CYO Cosmetics – NEW Boots Beauty Brand

When I featured a photo of these CYO Cosmetics products on my InstaStories, I had numerous messages asking me for more information on the brand, availability and quality – it created quite a stir so I couldn’t wait to dedicate a whole post to these CYO Cosmetics goodies as well as my thoughts on them too. CYO Cosmetics is a relatively new beauty brand, which appears to be a Boots owned brand from what I can see online. A fair few of the messages I received were asking me if this was the “new Seventeen” as Boots announced they were discontinuing the Seventeen brand.

I’ve used Seventeen ever since I first started wearing makeup at 13 so I was gutted when they announced it was going, but CYO Cosmetics looks like a great replacement as it’s a lot more modern. CYO have a pretty extensive range for a new brand, and everything is priced between £3.50 to £7.50 so let’s get started with the products I’ve been trialling for the past two weeks..

CYO Two Clever By Half Lipstick & Liner £5.50

“Luscious lips on the go… two in one, intense colour for instant shape and definition; wherever you are. A liner for bleed-free definition and a rich creamy lipstick for long lasting colour with a wet-shine finish.“

These are a dual-ended lipstick and lipliner in one which is unbelievably handy, and I don’t know why more brands don’t do them as it’s genius to have both your lipliner and lipstick in one especially for touch ups on the go and you know the shades are guaranteed to complement eachother.

They have a very cream wind up lip liner which is fully matte and very pigmented, and a glossy lip stain (rather than a lipstick) on the other end and the liner and lipstick match perfectly for the two shades I own; Big Idea (neutral toned red) and Blow Your Mind (blue toned neon pink – these photos don’t do the neon brightness justice). I like that you can wear the liner alone should you want a matte lip, the lipstick alone if you want a sheer yet glossy lip, or double up for a longlasting glossy lip which fades to a satin finish within two hours.

CYO Overnight Lip Primer Night Feed £4

“Moisturises, nourishes and smoothes your lips for perfectly prepped lip base. Fine lines reduced and ready to go… With Lanolin and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, known for moisturisation and a vanilla flavouring to get those lips primed and ready to pout…“

I don’t know why, but I don’t like the name of this product as an overnight lip primer doesn’t really make sense – it’s a lip balm which disappears overnight and doesn’t act as a primer so I feel the name is a little misleading. The tube has a slanted plastic tip and the balm dispenses through a small hole which you can apply directly with the slanted tip or apply some to your fingertip to apply to the lips; I prefer the latter.

It’s a white cream which I was worried would make my lips corpse-like, but once rubbed into the lips it doesn’t leave behind any colour or white cast. I didn’t expect very much from this £4 balm, I’m not sure why either. However it has really impressed me and is definitely my standout product alongside the eyeshadows below, as it leaves my lips amazingly soft and smooth upto 12 hours later so it’s not just a placebo effect – it does genuinely nourish the lips and is one of the best lipbalms under £5 I’ve tried.

CYO Crush On Metal Eyeshadow £4.50

“Metallics that go the distance. These iridescent shadows with added sparkle stay put for hours. Sheer in one sweep. And if you’re going deeper, layering does the job… Patented Italian tech and full of pearls, this formula gives shades of mega dimensional shiny that’s hard to find and here to stay...”

I love these eyeshadows. They have a wave like pattern within the pan which is reminiscent of the MAC Extra Dimension products and the KIKO Water Eyeshadows, and these shadows have the same almost cream-like consistency and rich pigmentation.

I find they’re best used with your fingertip for maximum payoff which isn’t a problem as I wouldn’t use a metallic shadow within my crease, but they take seconds to apply and I love the effect when worn alone or layered over other shadows. There are only five shades at present, which definitely needs to be extended as I need more but I currently own Cooeey! which is a metallic chocolate brown and Groupie a metallic silver.

CYO Cosmetics Sheen Sweep Cream Lipsticks £4

“Intense, vibrant colour with a satin finish; this lipstick is lightweight and gives even coverage in one sheen sweep! Feather and bleed free, with no chance of caking. Full of ingredients for ultimate comfort and conditioning, fragranced with cherry and vanilla coconut, for a truly sweet scent. Soft and smooth lips are yours for the taking…”

With a name like ‘Sheen Sweep Cream’ I assumed these lipsticks would be akin to a MAC Cremesheen lipstick in that they’d glide across the lips imparting both colour and shine, however the two shades I own are more matte than they satin. They feel a little stiff like a MAC Retro Matte, and need a couple of swipes for full opacity but the stiffness od the formula and matte finish lends itself well for staying power as they last at least six hours on me which is great for a £4 lipstick. Charm Offensive is a cool toned red whilst Wishing Well is a deep browny nude. Just like the MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks, these are a little drying so I’d recommend layering lipbalm underneath for maximum comfort during wear.

CYO Cosmetics Speaks Volumes Plumping Lip Gloss £5

“Plumper, fuller and more defined lips in an instant; lightweight gloss that has that ‘lip filler effect’. Fragranced with cherry and featuring menthol and menthe piperita oil for a tingly sensation that will gently plump lips to their full, with Aloe Barbadensis Leaf extract, Capsicum Frutescens fruit extract and glycine soja Oil known nourish and condition. Plumper lips has never been so easy…“

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’m a lip gloss fan so I’m always up for trying new glosses; especially when they’re only £5. There are only five shades to choose from which isn’t great, but I have Curtain Raiser a statement red which pairs well with the other two red lips within this collection. The gloss has a sheer wash of colour, and this swatch did take a few swipes in order to achieve enough pigmentation to showcase the shade so it’s good for layering or for when you want a hint of colour and shine to the lips without the opacity of a liquid lipstick.

CYO METALasting Shine Metallic Liquid Lipstick £6

“Why should eyes get all the attention? Give your lips some love too… Explosive metallic colour with effortless application. A silky smooth formula with added Vanilla fragrance. Pout perfect for up to 12 hours…“

I really have tried to embrace the whole metallic liquid lip trend but sadly it’s not for me so this isn’t one I’d wear alone as it’s just too 80’s for my liking. This particular shade can be used to create an ombre effect to the lips as it’s a metallic rose gold colour which I like to add to the centre of my lips when wearing nude shades. Again the shade range isn’t great with just five shades but here’s hoping CYO Cosmetics will extend their shade ranges in the near future across all of their products.

So they are my thoughts on these new CYO Cosmetics products. I’d love to know if you’ve tried anything from the brand yet? Let me know in the comments below..

All products featured on Gemma Etc. are PR samples or gifted items, unless otherwise indicated. This post may contain affiliate links. If you wish to find out more, please see my Disclaimer within my navigation bar.