Lip Product Week: Day Two- NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

Welcome back to Lip Product Week Day Two. Today's post is one that I've been longing to write for a while now. When I saw that NYX was finally being stocked in my local Boots I was beyond excited as it meant I got to try the Soft Matte Lip Creams, the one product from NYX that everyone raved about. However when facing the stand it became slightly overwhelming trying to choose a shade to try.

There is a ridiculous amount of shades ranging from very pale baby pinks to dark midnight blues. So the first thing positive thing about these lip products is that there is the perfect shade or shades out there for everyone. Over time I've managed to find four shades that suit me well and there are more I have my eye on but for the time being these will do.

First there is Amsterdam, a deep almost raspberry red shade.

Then there is Monte Carlo, a orange based tomato red shade.

And then there is Budapest, a mauvey purple shade.

Finally there is Rome, a brown mauve toned shade.

Out of the four shades shown, Amsterdam is the only shade that lets these lip creams down. Whilst it's a pigmented lip colour, it can apply patchy to the lips and has a tendency to move around on the lips when you try to make the shade more opaque. Rome and Monte Carlo are opaque in one swipe and there are no worries of it going patchy as you apply them. One swipe and you have high pigmented colour that really adds a pop. Budapest though can be harder to work with, the darker purple tones can be somewhat patchy but blotting it ever so gently and then reapplying a thin layer gives a smooth colour and shade.

Each cream comes with your standard doe foot applicator and surprisingly this is one of the easier applicators to work with. It's slightly firmer than others so it doesn't bend or flex at the wrong moment and mess up the line of you lip. One dip into the tube and you have enough colour to do most of your lip look. A second dip is just enough to make sure nothing looks patchy or thin in coverage and as the applicator only holds thin layers of product it's not going to apply too much product on the lip and give lips that overly layered lip.

When these dry down they do not budge. Seriously do not budge. They're not like an ultra matte finish, a lot more comfortable to wear but with some serious staying power. These are practically transfer proof as well which makes them perfect for all kinds of occasions. And if they do happen to transfer it'll only be the very inner part of your lips where you press them together as you talk, eat or drink. And then reapplication is easy. It won't ball up, crack or create dark patches over any dry areas when touched up and still dries down to a comfortable matte finish that doesn't transfer. These are my favourites to wear on long days at work as they stay in place and I don't have to worry to much about touching them up throughout the day.

Overall these are some of the best lip products I've tried all year and that's saying something. They're matte, long lasting, comfortable to wear and won't break the bank either. Coming in a ridiculous large range of colours, you'll be spoilt for choice and even when you do find a shade, I can guarantee another will automatically catch your eye. One to check out when you're in your local Boots next.

Have you got any shade recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear them.

July Favourites

I know I say this most months but where has the month gone. It only felt like yesterday that I was writing my intro for June Favourites and now it's the end of the July. This month has been a month of new discoveries and a rediscovery of a love that featured in my favourites last year.

Let's start off with a new discovery. When I went to get my brows waxed last, I was kindly given a free gift as well. It was only small, a free cosmetics bag and a travel sized sample of the Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer. And I can safely say I'm in love. My lashes look ten times better than they have before with this underneath my mascara. It's a brown tinted mascara that can be worn on it's own or underneath mascara and is supposed to give lashes ridiculous volume and hold. And it does. I pop a coat of this onto my lashes after curling them and once it's tacky I pop a coat of my Loreal Miss Hippie Mascara on top. The Miss Hippie mascara alone gives wonderfull full lash volume without looking clumpy but with the primer underneath they're a completely different kind of volume. My lashes look fanned out, volumised and curled to perfection and they don't drop as much as they usually do when I wear just mascara on it's own. If you haven't tried this already I highly recommend you seeing if you can pick up a sample from your local Benefit counter.

Another discovery of mine this month came from Maybelline. I'd been intrigued by their Brow Drama Pomade Crayon for a while but just hadn't picked it up. So this month I bit the bullet and brought one. When you first look at this you think it's just a chunky crayon but really it's an eyebrow saviour. I've been trying various different pencils in an attempt to give my brows that fuller thicker look but they've all been too harsh and have made my brows look over the top. This crayon however has given them the exact look I wanted. I think a lot of it is to do with the fact this is a crayon so it's a lot softer than pencil. It's rounded nib makes it easy to work with and you can fill in, define and outline your brows all at once. Brushed out this looks defined but natural and can help complete any look. I have the shade Medium Brown but there are other shades in the range if this one doesn't suit you.

My Boots finally has a NYX stand. I've been rejoicing ever since I saw it and immediately headed over to check out their much talked about Soft Matte Lip Creams. And then I ended buying four. I have the shaded Monte Carlo, Amsterdam, Rome and Budapest. I'm not going to say too much about these as I have a review coming up as part of a special week. But I will say that these are some of the best high street lip products I've tried in a while. Matte, highly pigmented and non drying are just three reasons as to why I've been obsessed with these all month. And there are still plenty more shades I have my eye on.

My next favourite is one that I've been hyped up about since I knew they were coming out. The new Loreal Pure Clay Face Masks have been dominating social media since they came out and when I spotted them on offer in my local Boots, I had to scoop up all three. These masks all have three different types of clay in them as well as another ingredient to help with three different skin needs. This is another product I'm not going to say too much about as a review is coming on Wednesday so keep your eyes peeled for that one. I am going to say though that I love these masks and will happily repurchase them time and time again.

Now anyone who's been reading this blog for a while will know that I'm obsessed with the Loreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation. However mine has dried out and I just haven't picked another one up yet. So I delved into my collection to look for another lightweight yet dewy finish foundation. And I found my Gosh Foundation Drops. I featured this in a favourites last year when I first discovered them. They're brilliant. This a very liquidy foundation that gives a very light to buildable medium coverage foundation without looking or feeling cakey on the skin. It's very soft and blends out well on the skin but still manages to give skin that flawless look. It's also not one of those foundations that leaves skin feeling dry at the end of the day. It's hydrating formula means you're skin will look great from morning to evening. If you'd like to see a full review let me know and I'll happily do one.

So that's it for my July Favourites. Whaty were your favourites this month? Do you have any recommendations for me to try in August. Let me know in the comments.