PYT Beauty: a no bs review

I have such an exciting brand to talk about today! I have a couple of design aesthetics that I gravitate toward: minimalist and sleek (think Chanel, MAC, Kjaer Weis) and completely out there packaging with well thought out design elements and little details (Pat McGrath). I generally prefer all packaging to be functional, but can make exceptions for someone like Pat McGrath, whose packaging is like a work of art.

PYT Beauty falls somewhere in the middle. It’s one of those functional brands, but with beautifully thought out details. I noticed how cool their packaging was when I first saw them, but they are so much more than that.

I received a few PYT beauty products to try, and I have some thoughts I can’t wait to share. (I’m not being paid or sponsored. I just received the products and I have a lot of good things to say!)

A little bit about the brand – they are a new brand that just launched this past July, and their story is beauty without BS (bad stuff). They wanted to create makeup that was clean*, high performance, designed for on the go, and affordable.

Note: I’ve said this before, but “clean” beauty is not my niche. I don’t fully buy into the claims of clean beauty, so any products I use that are “clean” are really because I like the product and not because of its clean classification and therefore will not be speaking much about it.

Check, check, and check. I need all of those in my life. Let me tell you, I love having a huge makeup collection with gorgeous products that I can stare at, but the reality is, 3-4x a week, I’m applying makeup out of a bag in a locker room at the gym before I run to work. I need makeup that is portable and travel friendly, yet still gives me options because I am decidedly not a makeup minimalist. I admire all those women who swipe on some blush and mascara and are good to go (i.e. most women at my gym), but I’m one of those crazy women who love a heavy lifting session (another story, another day), followed by a full makeup routine.

What I appreciate the most about PYT Beauty is the price range. It seems like products with the “clean” rating automatically have inflated prices, but not for PYT beauty. The eyeshadow palette is a cool $28, and the blushes and highlighters are $22 each. They’re not drugstore prices, but way more affordable than I thought they would be, and just as high performing as my more expensive brands.

Right now, the line includes an eyeshadow palette, a few blushes and highlighters, a brow pencil, and mascara. They are available at Anthropologie, Ulta, and at some beauty boutiques, like Ivy. Wild. in Washington, DC.

What I’m saying is, right from the first time I saw the No BS Eyeshadow Palette, I knew it would be an essential for my gym bag. It’s a small compact about the size of a phone, and it comes packed with 8 shades. The packaging is made of a sturdy plastic with a slight rubberized feel, and has little inspiring quotes on the inside. The outside has some graphic elements that I love that just add the extra touch.

Fun fact, the design company that made the packaging is based out of DC and also designed material for some of my favorite restaurants and cafes like Cava.

Because the founders knew our matte highlight and shimmer highlight were our most used shades, those two pans are much bigger. They even work as undereye setting powder and a cheek highlight for me.

The other shades lean neutral-cool, and has a range of midtone and deeper shades to really give you looks for any situation.

• Now (Coffee Run) is a light matte nude with pink undertones
• Daytrip is a cool matte tan shade, perfect for the crease
• Nonstop is a deep matte gray-brown
• Later (Happy Hr) is a shimmery neutral taupe
• Rooftop is a shimmery olive gold
• 2:02am is a shimmery plum

What really surprised me was how pigmented these shades are. The shimmers are like Urban Decay levels of pigmentation, and the mattes are kind of like the Chanel mattes from the most recent collection – buttery, pigmented, and so easy to blend.

I found that the shades work well for my skin tone, but I wish it were a little more warm toned, especially the matte shades. The deep gray brown almost comes off as gray for me, which can make me look a little ashy if I’m not careful. I really hope they come out with a warmer palette at some point. Other than that, I can definitely create a full day look and touch up for an evening look and get complete looks for both. The eyeshadows also last through a full work day, and then some, with no problem.

I think the depth of tones could work for many skin tones, but I hope that in addition to a warmer palette, they include base and transition shades that will also cater to darker skin tones, since the base and transition here seem designed for fair and medium skin tones.

The Heart Beat Cheek Color and Upgrade Highlighter are also really great products. These both have a softer, more sheer pigmentation than say, MAC or Becca, but that makes them really easy to wear for every day.

They both come in three shades that again, seem catered to light and medium skin tones. I only have one shade of each, and they show up fine for me, but they would be quite subtle and someone a little darker than me. I hope the range also expands to include deeper and brighter shades to suit people with deeper skintones.

The packaging on these are also full of nice details. The blushes have little gray dots on the outside packging, while the highlights have little white dots on the outside. This little details helps out SO mucb because I can tell right away if I’m reaching for a blush or highlight.

I have the blush in Hustle, a rose shade with just a touch shimmer. It applies sheerly, although it can be built up a little bit. It’s a great blush for when I just want something easy and neutral. It’s the type of blush I’d pick up if i were running late for work (so, everyday).

I have the highlight in Front Row, a golden champagne. It is the deepest shade, and works well for my medium skin tone. It has pretty good intensity – it’s somewhere between subtle and intense. Not quite as dramatic as a Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector, but more intense than something like the Essence highlighters.

Both the blush and highlight also last really well for me.

As you can tell, I am very impressed with everything about PYT Beauty, and I would happily purchase everything with my own money. (In fact, I was already planning on it when they reached out to me). Everything from the outer cardboard to the compact to the product inside. The design is sleek and beautiful, the products are functional and high quality, and I don’t cry for my wallet thinking how much these products cost.

If you’re like me and are constantly on the go, but still embrace that #maximalist life, this brand is the way to go.

If you need a bit of an incentive, they’ve provided me with the code “beautyunhyped10” for 10% off your purchase on the PYT Beauty site. (I earn nothing from this code!)

I’d love to hear if you’ve tried out PYT Beauty yet!

As always, thanks for reading. If you made it through this whole caffeine induced haze, I applaud you.