NYC Liquid Lipshine Gloss - Review

I don't need more lipglosses. I've finished maybe 3 glosses in my whole life, simply because I'll use one for a week, then I'll find something new to use. At this point, I rarely buy expensive glosses (like Chanel, Dior, etc. Chanel because they're uber expensive, and I never finish them before they go bad. Dior because they're uber expensive, and I finished one in less than 2 months with daily use), and will only buy MAC lipglasses or Dazzleglasses if they're truly unique. I'm trying desperately to use up my stash of glosses. But, I'm weak. I need a glossaholic 12 step program or something.

Anyway, when picking up the new Blushable Creme Sticks, I found this gloss in the display, and decided to give their glosses a shot. I mean, NYC's cream blushes are nice, maybe they're glosses are, too. NYC's website says:

Benefits:
- Pure pigments, 3D-effect shine
- Lips feel moisturized
- Creamy and soft texture
- Non-sticky
Key Ingredients:
- Vitamin E formula provides shine and moisturizing feel

I have to ask.... what, exactly, is a "3D-effect?" My lips are three dimensional already... so.... yeah. Anyway, other than that odd claim,  the others are spot-on. My lips feel moisturized, and I'd be so bold as to claim they are moisturized by this gloss. While it's on, anyway. The texture of this gloss is really nice - it's sort of a thinner Dazzleglass. It has that cushy feel of a Dazzleglass, without the thickness. It actually reminds me of MAC's Lipglee's.  I really like it. Because this gloss isn't sticky, you may imagine it's fleeting on the lips. I'm pleased to say, it lasts a while, 2 hours or so. Compare to the last drugstore gloss I tried, that's a feat!

I selected the shade "Pink Cosmo," from the summer collection. Since it's not listed on their website, I assume that it's limited edition. It's a pretty, warm, sparkly pink shade. It's not extremely pigmented, and not glittery. Just sparkly.

I like the packaging for this gloss. Instead of being round, it's oval shaped. So, it doesn't roll off my desk, or end up in some dark corner because it rolled to where I can't find it. You'd think that more brands would recognize the utility of this shape, but I guess not (I specifically chose oval lip balm tubes for the lip balms I make, to prevent roll-age). The applicator is a strange, elongated, bendy doe-foot. I have no aversion to doe-foot applicators, and generally prefer them to brushes, since bristles can get bend backwards, or get messed up in some other way. This one isn't bad. I like that it's shaped differently, since I have fuller lips, which means the standard MAC doefoot doesn't really do a great job of applying gloss, unless I have a mirror to use. I don't really need a mirror to apply this with, because the doe foot is more than long enough to cover the surface of my lips.

When all is said and done, this is a fantastic lipgloss for $2.49. Really. My only real issue is how hard NYC is to come by. The gloss is fine, the price is great, but the availability sucks.

NYC Blushable Creme Sticks - Review

I used to believe that a good blush was very, very hard to find. Especially at the drugstore. While I still have some troubles finding a formula that works for me, I'm very pleased to say I've found a blush that will last all day on me, and is fairly inexpensive. The only problem I have is how hard it is to find.

Last year, NYC released a new product, their Blushable Creme Sticks. As you can imagine, they are cream blushes in stick form (fancy that!). They sent out samples to the most popular YouTube beauty people, created tons of hype, and had people searching everywhere for them. After looking at swatches, I decided I'd try a couple. I ended up with three of their permanent colors: Pink Plaza, Big Apple Blush, and South St. Seashell. Earlier this week, I picked up the two new, limited edition colors: Gold Radiance and Bronze Radiance.

NYC states:

Sheer crème blush creates a silky powder finish
Soft and creamy formula blends easily with fingertips to desired intensity and coverage
Convenient twist-up stick for quick application
Dermatologist tested
KEY INGREDIENTS
Vitamin A, C and E

These are simply fantastic. It's very rare for me to search out a drugstore product like this, since I have so many blushes, bronzers, and highlighters already. I've been so good recently at not buying things "Just because," but I had to get these. The consumed my thoughts since I heard of them. And for $4.99, I can't complain about the price.

Pink Plaza is a coral pink. Big Apple Blush is a slightly berry-pink. South St. Seashell is a warm nude-brown. Gold Radiance is essentially gold glimmery-glitter. Bronze Radiance is a metallic bronze. South St. Seashell is my favorite, surprisingly. It's very wearable, and is neutral enough that I can wear it everyday. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to use Bronze Radiance, because it's so metallic.

The formula on these is great. They are firm, yet pigmented.The swatches above are a single pass of the stick. It's not like you are taking a dried out stick and rubbing it on your face, they glide on and blend well. On my cheeks, they'll last up to 12 hours. Seriously. 12 hours. I usually "dab" the blush-tones on my cheeks, then take my 187 or 188 and blend these a bit. I'll set with my normal powder, and I'm done. I don't really find they set to a powder-type finish. They don't have that weird, chalky feeling that some cream-to-powder products have, which is great. 


Overall, I can't help but to recommend these. I think they're great. I wish they were easier to find (only one store in my area carries these, despite the fact that multiple stores carry other pieces from the brand). I also wish they'd introduce more colors. I checked the display several times to see if they had any other colors that would work on my NC15 self, and couldn't find one.