My mom gave me the makeup bug. When I was in 7th grade, she gave me a Caboodles container full of makeup. After that, I saved my allowance and used every cent to buy any makeup I could get my hands on. Due to where I grew up, I was limited to purchasing at drug stores and the rare trek to Wal-Mart (45 minutes away!). At that time, all the inexpensive makeup came in tacky packaging with poor color choices. Drug store brands have come a long way in the quality of their ingredients, the packaging, color choices, and availability. Their price, however, is still comparable to my 7th grade allowance: thus enters
NYC (New York Color).
I tested nearly everything from eye shadows and blushes to lipsticks and lip-glosses, each mascara, false eyelashes and foundations. I used these products in the sweltering heat of Atlanta, the icy cold air conditioning of all those who have had to suffer Atlanta weather, on a movie set, and at photo-shoots.
To start, I disliked all of the foundations because they are synthetic and harsh on skin. The mascaras consistently flaked. Despite the many nail polish color options, I prefer to spend more money on other brands. After four coats and a long drying time, I prefer better quality polish even if it’s more expensive. Last, I recommend forgoing the false eyelashes, unless you want to look like you are gearing up for an early Halloween. They felt like plastic and lasted about 30 seconds. Literally.
In spite of my disappointment with the aforementioned products, I was impressed by NYC’s eye shadows. My favorite –
Individual Eyes Custom Compact for brown eyes – comes with a primer, a shimmer highlighter, and four colors. I used the primer, not only with the NYC eye shadow, but with all of my other brands to see if it had the same potency, and it passed the test. I loved it. There are different color combinations for specific eye colors, which simplifies the process of choosing the right color.
Blushable Crème Stick is another favorite. It was easy to apply and effortlessly provides that dewy, glowing, summer look, and is a steal at $3.99.
My favorite NYC products are the lip choices: traditional tube lipstick, lip stains and glosses. Lip stains are very in right now, and I prefer them to layering on lipstick that easily rubs off. You get the best of both worlds: color and you can apply Chap Stick right on top!
The Smooch Proof 16 hour Lip Stain comes in the shape of a marker, is easy to apply, and travels well. My absolute favorite lip product from
NYC is Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss. At $3.99, it’s a bargain. It’s pencil skinny, and easily fits into your pocket. I love it, have made it a staple, and want it in every color.
So, while NYC makeup could improve some of their products, they have hit the mark on eyes and lips. This makeup is very affordable, comes in sleek packaging, and has earned a fondness in my heart for mimicking my caboodle-filled memories as an aspiring makeup artist (read: addict) and hair stylist!
Visit
www.newyorkcolor.com for more information.
