You need to know about NYX cosmetics, stat!

This cult US brand is causing a serious storm as it hits the UK. So here’s the low-down and the three products you need in your beauty stash...

I don't need to tell you that NYX (not NYC, although that’s easy mistake make, the font is a weeny bit awkward) is major right now. Twitter, vlogs, blogs and the beauty editor desks and enamoured with this trend-led affordable brand. So here's the down-low on the brand and why it's just so ace.

1. NYX was started in1999 by founder and beauty lover Toni Ko. Ko moved to the US from Korea aged 13 and at the age of 25 she started the NYX after seeing a gap in the market between luxury and mass market make-up brands.

2. She started by selling just eye pencils – the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil, in fact - and they generated $2million in their first year of sales alone. Impressive much?

3. NYX started out as a professional-only brand, sold at beauty trade shows. But as demand grew more and more people wanted to get their mitts on her pro-worthy products so they expanded to stores in the US.

4. Ko sold NYX to L'Oreal in 2014 (she's now in her 40's) but insists that the brand still remains true to its core values – being 100% cruelty-free and PETA certified.

5. The brand is named after the Greek goddess of the night and is actually pronounced ‘Nix’ - just so you know.

6. THANKFULLY (praise the Gods of beauty) NYX is now available in the UK at selected boots stores and Selfridges.

So finally, here are our top three picks from the UK stocks.

Don’t bother with those Kylie Lip Kits – grab one of NYX’s Lip Lingerie Lipstick’s, £6.50 instead for a veil of matte in several nude shades.

Looking for a non-sticky, creamy, sweet smelling lip gloss from heaven? You need NYX Butter Gloss, £5.

The NYX Mineral Stick Foundation, £10.50 comes in an impressive range of darker shades for a high-street brand! These sticks are also ideal for cream contouring.

And NYX has an awesome annual contest called Fine Artistry of Cosmetic Elites (FACE) awards and challenges vloggers to come up with certain themed looks for some seriously cool prizes! Here's Vlogger Patrick Starrr's 2015 entry because it's great, and we just LOVE him.

Anita is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years of experience on some of the UK’s biggest magazines. She explores beauty culture and questions the power that pretty privilege has over our lives, and has written a book on it called UGLY: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards (2023, Blink), which was serialised by The Guardian and Independent and featured by Vogue, Elle, and many more