NYX Matte Lipsticks - Collection/Review

(From L to R - Butter, Tea Rose, Whipped Caviar, Euro Trash, Strawberry Daiquiri & Sierra).

I remember picking up my first NYX product. It was when I worked at Next, and NYX occupied a very small space in the stores for a short time. I spent a lot of time gazing over the products, and eventually decided on picking up the matte lipstick in 'Tea Rose', a gorgeous delicate 'everyday' pink. After the disappearance of all things NYX in the UK, I gave up on trying to get a hold of more products, until they came back with a vengeance and can now be found in Boots stores, Selfridges, and online websites such as Feel Unique & ASOS. 

It's only recently I added an additional five shades to my collection, and that's down to the arrival of the NYX counter in my local Selfridges. (Honestly, I could browse that counter for hours!).

As you can see, there's a bit of a colour theme.. What can I say, I'm consistent!

I've been a big fan of the brown-y pink tones for a while now, but it's only somewhat recently that I've added muted/burnt oranges to my ever-growing collection. I'd say since the release of Kat Von D 'Lolita II', and Ofra x Kathleen Lights 'Miami Fever', I'm hooked on the shade!

'Tea Rose' and 'Whipped Caviar' are fairly similar, (not to a lipstick junkie, but you get what I'm saying). Both are clearly pink shades, however 'Whipped Caviar' has the slightest brown undertone, making it the more 'trendy' shade of the two. 

'Euro Trash' is my absolute favourite of the bunch. It's a shade I've never managed to find in lipstick form, don't get me wrong, I have about million liquid lipsticks in this shade, but I do love having a classic lipstick bullet!

'Butter' is probably one of the most sought after shades at the moment, not necessarily this lipstick, but the 'greige' shade is massively on trend, and doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon! This isn't particularly a colour I generally get on with as it can wash me out, and this is no exception, but I can't resist having them in my collection! It's definitely more wearable for me mixed with a lip liner or another lipstick.

'Strawberry Daiquiri' and 'Sierra' are both of the burnt orange variety. They look a lot more vibrant in the pictures, but on my actual lips, they're exactly what I'm looking for. I'd wanted 'Strawberry Daiquiri' for a while, but 'Sierra' was definitely an impulse purchase, no regrets though! I wore it on Saturday night for an evening of dinner and cocktails and only re-applied once I believe!

The formula is super creamy and pigmented, it doesn't dry down completely matte, so if you're looking for that super flat, dry finish, then I'd probably suggest an actual liquid lipstick, however don't let that put you off these lipsticks! For only £6.50 each, I think they're great to add to your collection, and to even experiment with colours! 

You can purchase them here, here, here & here! 

Which shades do you own if you have any? Which shades are you after? Comment below and give me suggestions too!

Comparison: NYX Wonderstick or Freedom Makeup Contour Stick?

Hello!

This is a first for my blog, a comparison post! I recently picked up these two products, and I've been thoroughly putting them to the test so I can share with you all what I think!

NYX Wonder Stick in 'Light'

First up is the NYX Wonder Stick in 'Light' which I picked up on Feel Unique, (yes, they sell NYX!). I've wanted this product for sooooo long, so when it finally became available to us UK lot, I simply couldn't resist. 

I picked mine up in the shade 'Light', as it seemed to be the most 'grey-toned' out of the lot, but of course, you'd choose a shade most suitable to yourself.

This product is absolutely brilliant, from the colour, right down to the blend-ability. It's super creamy upon application, and you can apply it precisely to those areas you want to chisel out. Once blended, it creates a super natural shadow, and I opt for this when I want a more natural contour for daytime wear. 

I don't tend to use matte, cream highlighters, but I have been using this to accentuate the bridge of my nose, chin and centre of my forehead, and for that the colour is spot on. 

Freedom Makeup Pro Contour Shaped Stick in 'Medium 02'

The other contour stick in question is the Freedom Makeup Pro Contour Shaped Stick, and I picked mine up in the shade 'Medium 02'. This seemed to be the most cool-toned out of the bunch, but I could have been wrong as there was no online swatches to work from, and I had to guess purely from the image online. 

As much as I love a cool-toned contour, this is SO pretty. It doesn't look orange in the slightest, it actually just looks like a beautiful warmth on your face, and with it being a cream products, it looks super natural, (if blended properly of course!). This applies beautifully, and blends just as well as any high-end product. 

As far as the highlighter is concerned, I'm not the biggest fan, purely as the shade is a little too peachy for me.

(The top two shades are Freedom, and the bottom two are NYX).
SO! The verdict is in!
The winner goes to..
..
NYX!
Yes, I have chosen the NYX Wonder Stick as my winner, but this was a very tough decision to make! It has absolutely nothing to do with the quality, as both of them are excellent and equal in my opinion, but more to do with shades. I much prefer the cool-toned shade of the NYX Wonder Stick, and the brighter highlighter. However, in the correct shade, I really think I'd struggle to choose! There isn't much of price difference, with the NYX Wonder Stick being £10, and the Freedom Makeup Pro Contour Shaped Stick being £5. I have no regrets with either, and I would re-purchase both of them. 
(You can check them both out using the linked words above!).
SO! What do you guys think? Is there any other products you'd like me to put to the test? Let me know down below, or tweet me at @nicolecourchee!