19 January 2013

NYX Round Lipstick in Hermes - Review & swatches

90¢ and Up Store on Santa Monica Blvd has two full display stands of NYX products. I've been wanting to buy some of the brand's nude lipsticks, but am waiting until Cherry Culture starts stocking the new spring eyeshadow palettes before I do a haul.

I didn't immediately see Circe, Thalia or one of the other shades at the top of my list. They had Creamy Beige, but I remember Googling a swatch of that one and seeing that it looked far too corpse-like for me. So I grabbed Hermes, which looked pinker from the tube than the other nudes. (The store had all the lipsticks sealed, so I couldn't actually open any up to examine the lipstick cream.)

The lipstick:


Immediately after applying Hermes, it looks like a dark, pink-toned brown. As it sits longer on lips, though, it starts looking more pinkish, possibly due to wearing off (I frequently rub my lips together):

I was looking for a pinky-brown MLBB nude. Applied with full coverage, this shade is a little dark for me. It would look great on deeper skin tones.

The finish is a satin/cream with a slight glossiness. I expected this to be matte, but this finish is more moisturising anyway.

Here, I've layered it over Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, a mauve that's my current go-to lip colour:

As with the other NYX Round Lipsticks, staying power is pretty average for a cream lipstick. It will last for a few hours if left mostly untouched, but not through eating--which is why I applied it over a stain in the last picture.

Overall, a decent purchase. However, I'll be looking for a shade that incorporates less dark of a brown.

And if you live in the area, 90¢ and Up is awesome. $1.39 for a dozen eggs. Booyeah.