It can be incredibly intimidating when you are standing in front of a cosmetics display, looking at multiple shades of a single product. Modern day cosmetic companies give us more choices than ever in eyeshadow shades, lipstick colors, and blushes. We like to think of Beauty Gala as “window shopping” in a way – you get to see photographs and swatches without dishing up the money. NYX Cosmetics Blush is an all-around great product…it’s inexpensive, and it is incredibly rich in color, so you only need a little swipe every time you apply. Unfortunately for us indecisive babes, it also comes in twenty-five different shades. One of my favorite shades out of the NYX Blush collection is “Pinky,” a bright, bubblegum pink blush that looks sweet and feminine on the cheeks. To see more photographs and swatches, read more…

NYX Cosmetics is a great bargain brand that can be found online and in Ulta stores nationwide. Their products are often very rich in color, and they are a great value. The newest addition to the NYX family is the Lip Lacquer Pots, which are portable lip glosses in round, small containers for easy on-the-go access. Though I love almost every NYX product I’ve ever tried, I wasn’t sure if these were up my alley, so I purchased just one shade to start off with. “Sweet Pea,” is a very wearable babydoll pink shade, and adds a light pink color to your lips. To see full swatches and what I thought of these Lip Lacquer Pots, read more…

By now, you know that I don’t turn down anything purple. Unfortunately, my husband won’t let me turn our bedroom purple (can’t blame him), so I take my purple-crazed self to the cosmetic counters and get my fix there. NYX Cosmetics has a few brand-new smokey-look kits out right now, all of them containing 9 eyeshadow shades, and 2 lip colors. Since I recently purchased the Urban Decay Naked Palette, I went with the colorful one, which just to happens to also be my favorite color. NYX has not disappointed me in the past, so what did I think of this palette? read more…

Green is one fantastic shade for eye makeup. Why? It looks lovely on all eye colors, and really livens up your complexion and your smile. For this look, I used my favorite NYX Trio and added a pop of electric green eyeliner to my upper lash line, and half of my lower lash line. Want to try this look yourself? read more…

Eyeshadow bases have become a makeup routine staple in the past few years. Eyeshadow bases, also known as eyeshadow primers, are a “base coat” layer applied to your eyelid, allowing your eyeshadow to appear more vibrant, as well as increase wear time without having unsightly creasing. Unfortunately, with the increase in eyeshadow base interest comes a variety of brands and formulas, which can confuse consumers. Also, the majority of eyeshadow bases are fairly pricey, making the investment of an eyeshadow base fairly lofty, especially if you do not like your purchase. NYX Eyeshadow Base is one of my favorite eyeshadow primers, and it just so happens to be inexpensive and easily accessible. To see more photographs of this product, read more…

In honor of today not only being Sunday, but also being Mother’s Day, we figured we would take a laid back approach, and present to you a “lip gloss medley.” These are a collection of lip gloss swatches that are some of our favorites in our collection. Call it a hodgepodge, call it a medley, we like to think of it as fun to look at! read more…

NYX’s Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils have a huge following with the makeup community, and for good reason: They are ultra creamy, long lasting, and pigmented eyeshadow “crayons” that can be used as an eyeliner, an eyeshadow, or as a base for your powder eyeshadow. At only $4.19 a pencil, these eyeshadow pencils are a ridiculously great value, and have so many uses. To see swatches of all the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils I own, as well as tips for usage, read more…

Beauty Gala’s new feature column, “Beauty Encyclopedia” is your new how-to guide on beauty basics. Look for this column to contain helpful videos and tips on basic beauty principles and applications. To kick things off, we are going to show you how to properly apply false eyelashes. So many of my girl friends would love to wear false eyelashes but actually fear them! Beauty Gala is here to show you that anyone can apply and wear false eyelashes with great ease. To watch our how-to video, as well as read more tips, and see where you can buy the materials for this look, read more…

Spring makeup is all about looking light and airy. Pretty in Pastel is a makeup look using pastel lavender shades, with a contrasting violet outer corner. Note that for this look, I did not apply the darker color to the crease, but only the outer corner. I wanted this look to be fresh, pretty, and wearable, not overdone. This is the perfect look to wear for this Easter weekend, or even if you don’t celebrate Easter, to wear for the spring season. The cheeks are left alone, using only a highlighting powder, and a light contour. The lips have a light swipe of purple toned lipstick so that the eyes are the star of the show. To see a step-by-step pictorial on how to achieve these look, read more…