NYX Professional are an amazing makeup brand that I have used for many years now. They have gotten SO huge, particularly over the last few years and quite rightly so : they do some absolutely amazing makeup products, they cater for all skin types and tones AND the prices are super affordable. I’m so happy it’s more accessible and easier to get to a counter since it launched into Boots, which is now the prominent UK retailer for NYX.
With a handful of NYX Professional products and just one NYX Palette that I have selected I’ve created some different makeup looks for different occasions to showcase the versatility of the products and how you can easily go from an easy, simple, daytime look to a handful of more daring and bold, creative looks. Not only am I using minimal products to create this looks, but this is a perfect way that anyone and everyone can get professional looking makeup quality and finishes, whilst (a) not having to spend a fortune and (b) getting easily on the high street.
I have used a handful of key NYX products for these looks:
The Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation & Concealer: The full coverage, waterproof foundation is not only lightweight and fluid to apply but it blends seamlessly onto the skin. I even managed to colour match myself online and got an absolute bang on shade (Buff) and that’s quite a feat considering there are a whopping 45 shades. It’s a long wear/ waterproof formula and has a satin finish : great for combo/oily skins. The Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Concealer is a perfect accompaniment to the foundation and as expected : full coverage, matte finish and also waterproof. Comes in 24 shades.
Dewy Finish Setting Spray: To keep the full-on looks put. I don’t bother setting (or priming – soz) for daytime / natural looks but for whenever I have a lot of makeup on, this dewy finish setting spray is a must.
Worth The Hype Volume Mascara: My first ever dabble into NYX mascaras and it’s a hit. This is a very full-on, quick building mascara. The wand comes out loaded with product so it coats the lashes quickly and I just need a few coats for a great finish. I love it, some may struggle with the application being clumpy but it works for my needs.
Ultimate Shadow Palette – Brights : THE key to all of these looks. It’s an all-out brights eyeshadow palette and definitely not for the faint-hearted. The 16 shades are all matte finishes, you have a great spectrum of colours and you can literally create infinite looks from this. Not only do you have all of these shades but you can create triple the amount of shades by mixing them together. For a high impact look, then definitely use a primer underneath and to make the shades even more vivid, prime with the NYX Milk Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil. I use this for any bright eye makeup looks to really make the colours pop.
My 4 key looks : DAY > DATE > DISCO > DRAMA.
DAY. Light, fresh and dewy. I only dabbed a touch of the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation as it’s such a full coverage, and I mixed a lot of my face moisturiser in with it so it was less matte. I actually used a touch of the matte pink from the Ultimate Shadow Palette on my eyelids AND my cheeks a, lashings of mascara and good to go!
DATE. This is a look that is perfect to build up over the top of your day makeup. 5 minutes of your time and you are good to go! Just re-fresh the base and amp up the concealer. I like the skin to still look fresh and ‘skin-like’ so I don’t mind if there are slight imperfections and freckles showing through. Just turn up the makeup a touch but so you feel like you, but comfortable and sexy! You may want a softer colour on the lids, but for me a yellow lid and a red lip is such a cool and confident look. This lip colour is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in ‘San Juan’.
DISCO! Another look that has a lot more impact than effort to do..which I love! I’m all about a slick of bold colour to look eye-catching without spending too much time actually faffing. If you are going out-OUT then don’t be shy of bold colours – its going to be dark and you still want your makeup to POP. This fun look also has a touch of glitter liner (you can see the full look below in the close-ups) as glitter just comes hand in hand with dancing and disco lights.
DRAMA. If you like bold er’thang when it comes to makeup. You like to be fully beat and don’t mind spending that extra time getting ready before you go out. I guess this is more of an ‘instaglam’ look : a little more structured than the others and uses a lot more products and attention. Fuller coverage foundation, flawless skin and lots of colour. This is where the palette came into it’s own and I think I pretty much dipped into every shade!
PRO TIPS FOR A SPEEDY DAY > NIGHT MAKEUP
There’s a few simple things you can do to re-fresh your look and get you from daytime > drama if you haven’t got time to go home / spend an hour on your full face. I spent many a tube journeys in London getting my face on in a hurry. Here are some of my tips to get you looking amped up in just a few steps.
- If you have a neutral or no shadow on for the day (ME) then don’t remove it all, work over the top with your bolder colour / eyeliner etc. If your daytime shadow is a little bold, neutralise it down with a dab of concealer and go over the top with your fresh colour.
- I’m more partial to cleansing and re-applying my base than I am refreshing me eyes. I always just feel *cleaner* plus a freshly applied base always looks better. However if you don’t have time to cleanse, simply spritz your skin with a priming or water spray to re-hydrate your skin, buff it all out with a clean makeup brush then re-apply your concealer and foundation sparingly.
- Some mascaras are fine to just go over the top to add more drama. If it’s a mascara that you know you can’t top up : whack some falsies on.
- ALWAYS CARRY A RED LIPSTICK ON YOU NO MATTER WHAT. In every handbag. Even if you don’t think you are going out. It’s your one-trick back-up and can literally change a daytime look to night very quickly. I also often use my lipstick as my blusher, and you can absolutely do this with a bright red lipstick just use it super sparingly and blend it quickly with fingertips. TA-DA.
For a quick overview of some of the looks I created with just this pretty special NYX Eyeshadow Palette and the key colours I used to get the shades then have a quick perusal below.
All of these cute eye looks from that one mega palette! It’s honestly been a game changer for me. I do have handfuls of bold and vivid colours, particularly in my pro kit but not one palette that has all the brights in one place. NYX have impressed me yet again with their versatility and quality of products and they still remain one of my favourite high street makeup brands.
Makeup fans let’s talk! What is your favourite occasion look and/or eye look? If I had to choose one I actually think I would go with the pink under eyeliner as it’s a little different and it’s so quick to do. My go-to look that I wear the most though is definitely the daytime look as this country-dwelling girl isn’t seeing the bright lights as much anymore!
*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Boots. As always, thoughts are my own.