In search for the perfect Vegas makeup kit: NYX Butter Gloss

I like to say that my fiance and I are doing our paper work in vegas becase the word eloping makes it sound like thst all we are doing. We will be there for a few days and I know that I am a lip gloss girl: easy to reapply without a mirror, moisturizing, and gives just enough color.

While two of NYX’s products have been a miss for me, their glosses do not disappoint. They’re moisturizing without being sticky, ergonomically efficient, and affordable. Unlike their fat lip oils, the butter gloss bottles slip nicely into bags, pockets, and purses. The price point allows for buying two or three—either to stash in different locations or to have a backup in case you lose one.

I have both Spiked Toffee and Ginger Snap, Praline and Cinamon Roll and so far, I’m very impressed by NYX’s range of brown lip glosses. They don’t just offer warm brown shades—they actually show nuance in their tones.

Spiked Toffee:

I have two-toned lips, and while I’m fine with using a gloss that matches my outer lip color, Spiked Toffee bridges my two lip tones evenly. It covers my full lips without giving that chalky look on the darker outer parts. While I love a ’90s brown lip, I also appreciate a brown gloss that doesn’t automatically allude to that trend. Nor is this shade too vampy—because browns can certainly give vampy/goth girl vibes.

Spiked Toffee is described as mauve, which makes it an excellent option for women of color with neutral undertones. Mauve is a purple-pink, and its subtle purple tone makes it look fresh and flattering on medium complexions with neutral undertones.

I don’t need a liner with this gloss, which is such a godsend—it means I can grab it and go, or touch it up without carrying too many products. That said, women with deeper skin tones might prefer to pair it with a liner for added definition.

TIP: I’ve been wearing this gloss along with Essence crazy cocoa nail polish. They match so beautifully and results in a polished, cohesive look. Essance is not available in South Africa so try OPI Espresso Your Inner Self.

Ginger Snap: 

It’s brown without being ‘90s brown—and that is what makes it such a great option for Black and Brown women.

It’s described as a medium neutral brown, which makes complete sense. It doesn’t assume a warm tone the way most brown glosses do—just like Spiked Toffee. What’s great about this gloss is that it works beautifully on women of color with both cool and warm undertones. The diffrence between gingersnap and spiked toffee is subtle, but this gloss matches my outerlip, and when packed on the neutral brown pigment shows up on my lips. I smimilarly do not need a lipliner for this-- which is important to me for effeciancies sake.

Praline:

Of all the shades, this one looks the most sheer on my lips. It gives just a hint of color, but if I apply too much, it starts to look a bit ashy on my outer lip. This is probably the lightest shade I would wear from this product line for that reason. It’s described as a pink-brown, and I think the pink in the gloss is what creates that slight ashiness when too much builds up on my lips.

In the fantasy version of myself—where I never spend a day without some kind of product on my face—I would wear this gloss with my MAC Strobe Cream to highlight my skin, plus mascara and a tinted brow gel so I look relaxed but polished. (Some days I actually do that, and other days… it stays a fantasy.)

Why is NYX unavailable in South Africa?

I live in the States and have easy access to NYX. But as I write this, I’m in South Africa—since I split my time between the two countries. NYX used to be available here until they announced in 2021 that they were leaving the South African market. I still haven’t found a clear reason why. Their glosses seem to pop up sporadically on ASOS, which does ship to South Africa—but availability isn’t consistent.

My theory is that the South African makeup market is skewed toward high-end products because:

1. South African beauty influencers often aim to present a polished, aspirational (read: moneyed) image, so they’re more likely to feature expensive makeup.

2. Since South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, those who are less financially privileged may literally not be able to spare money for something like gloss, while the most financially privileged don’t think twice about dropping $40 on a useless lip oil.