actually have several ways to draw my eyebrow, but using this eyebrow gel, I use the common method.

Frist of all, I would gently squeeze a small amount of the product onto the back of my hand like the picture above. You only need that small amount to draw both of your eyebrows. For me sometimes, I need even lesser amount.

1. Brush your eyebrows with a clean eyebrow brush. Some would prefer using brow wax or clear mascara for a more trimmed look, but I don't do that. (Blogger yang ngasal. Hahaha).
2. With your favorite brush, draw the lower part of your eyebrows.
3. Do the same thing with your upper eyebrow.
4. Fill in the blank area.
5. Using the leftover product, smudge it to make a gradient effect on the inner part of your eyebrow. You also can do this using the back of your brush.

One of my FOTD using this product on the eyebrows. I do love the shade and the result. Although it's darker than my Silky Girl Eyebrow Pencil, but still look wearable for daily use. At least my eyebrows aren't looked too red nor too dark.

***

This is the very first product ever in my entire life that fulfill its promise to be a waterproof and smudgeproof one. I wear it in a hot and humid climate in outdoor activity (Bekasi, bo...), used to take a nap with this, and still no discernible fading.

Due to that, the gel also dried very fast once you squeeze it out of the tube. So, one tip when drawing your eyebrows with this, is just do it fast. Don't think too much! That's why some people prefer not to squeeze the product onto the back of their hands since it'll be anightmare to clean up. But, I just can't find a more hygienic way other than that. I mean, I always wash my hands in advance.

And just like I said before, a little dot goes a very long way. So be gentle with your brush or you'll end up overdoing it.

Last word, this product is ridiculously awesome, I like it! However, I must say that you might not like this if you are still a beginner on drawing your eyebrows. Well, I'm not saying that I am a pro already, totally not, but applying this product is waaay more tricky than using a regular eyebrow pencil, although the final result you get is to die for.

Verdicts:

• A little goes a long the way
• Waterproof and smudgeproof
• Brunette is a brown with grey undertone
• Buildable result
• The gel quickly dry
• How much: USD 6.99 on their official website. But available in online store for about IDR 100-120K, depends on the seller. However, I am not sure whether these also available in  Indoneian official counters just yet.

Tanks for reading. I hope this review is resourceful!

Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Istanbul

I've been keeping an eye for this matte lip color for quite some time before deciding to own it.

 

Udah lama naksir ama yg ini, akhirnya gue punya jugaaaa...!

The best thing from the bottle is the cap, it felt velvety and smooth. I love touching it. ^_____^

 

Tutup botolnya halus banget, dop dop gimanaaa gitu, kayak beludru. Tapi ngapain juga ya tutupnya gue bahas?

 

This series have tons of beautiful color. It was quite a hassle to choose the right one since some of them comes in similar shades. I aimed for a pale pink one. And after a long quarel between choosing Tokyo or Istanbul, so I finally decided to buy the last one since Tokyo is too pale, I think it suits caucasian lip color better. While Istanbul is similar to natural pink lip tone.

 

Sebenernya gue udah lama mikir mau beli yang Tokyo atau Istanbul, tapi akhirnya gue beli yg Istanbul aja kali yaaaa, secara Tokyo itu pucet banget, lebih cuco buat bibir bule yg rata2 emang udeh pink alami. Lagian seri lipstik ini warnanya banyak yg mirip. Kalo beli di online dan nasib lo lagi apes, bisa2 salah dapet warna. Hehehehe

 

 

 

These are the swatches which I took under natural lighting and indoor lighting. How can they be so different? The content comes in a condensed thick liquid with an alluring aroma of coffee and milk. I had a good time smelling it.

 

Ini swatch nya di indoor dan outdoor. Baunya enak, kayak kopi susu.

 

 

 

Unfortunately I forgot to take my bare lips for your reference. So I just took my old photograph which I copied from my old article. Here it is:

Warna asli bibir gue, kayak gini:

 

 

Aaaannd, here's the color when applied to my lips, with both lighting as well:

Dan setelah ditampol pake lip color ini, hasilnya jadi begini nih:

 

 

And, voila, this is exactly the result I want: matte nude lips. I had a pretty good time doing my cullinary trip in outdoors and the lipstick just stayed where they should be. A little suggestion, you might wanna dab a bit gloss to your lips for a more natural looking lips.

 

 

Demen! Warna bibir banget. Tu ari gue berasa cakepan. Hasilnya matte abis tapi ga bikin bibir kering walaupun aslinya bibir gue gampang kering. Staying power nya oke banget. Hari itu gue makan bakso, lanjut ke batagor n somay, disapu lagi pake es teh manis, ga ilang sodara2. Tapi mungkin saking matte hasilnya, bibir lo bakal keliatan kering banget, jadi rada kurang natural gitu. Tapi gpp, tinggal tampol aja pake lipgloss/lipbalm, beres.

 

 

Conclusion/Ikhtisar (taelah, ikhtisar...):

• Matte result
• Nice smell
• Reasonable price: IDR 85K in online shops
• Large variety of shades (but some of them comes in similar ones)
• Medium staying power
• Doesn't dry your lips
• Pigmented. One dip per usage.

 

Repurchase?

 

Of course lah! I fell in love. How about you? Ever tried this before or deciding to buy one? Tell me what you think :)

 

 

 

 

Note: The result my vary to each individuals

 

Review: Orange Lip Colors

Orange, orange, orange! This fun color have always been my last choice of all kinds of face coloring product, it doesn't look good on me. But, lately, pink and nude bore me. So lemme come outta my comfort zone for a while. 

So I'm gonna compare 4 kinds of orange lip colors that I just bought lately.

From left to right:

1. Etude blooming lips-talk OR 207

2. Etude blooming lips-talk OR 206

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 040

4. NYX Round Lipstick LSS 507

Here are the swatches

So lets begin comparing!

1. Etude Blooming Lips-Talk OR207

This is a pretty bold color. For those of you who seek out the bold look with orange lipstick without looking kinda weird, this one's the perfect shade. The texture is creamy and feels soft on my lips, and just like many other creamy textured lipsticks, this one doesn't stay too long on my lips. I had to re-apply them after a few hours. There's a sheer fragrant as well and will fade a moment after you apply it. The bad thing is, it stains once you wipe them even with make-up remover. But the shade is just too beautiful that it's forgiven ^_^

Price: IDR 270K in official counter (USD 27) or IDR 100K to IDR 120K in olshop (USD 10-12)

2. Etude Blooming Lips-Talk OR206

Pale. This is my impression when I recklessly put a generous amount to my lips, it made me look weird and clownish. Maybe because this color, for me, is the truest and purest orange shade. This is not the common shade people would wear as lip color. BUT.... When I wiped and reapplied it thinly, and added a little amount of peach lipgloss, the color suddenly changed into a very cute and innocent orange. It looked great! The pic above is my lips using this lipstick only though. Overall, the texture and its stay power, is almost likely to its sister above.

Price: IDR 270K in official counter (USD 27) or IDR 100K to IDR 120K in olshop (USD 10-12)

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 040

When I first saw this lipstick with its tempting juicy bold color packaging standing on the drug store counter, I fell in love. It looked like crayon! Open the cap, and you'll find the content color is exactly the same as the outter tube. But, applying it to my lips didn't end up as I expected from the look. It was sheer, the most natural shade among these four. That's why its called 'balm stain' LOL. Once you apply it, you'll feel a soothing mint sensation on your lips that will fade a few moments later. This product has glossy effect, poor stay power, and doesn't make lips dry--at least for me. 

Price: Around IDR 80K (approx. USD 8)

4. NYX Round Lipstick LSS 507

This is probably what you'd call Tangerine color. I took this photo under direct sunlight so it looked sheer but actually it was pretty bold with a touch of glittering shimmer, so this will definitely make your lips glow. NYX Round Lipstick is famous for its creamy and soft textured lipstick. So soft that the stick is easily broke. I also use a few shades of NYX Round Lipstick and they all broke T_T. The color is intense, you don't have to apply a couple of times to achieve bold result. The stay power is medium. For you gals with dark or tan complexion, this shade will surely have a great effect on you ^_^

Price: IDR 45K (approx. USD 5)

Overall, this is the summary:

1. Etude Blooming Lips-Talk OR 207

    - bold color

    - creamy texture

    - matte result

    - medium stay power

    - it stains your lips once you wipe it out

    - sheer fragrant

    - expensive

2. Etude Blooming Lips-Talk OR 206

    - weird (or funky?) color

    - creamy texture

    - matte result

    - medium stay power

    - it stains your lips once you wipe it out

    - sheer fragrant

    - expensive

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 040

    - sheer color

    - creamy texture

    - glossy effect

    - low stay power

    - minty sensation 

    - reasonable price

4. NYX Round Lipstick LSS507

    - bold tangerine color

    - creamy texture and it's soooo soft

    - shimmer effect

    - medium stay power

    - the stick is easily broken

    - will look good on dark complexion

    - cheap

I will repurchase Etude OR207, maybe, as long as I haven't found the cuter orange lipstick, considering Etude is a pretty expensive brand in official counters, and I have to purchase it through online shop to get the cheaper one. It takes time, you know.

So which one is your favourite orange lipstick?

Notes: this article is written by my own opinion. Result my vary to each individual.