NYX Stick Blush Review

NYX Stick Blush

I've always been a fan of NYX’s cream blushes, so when I heard they’d come out with stick blushes, I was intrigued. While their cream blushes in the compact are great products, I personally find a blush stick easier and more convenient to apply. I love my NYC Blushable Crème Sticks and Josie Maran Argan Color Sticks, for example, so I figured it couldn't hurt to add a few more to my collection. 

I tried to pick up one of the NYX Stick Blushes at Ulta, but the shade I wanted most, Orchid, was always out of stock.  So when I saw that HauteLook was having a NYX event a few weeks back and they were selling a set of three of the blush sticks, including Orchid, Pink Poppy, and Tea Rose, I had to buy them. The set was $11, and I think the individual sticks are about $5-6 at Ulta so it was a good deal.

After playing with them for a while, I have to say, I really like them.

They’re nicely pigmented and super smooth, so they’re easy to blend. However, they’re not greasy like some cream blushes I’ve tried so they don't feel sticky or tacky on the cheeks. I typically set my cream blush with a powdered blush in a similar color so it doesn’t disappear on me and these work well for that - but I’ve actually enjoy wearing them by themselves on days when I want an especially glow-y look. They actually lasted several hours on their own without disappearing, which is pretty good in my book.

NYX Stick Blushes (l. to r.): Pink Poppy, Orchid, Tea Rose

The colors in the set I received are all fairly similar, but just different enough to make having all of them worth it.  As I expected, my favorite is Orchid, a peachy pink shade with gorgeous, subtle gold shimmer throughout it. Pink Poppy is a bright pink with gold shimmer, but while it’s a brighter pink, it looks really natural on the cheeks. Tea Rose is a darker, medium pink with no shimmer. It’s probably the most sophisticated shade in the group, and works really well if you need a little bit more color in your cheeks.

NYX Stick Blush swatches (l to. r.): Pink Poppy, Orchid, Tea Rose

When applying these, I usually just swipe a stripe down my cheek and use my fingers to blend the blush in.  They also blend well with a brush  - almost a little too well, though, as a brush can sometimes make the color disappear.

I definitely recommend these stick blushes if you’re a fan of cream blush.  I actually plan to get a couple more, but I want to buy them in person so I can make sure to get colors that are different from those I already have.

Have you tried the NYX Stick Blushes?  What do you think?  Are you a fan of cream blushes?  How do you usually apply them?