NYX Lippie Countdown Advent Calendar 2017

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I'm happy to be sharing another of my advent calendars for Holiday 2017. Let's go drugstore with this one- this year's advent calendar from NYX Cosmetics.

Last year's calendar was also 24 days but was 12 eyeshadows and 12 lipsticks. I honestly didn't get much use out of any of it- but I was ready to try this year's version.

Welcome to the NYX Lippie Countdown, which originally retailed for $65- but was again an Ulta Black Friday deal for $29.99. NYX's lip line is so diverse that it was awesome to sample a bit of all of them.


Here's the contents of the calendar:

Now, here's a closer look at them, by day:

Day One: Matte Lipstick in Eden
Day Two: Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken
Day Three: Simply Vamp Lip Creme in She Devil
Day Four: Lip Lingerie in Push Up
Day Five: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Paris
Day Six: Butter Lipstick in Seashell
Day Seven: Intense Butter Gloss in Berry Strudel
Day Eight: Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
Day Nine: Matte Lipstick in Up the Bass
Day Ten: Lip Lingerie in Corset
Day Eleven: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sao Paolo
Day Twelve: Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick
Day Thirteen: Liquid Suede in Vintage
Day Fourteen: Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float
Day Fifteen: Butter Gloss in Raspberry Tart
Day Sixteen: Lip Lingerie in Embellishment
Day Seventeen: Simply Red Lip Cream in Russian Roulette
Day Eighteen: Liquid Suede in Stone Fox
Day Nineteen: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen
Day Twenty: Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink
Day Twenty-One: Lip Lingerie in Exotic
Day Twenty-Two: Intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches
Day Twenty-Three: Butter Gloss in Sugar Cookie
Day Twenty-Four: Butter Lipstick in Ripe Berry


Now, let's look at the contents a bit closer.

There are four matte lipsticks:

I've tried two of these so far- Eden and Up the Bass. Believe it or not, I've never tried the formula before.

The three Butter Lipsticks are a bit more mellow- and more my speed.

I keep reaching for Root Beer Float over and over- I have a feeling I'll be purchasing a full size before the year's up!

There are three Butter Glosses. I already love this formula.

Creme Brulee is my favorite by far.

The two Intense Butter Glosses couldn't be more different.

I think you all know which one I favor.

I wasn't impressed by these Lip Lingeries. Look how they swatch.

The Soft Matte Lip Creams were uneven as well.

Two of the three perform well.

Luckily my full size Paris performs better than this- and I didn't own the others before now.

The Liquid Suedes performed better.... but these aren't my colors.

Although the formula worked better, these are unique shades.

Lastly, there were two stick lipsticks.

They're nice, but they do move around.

Pros: Unlike last year, these are all lip products- and these are all generously sized.
Cons: Box spoils the surprise on the back (they're in order) and on the panels- you know the color family and finish just by looking at that day's door; I found the liquid lips to be really hard to swatch.

Would I buy this at full price ($69)? Nope. But did I find it a value at $29.99? Yes, unequivocally so.

I've already worn a number of the items in this set and look forward to pulling them into my lip wardrobe in 2018. I've counted at least five I'm pretty sure I can use to completion.

NYX Beyond Basics Holiday Kit 17

Confession: I was trolling for a new palette at Ulta recently during the 5X point multiplier (I have something in mind for my 20% off coupon and I want to combine with as many points as possible to lower the price.). I was literally frustrated, and this attacked me in the leg.

So, I brought it home.

Say hello to the NYX Beyond Basic Holiday Kit- Version 17 ($20, in-store only at Ulta but online here at NYX Cosmetics). According to the brand's website, there are two versions of this kit.

For your $20, you receive three items- a six pan eyeshadow palette (same size as the Lingerie palette if you're curious), a black Matte liquid liner, and a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose.

I'll be honest, I haven't had much time to play and test this because I got it 48 hours before the allergic reaction on my eye. So this is more of a swatch overview in case you'd like to pick this up as a last-minute gift.

For me, the six-pan shadow palette is the star. There are five mattes and a lone shimmer.

The six 0.04 pans are only numbered. It's worth noting that the brilliant magenta is marked as a pressed pigment that's not eye safe.  This usually means that there's a non-FDA approved dye involved. It's also worth noting that there's an explicit waterline warning because this contains carmine. So, don't use this on the waterline.

These shades just look like this time of year, don't they? Here's how they look swatched:

That creme is almost the same as my NW15 skin, that's why you can't see it. I'll get a lot of use out of this and will be sure to report back once I've thoroughly tested it.

To pair with the palette, you receive a Matte Liquid Liner. This looks to be close to full size, if not equal.

It's got a brush tip, and will be pulling this into my rotation in 2018.

Lastly, there's a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose in the kit. I've not seen this formula on their site, or in a NYX store before. It's close to a full size though.

Admittedly, I didn't let this dry down before taking the photo, but it's representative to the color. With my furnace now running all the time, I have to be careful with drying items on my hands. Nude rose is a nice warm nude that I'll be happy to try once it gets a little warmer and my lips a little less chapped.

This is a fun little stocking stuffer- I know we're up on it in terms of holiday shopping, but there were plenty of years where I worked until the 21st, shopped for 14 hours on the 22nd, drove home to my parents' home on the 23rd, and wrapped the 24th. So I know there are still people shopping. These kits appear to be in-store at Ulta but online from NYX. I think it's a nice little value for sure.

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored

Let's talk about one of the few Black Friday releases I was drawn to: the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored ($24, 4ml/0.13fl oz).

Uncensored is a bold and bright red that's striking on her (check out this photo- we're assuming this is Uncensored on her) and also supposed to be a universal red. I think it's incredibly bold on my complexion, to be honest.

Yes, I do have the MAC nail polish from the Brooke Candy collection that's packaged in a similar manner. My nail collection is all over the place, so I won't be sharing that in this post but they are similar. However, the applicator makes all of the difference:

Pro tip: that's not nail polish, and a little brush isn't for the lips. I found the faux confusion a non-issue, to be honest. What I found more difficult, however, was controlling the formula.

I actually wrote this post as I was testing it for the first time so the thoughts are very fresh.

Application: I found this little wand to work well, although I was concerned with the liquidity of the formula. I was able to control it by using a small amount of product. However, it's one of the most difficult formulas I've dealt with to apply. So if you're not used to liquid lipsticks, particularly runny ones, be armed with makeup remover and Q-tips.

Drydown and Comfort: I was really impressed with the drydown. I actually didn't know that it was dry until I looked at a mirror. It's very comfortable. This formula didn't provoke my lips, which is helpful this winter.

Transfer: That said, I was shocked at the transfer everywhere. The color still appeared to be on my lips, but my goodness it was on everything. It fails the kiss test miserably for the recipient- but it does remain on your lips.


This is Uncensored, swatched:

Yes, this is a bold and striking red. It was actually jarring to wear it while I tested it; I was doing a no-makeup day otherwise (I mentioned my knee injury on Sunday, and that's when I wrote most of this post.)

I think it looked pretty good on the lips- even without a ton of prep in advance. It was shockingly red- but it'd look amazing with a hugely glam look. I'm thinking a nude shimmer or glitter on the eyes, a classic wing, and Uncensored on the lips.

Do I like the formula? I like it better than most liquid lipsticks because it didn't destroy my lips. Is it easy to work with? Not really. Does it transfer? Yes, to the point where I'd want to babysit it. It's a shame, since this is a "holiday party" color but I'd be afraid to wear it to one.

I'll be interested to see if this formula is rolled out with other shades. I'd be interested in a MLBB shade. I think it's worthwhile checking out, but just be aware that she's high maintenance.

Dose of Colors Holibae Liquid Lipstick Set for Holiday 2017

A few days ago, we kept it snuggly and nude with Dose of Colors The Snuggle is Real kit, now it's time to kick up the heat and check out the heat with the Holibae Set.

The Holibae set also retails for $29 and contains three red liquid lipsticks. This is a fantastic value since these are full-sized liquid lipsticks and to buy three of the singles would be $54. This is the kit that initially intrigued me the most, as I've been eyeing Merlot and Los Anjealous

First up is Bittersweet.

As a reminder, these are all full-sized, and the same as the permanent lipsticks.

According to the brand, this is an "orange red." I happen to agree, and think this is more of a summer red on my cool complexion.

It's fun, but it's not my favorite out of the trio.

Next up is Strawberry Pop. The brand describes this as "strawberry red."

I think this is a lovely mid-toned red that's not quite the deep, classic red I want this time of year, but it's a fun change of pace. This is my favorite formula, and I know I'll get a lot of usage out of it.

Again, I find this a bit light for me this time of year... but it's a nice spring red for me.

Last is Extra Saucy. The brand describes this as "deep red."

This is that lovely oxblood that I reach for this time of year. It's beautiful and lovely and everything that I want.

This is the one that will be on my lips this holiday season.

Here's a look at all three of these shades together:

I think that this is an extremely well-edited trio of reds. I think this is a fantastic value, and I recommend buying both of these sets.

Dose of Colors The Snuggle is Real Liquid Lipstick Set for Holiday 2017

Today's posts are all about Dose of Colors, and my lips were on fire the night that I swatched all of these. I've not shown all of the shades that are in my stash, but I have shared my thoughts on the formula in this post and this post in the past. Spoiler: it's one of my favorites.

Dose of Colors launched two LE liquid lipstick trios for the holiday that are an incredible value. These liquid lipsticks, that contain 0.16oz of product each, retail for $18 each.

Say hello to The Snuggle is Real and the Holibae Sets. Each contain a trio of all-new, limited edition shades- and they retail for $29 each.

I'm going to talk about The Snuggle is Real in this post, and my review of Holibae goes up at 6PM EST.

The Snuggle is Real is a collection of cozy nudes. After testing all of these, snuggle is exactly the word I'd use. When I see these colors, I can think of lounging at home with large cozy sweaters, luxe throws, and textures. These would look incredible with the loungey colors- creams, greys, browns, etc. Cream came to mind because I was wearing an oversized cream sweater while playing with this set.

One quick note- these do dry down to full matte, but I didn't want to actually murder my lips so I didn't let them totally dry for swatches- either on the lips or on the hand.

There are three shades in this box: Let's Cuddle, Lazy Daisy, and Warm & Fuzzy. They're all exclusive to this kit, and make a fantastic addition to any nude-lovers set.

Let's start off with the lightest shade in the box- Let's Cuddle.

According to the brand, this is supposed to be a "warm beige." I find it to be a beige that leans towards camel.

In case you were wondering, these are the same as the regular lipsticks. Now, let's go to the swatch:

In theory, I like this color. It's just not quite right for my pigmented lips and my coloring. That said, it would look fantastic on those of you with medium or deeper skintones.

Sorry for this photo, but it's actually the most true to color of all that I shot. Even if it's a lil' blurry. Just look at the color!

This is my least favorite in the set- my natural pigmented lips poked through a bit.

Next up is Lazy Daisy.

According to the brand, this is "dusty mauve taupe." I don't really see the taupe as much as I see a dusty mauve- my perfect dusty mauve!

This is what so many MLBB liquid lips look like on others but look so dark on me. Take a look at this on my lips.

I wish this wasn't a LE shade- I've finally found my MLBB dusty mauve liquid lipstick!

Last up, Warm & Fuzzy.

According to the brand, this is "warm rose."

See what I meant about wet swatches? I see such strawberry red but muted in this color, if that makes any sense.

On my lips, this is another winner.

Here are all three shades in The Snuggle is Real box.

Overall, I think this is the perfect present for your punched up nudes lover, or for yourself. This is such a lovely box!