So let me start with I had definite reservations about the NYX Blush in Cinnamon. I love orange (especially red leaning or tangerine) on my cheeks with a light hand but I had seen really inconsistent reviews on this blush. If you look at this post from Corallista it looks much fairer & definitely softer. I’d seen it in the store & it didn’t look to be that shade at all! Was it a case of those dreaded ULTA lights? Maybe not… Because then I checked on this review from Coffee & Makeup & it looked much more like the tangerine shade I had spotted. I did note that both reviews had a year or more between them, perhaps the shade/texture/formula went through a change? Obviously I wasn’t sure what I was going to end up with! Keep reading to see my thoughts & review!

NYX Blushes come packaged in black plastic packaging with a clear window on top so you can see which shade you’re reaching for. It isn’t bad packaging but it also doesn’t feel like it is high quality either. You get 4 grams of product. I’ve seen a lot of people depot these & if I ever develop enough of a love or collection of them I would probably do the same. The pan inside is relatively flat.

Inside the blush has a raised pyramid quilt. It is pretty & I like this a lot. The shade itself is described as a “matte bright orange” but I don’t think it is quite right. This swatches slightly satin which isn’t a bad thing. It looks really nice & probably blends better because of this. On the ULTA website (& all the other retailers I found) this shade appears way more tangerine & bright. I have no idea why. It is definitely more orange with some pink with slightly warm tones. The pictures are a bit brighter than it is in real life & more orange.

The swatch on the left is with my finger & on the right is blended out a bit. You can see if gives a nice flush & actually looks a bit more hot coral when blended out. This really rocks my fair skin…in a great way.

I don’t know if the formula/shade changed but I really like what I have. I bought this on ULTA when it was on sale which I highly recommend. They frequently do Buy One Get One 50% off or 40% off all NYX here & there. It blends nicely & doesn’t look plastic-y on the skin like some oranges. I was afraid it was going to be powdery & it wasn’t that either. The wear time isn’t phenomenal but that’s what summer is to me. I really like this with a cream blush base to amp up wear time & to play with color combos a bit.

I haven’t been very impressed with the NYX products I’ve bought so far but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. This has me willing to jump in & try some more. Do you have any recommendations? Any shades in particular?