Wednesday, February 22, 2017

How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review





Note from your friendly AMW, cream contour and highlighting is definitely NOT for the first-timers!  Even for someone who studied makeup artistry, it is still a challenge to "perfect" cream contour and highlight application and it takes a whole lot of practice!  But once you get the hang of it, the effect is longer-lasting, more dramatic and photographs prettier the "powder counterparts".

I recently got my hands on NYX's newest product that arrived our shores --- the Cream Highlight and Contour Palettte in Medium.  What the hell am I doing with a medium shade when I'm this fair?  Well, trust me, I don't mind!  Though Light will be the more perfect shade for me, I seldom do cream contouring and highlighting on myself and most Filipinas (clients) fall under the Medium division!  

This, my friend is your AMW wearing NOTHING but NYX Cream Highlight and Contour Palette.  As much as I am tempted (very tempted) to fix my brows and wear lip color for this particular photo, I want to prove to you that a 3 dimensional face makes a huge difference on your overall look!  Well, well-drawn brows would look much better but you get the point!

Note: with barefaced photo like this, I usually look like a "bun-face", thankfully, with the right placement of contour and highlight products, I look a bit healthier and slimmer!

a photo of AskMeWhats Nikki Tiu How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

Side View on how my contour and highlighter looks.

a photo of AskMeWhats NIkki Tiu How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

And here's the nifty product I got to test for the past 2 weeks!


NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette

Php970.00
Available at NYX Counters and Boutique near you, also available online at Zalora.
a photo of How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

NYX says ---
"Say hello to the cheekbones you never knew you already had! Our new Cream Highlight & Contour Palette contains three silky shades that work together to help you highlight, contour and illuminate your most beautiful natural features."
Ingredients:
Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Talc, Silica, Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Copernicia Cerifera Cera/Cire de Carnauba, Silica Dimethyl Silylate [nano], Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina, Water/Aqua/Eau, BHT, Phenoxyethanol. MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Shades: Light, Medium, Deep

L-R
Warm Contour Cream
Shimmery Highlight Cream
Matte Highlight Cream 

a photo of How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

At the back of the packaging, you get an easy-to-follow diagram.

a photo of How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

Swatch:
Matte Contour Cream (Medium) - the shade is indeed very warm and orange.  It is more orange on photos but not as bad in person.
Shimmer Highlight Cream - a nice champagne shade that can double up as eyeshadow.
Matte Highlight Cream - this can work as a concealer for those who have medium to darker complexion.  This works as a great "transition" shade for me!  (will show you how that works)

a photo of How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

Contouring Technique
For a more define contour, I prefer to use a brush in application as opposed to using your fingers!  I like to use a flat (paddle-like) foundation brush and apply a good amount starting from the hairline creating a triangular shape.

At this stage you don't have to worry about blending them YET.

Now, the trick for the contour not to look "fake" and "too muddy", use the matte highlight cream (the transition shade as I call it) and gently apply below the contour color as shown on second photo (right).  This trick also helps clean up the mess you may create from contouring.  This trick also "locks up" your contour cream from not going below the hallows of your cheeks.

a photo on how to use How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium
Brush: Estee Lauder Foundation Brush

 With a clean brush, gently blend everything together. 

a photo on how to apply How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium
Etude House My Beauty Tool Secret Brush 121
Using the same brush, I apply the shimmer highlight cream on top of the contour cream.  If unsure, just touch the highest point of your cheeks (cheekbones) and that's were you apply and blend.

a photo of how to use How to Use NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium


Once everything is blended well, here's how it is supposed to look.
Don't mind the dark line as you can always top with a pressed powder or translucent powder.
a photo of NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

Contour and Higlight the rest of the face
Contouring and higlighting is a very personal thing for me!  You contour and highlight based on your face shape and for me, I like to contour the sides of my nose, highlight the bridge of my nose, Cupid's bow and chin.

Note: You have to use the lightest hand to prevent the "greasy-look".

a photo of NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium + Review

Finished Look

a photo of Nikki Tiu AskMewhats wearing NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette Medium

Here's what I have to say about the NYX Cream Highlight and Contour Palette in medium ---

  • The palette is perfect for those who are into longer-lasting highlight and contour.
  • Perfect start-up contour and highlight product for budding make up artists and professionals.
  • The palette is very tricky to apply so practice goes a long way.
  • If you find the contour shade to be too dark and muddy on you, feel free to mix both matte shades together.  
  • Always set the finished highlight/contour face with a loose powder to prevent the product from moving.  (As cream tends to move especially on hot and humid weather).
  • The cream on all 3 shades aren't as creamy as other brands I've tried, so I reckon this is perfect for those with oily skin.
  • If you have dry skin, it helps to add a small drop of face oil.
  • The pigmentation is not bad!

For the price, I don't mind investing because a little goes a long way so I can imagine not finishing this product anytime soon!

How do you like my finished look using ONLY NYX Cream Highlight and Contour Palette?
Will you use cream contour/highlight products on a daily basis?

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!
 

2 comments :

  1. This is too much work for everyday lol but, I won't mind if it is my wedding ;)

    ReplyDelete

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