The product: NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in 21 Transylvania
Man, it has been a LONG time since I reviewed any makeup! I feel like I just haven’t had the time or energy to wear any recently – my everyday face consists of tinted moisturizer (Rodial foundation and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm), a light brow (Annabelle Skinny Brow Liner, of course), and like, nothing else.
Lather, rinse, repeat; day in and day out. So, a couple weeks ago, I decided to change things up a little.
The formula: Alright, so I’m just gonna stick my head out there and say it: I don’t like the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream formula. I can see why other people like it, but I just don’t.
It feels light and airy without too much transfer, which I like. And it smells like cupcake batter, which I also like because I’m not a monster. And it’s way more comfortable than a retro matte, so that’s nice too.
But my lips are DRY, you see. They’re not just dry; they’re Alberta-dry. They have dry patches galore, all of which this lipstick catches on, and after half an hour, my lips get uncomfortable. So I fidget and press them together to compensate, and this lipstick (which never truly sets) heads for my lipline faster than an ex who can’t get away from you fast enough.
NYX Soft Lip Cream in Transylvania swatches – after 15 min
The colour: In the tube, Transylvania is gorgeous. It’s this beautiful “matte deep violet” (description right from the NYX site), and it looks like it’s going to turn you into an instant Bad Grrl, with capitalization totally necessary.
On my lips, though… Transylvania is yet another dark, moody red. And don’t get me wrong; it’s still totally gorgeous! But in everyone else’s swatches, it looks like it’s going to be this mind-blowing eggplant shade, and I just couldn’t get it there without plum or black liner underneath (which is totally cheating.) Even with three layers, it was just red, red, red on me.
A sexy red that’s totally ’90s (Faith would have worn the hell out of this shade), but still. With my naturally red lips, this wasn’t purple on me at all.
NYX Transylvania overtop of nude lipliner (left) and eggplant liner (right)
The verdict?
I think that Transylvania looks killer on most humans, but my lips aren’t having any of it. The formula seems to only have medium opacity, so unfortunately, the colour of my reddish lips bled right through it.
Would I buy a different Soft Matte Lip Cream, though? Well… Probably not. (Make Up For Ever does a way more comfortable soft matte). But I’d definitely try a shade like this one again; maybe in the NYX Full Throttle or Liquid Suede formula instead!
Availability: $6 USD/$9 CAD at Nyx Cosmetics, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Rexall, and London Drugs.
The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ingredients:
Isohexadecane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone, Beeswax, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Carbonate, Silica, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Rosin/Colophonium/Colophane, Barium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Flavor/Aroma, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal.
+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410).
