Back in December, quite a few of my little dreams came true on the day that Manchester decided to become the new home to American favourite cosmetic brand, NYX. It totally depends how much of a beauty buff and make-up maniac you are to know about this brand. If you stick to shopping what you see on the shelves in our UK stores, then maybe this brand is unheard of to you. If you uncover lots of beauty vloggers daily and trawl the internet regularly for beauty blog posts etc, then it's quite possible you're already a NYX fan.
I've seen American vloggers carry out tutorials with NYX products for a while now, and have always been impressed with the quality and look of the products, plus shocked at how damn affordable they are! However, getting my hands on the 'kit' has always been virtually impossible, as I'm not really a fan of paying overseas shipping costs on eBay. So imagine my happiness to find out that there was going to be a brand new NYX concession launching in Manchester's very own Boots store on Market Street? As in, a ten minute walk from my office? So yes, it seems those mini dreams do come true!
As you can see from my photos, the new concession is shiny and special, with it's chic black and white interior and logos, and neat displays of all the fabulous make-up. It's all co-ordinated for the easiest make-up shopping experience, with everything labelled clearly, everything colour co-ordinated, and everything fully stocked and priced. If you don't know too much about the brand, it basically is a cosmetics brand selling everything you would expect, from lashes, lips, palettes and powders. The catch is that although such an extensive range with arrays of shades, textures and finishes, the products are affordable and don't rise to the premium price tags. Current NYX best sellers include Slim Lip Pencils for £3.50, Powder Blush for £6, and Jumbo Eye Pencils for £5, making it a number one destination for gifts, or topping up your make-up essentials.
I recently got my hands on a few goodies from the brand, and thought I'd round up my ultimate favourite items for you to save you trawling their website and wondering which are the most effective. Obviously, all views are my own...
NYX Eye Brow Push Up Bra - £9.50
If you like Benefit High Beam, or highlighter crayons, plus an eyebrow pencil to shade and shape your brows, then you are absolutely going to love this product. I have currently been using a fabulous highlighter crayon on Billion Dollar Brows, alongside MAC Eyebrow Pencil in shade Lingering, yet find NYX Eye Brow Push Up Bra pencil does what both of those products do - in one. The double ended pencil lets me highlight under my brow bone, cupids bow, inner corners of eyes and sometimes the tops of my cheeks (depending on the occasion), yet also shading in my brows with the brow pencil. The shade for brows is created in a universal shade to flatter all brow tones - so anyone can use it. Great to keep in your handbag, and amazing value for money.
NYX Lip Butter Lipsticks - I can't find these on the website at present to quote the price, but they are basically the creamiest lipsticks in colours which layer up to provide long lasting, rich shades. I have been using a creamy beige shade which is fresh and natural, and a raspberry red which is more of a flirty colour. They double up as lip balms too. Love love love!
NYX Matte Bronzer - A lovely compact bronzer for the face and body with a subtle golden glow - yet it isn't too shimmery to apply all over the face like some that promote 'glowy skin' can be. In the below photos I've layered this product up on my cheeks and built up the colour to double up as a cheek contour, yet also gave my face the 'once over' to create a soft, tanned glow. I'm sure you'll see why I'm so happy with the gentle touch of colour. The packaging is pretty, the compact is handy and of a great size, and more importantly, the quality is fantastic. The perfect shade for me.
NYX Gel Liner and Smudger - £8.00 - Applying liquid eyeliner is possibly my worst task, so I try and go for felt tip pen versions for ease and simplicity. However, I tried out the Gel Liner pot and smudger from NXY and was waaaay impressed with how inky the gel is and glided over my eyelid perfectly. And I'm not super skilled at this - trust me! I have the black shade, and find it stays put without rubbing onto my brow bone, and leaves a dramatic finish. A little goes a long way...
NYX Blusher Pots - I have two scrumptious shades of pale pink and a peachy colour in little blusher pots, secured with cute bow fastenings. Again these were from the store and I can't see them online, although NYX blusher offerings seem incredibly affordable online too. These little lots are slightly iridescent and pearly, yet don't look too pearlescent on the skin, which can sometimes account to a shiny cheek look. They require a little bit of layering up to achieve a noticeable colour, but that's what I prefer to do, just build up the shade. They are so pretty and look lovely popped on to the apples of my cheeks. Again, small enough and handy-sized to pop into my handbag.
Have you heard of NYX cosmetics? Are you already a fan, or has this post encouraged you to check them out? Do share your thoughts!