NYX Matte Lipstick = Cheap Thrills

I was introduced to the cheap joy that is NYX's Matte Lipstick line about 3 months ago. They retail for about $6, but if you get them during an Ulta sale, they are closer to $4 each. It decided would be fun to pick up a few tubes, then test them out at SDCC 2014. So I did. I'm adding a lot of photos to this post as penance for taking 3 months to put it together.

NYX Matte Lipstick in Aria

NYX Matte in Pure Red - Bright Red Lipstick

NYX Matte Lipstick in Pure Red

NYX Matte in Bloody Mary - Bright Reddish Pink Lipstick

NYX Matte Lipstick in Bloody Mary

For SDCC, we were lucky enough to stay at the Hyatt in Downtown (I lost a lot of sleep fretting about the hotel lottery, fyi). The view was fancy fantastic and all, but I was more excited about the bathroom mirror. Halo style LED lighted mirrors are my new favorite thing. Bloody Mary and Pure Red were done with the aid of that mirror, thus producing the best selfies I've ever taken. They're headshot quality. I can actually feel myself turning into an Emma Stone.

Aria "stain" after removal

The pigmentation of the lipstick was excellent considering how cheap they were. It was not quite as matte as I prefer, and not quite as pigmented as Nars, but Nars is $24. That's at least 3 Chipotle burritos. If you're looking to dabble in bright lipstick, NYX is the brand to try first.

Pure Red is exactly what it sounds like: a bright red that works with a range of skin tones. Bloody Mary is bright reddish-pink that is a nice, less in-your-face alternative to straight up red. Aria is a bright purple/fuchsia with blue undertones. I find it to be less wearable than the other two (it seemed shinier or something), but it was the most unique color in the mix. I also discovered that Aria had stained my lips a pretty pink color after I removed it.

Oh, right. There are four lipstick tubes in the main image up top. Thanks for trying to help, guys, but I've already posted four photos. Really. I've already got it covered. You're being ridiculous. I don't know why you're being such a stickler about this particular issue. Use your imagination, for fuck's sake.

FINE. Here's the last one:

NYX Matte in Indie Flick - Bright Coral Lipstick

NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick

I took this photo a few days ago without the benefit of Hyatt halo lighting. If you see the un-cropped image, which you won't, I've got some fucked-off Beyonce baby bangs going on too.

Oh, you want to see it? Uh-uh. No. Ain't gonna happen. I'm not providing a visual for all you lazy harlots. Use your imagination, for fuck's sake.

FINE. I'm posting as penance for the three fucks I dropped:

Look at all the fucks I drop.

I did not like Indie Flick. I tried it at SDCC and immediately wiped it off because it looked like curdled orange milk. Lighter lipsticks frighten me because they make me feel like a clown; I find that if the pigmentation isn't high quality, the color can go on in a kind of chunky, separated, and uneven way. I wanted to like Indie Flick, but it didn't melt into my lips like my preferred lip products do. It kind of congealed on top of them.

NYX Swatches: Pure Red, Bloody Mary, Aria, Indie Flick

For fun comparisons, I also swatched the Nars lipsticks I have alongside the NYX guys. Do not be fooled by how close Indie Flick dupes Red Square. Red Square is a superior product in terms of pigmentation and application, and totally worth the expense.

I also threw in an NYX Butter Lip Balm swatch as it's my favorite purse tube at the moment.