NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar - Review and Swatches


Albeit a little late to put up a post on an advent calendar, but I just received this last week due to an issue with customs.  
NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar

I've had many a chocolate advent calendar as a kid and I make sure to buy my kids one each year.  There's a certain joy in opening up a door each day in anticipation of the little chocolate.  Many brands do gorgeous beauty calendars, but I've just never bought one myself.  Some of the price tags are quite shocking too!  

NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar

So, when the NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar arrived on my doorstep, I couldn't contain my excitement.  Seeing as it was almost Christmas when I got this, I gave in and opened the entire calendar in one shot, my inner child couldn't have been happier!

NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar

NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar

Packaging wise, the calendar is made out of thick cardboard.  Not the strongest of materials, but it serves its purpose.  It is designed to look like a suitcase and when you open the calendar up, you're presented with the cutest of drawings.  There are 12 places around the world depicted on the calendar and on opening each of the doors, you find 12 soft matte lip creams and 12 eye shadows inspired by each of the places.  Love the concept!

NYX Wanderlust Advent Calendar

Though there isn't much variety product wise, I'd been wanting to try out the lip creams since forever and was excited to see them in the advent calendar.  The lip creams are 4.7ml in size which is slightly more than half the regular size (8ml).

I couldn't find the eye shadows on the NYX website, which leads me to think that these were made specially for the advent calendar.  Each eye shadow is 1.8g in size which to the eye look rather dinky, but these are in fact bigger than your MAC eye shadows which are just 1.5g!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

The Lip Creams from L-R are Monte Carlo (deep cranberry red), Milan (pink with blue undertones), Prague (matte merlot), Transylvania (deep matte violet), Copenhagen (rich matte plum), Addis Ababa (bright fuchsia), Rome (medium nude with red undertones), Stockholm (mid toned beige pink), Cannes (matte muted mauve), Manila (coral with pink undertones), Seoul (violet) and Morocco (matte coral orange).  

Swatches of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

At the risk of sounding dumb, did you know that Transylvania was a real place?  I sure didn't!

These lip creams are a breeze to apply.  They are quite creamy liquid lipsticks (can I call them that?) and they feel comfortable on the lips.  The lip creams pack quite a punch colour wise and though these don't seem all that matte just after application, they do dry to a full on matte after about 30 minutes.  My favourite has to be Morocco, you know I love my orange reds!  

NYX Single Eyeshadows

The shadows are packaged to look like little booklets.  The packaging, being cardboard, feels quite light and flimsy and I would've preferred if they were a little more weighted down and more durable.  There are however a good selection of shades in mainly shimmer, but there are a few mattes thrown in to give you a nice variety.  

Swatches of the NYX Single Eyeshadows

Morocco is a gorgeous satin matte finish and has amazing pigmentation.  The shimmery shades are buttery and apply easily with excellent colour payoff.  I'm a little disappointed with Seoul and Milan.  Both are true matte shades and I find them to be quite chalky, it is hard to do a good matte!  Monte Carlo is a gorgeous intense black, but the silver glitter in it is chunky and has tendency to fall out.  Staying powder of the shadows are fairly average and you will need a good eye shadow primer underneath these.  

As far as I know, NYX is only sold in Centrepoint in Kuwait, but I'm not sure if this advent calendar is still available.  Honestly, I would give the shadows a miss.  The ones that work are too bright and frosty for everyday wear, and the colours I love are too chalky (except Morocco of course).  The lip creams however, I am in love with and need to pass by Centrepoint pronto to pick up a few more! 

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