NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette & Ombré Blush

NYX, a brand that by now has streamed onto everyone’s consciousness, continues to be leading edge where affordable makeup is concerned and as if that weren’t enough, the price point continues to amaze, especially when combined with really good quality.

As somewhat of a beauty elitist (yes, I can be snobby that way), I’ve always tended to stick to the more luxury brands but every now & then something comes across my radar to divert me. Case in point: the Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette and the Ombré Blushes shown here. By the way, if you’ve ever missed out on any of MAC’s ombré blush releases or like me, have picked them then can’t bear to use them (right? I can’t be alone in that), then here’s your chance to indulge without feeling guilty.

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette & Ombré Blush

Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette (CAN $29.99) | An 8-pan blush palette with a range of warm to cool shades and a variety of finishes (satin to shimmer). The top row offers hues that lean warm with the two left shades also being able to perform double-duty as highlighters, while the bottom row is more suitable (for the most part) to those with cooler complexions. All display a good level of pigmentation, in particular the deeper tones, with the more shimmery colours applying smoothly and without any chunky fallout. Apart from the perk of having such a variety of blush shades in one convenient palette, you can also mix the shades to create completely new and customizable blushes — effectively stretching the value of Sweet Cheeks even higher. Not a bad deal, wouldn’t you agree?

The swatches below have been broken down in top & bottom rows respectively (shown in both direct & natural sunlight for variance), while the last swatches have the two rows combined (top over bottom).

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette, top row swatches

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette, bottom row

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette, bottom row swatches

NYX · Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette, top row applied over bottom row swatches

NYX · Ombré Blush

Soft Flush Ombré Blush (CAN $13.00) | A trio of soft pink-coral shades that can be made to work on both warm and cool complexions, all depending on where in the pan you opt to concentrate your brush on; applying more of the darker bottom portion will suit warm skin tones while adding more of the top paler section is best for cooler skin tones.

NYX · Soft Flush Ombré Blush swatches

Sweet Spring Ombré Blush (CAN $13.00) | Definitely the more cooler-leaning of the three, this peony pink trio of shades is also surprisingly quite pigmented (for pink). I actually love applying a slight pop of a cool-toned blush such as this on the apples of the cheeks to add a nice flush of colour.

NYX · Sweet Spring Ombré Blush swatches

Feel the Heat Ombré Blush (CAN $13.00) | An obviously warmer leaning trio of shades, this sizzling tangerine/coral blush is made quite unique by the addition of the gold segment. Depending on how much of each shade you pick up with your brush, you can almost recreate a shade that’s reminiscent of NARS’ Orgasm (but at a way more affordable price).

NYX · Feel the Heat Ombré Blush swatches

I may be an equal-opportunity beauty lover, but if forced to choose then I’d have to say that my two weaknesses are mascara & blush. That being said, there’s no denying that nothing brightens the face quite like the power of blush and when I come across a product that A) looks visually appealing, B) is available in a good range of colours, C) performs beautifully, and D) widely available at a ridiculously low price then that’s a deal that needs to be shared. Then again, I’d have to say that these blushes sell themselves without any help from me; where else can you get an entire palette like Sweet Cheeks at such a low cost (and can most likely even score it on sale) or such artfully designed blushes like these Ombré versions, without breaking the bank? Is it a wonder then that stores can barely keep these in stock? I didn’t think so.

Available at NYX Boutiques, select mass market retailers & online