One thing that can be quite frustrating, is how dramatically my skin changes from season to season. It’s desert dry in the winter, and combination-oily in the summer. Not only do I have to change my moisturizer to something lighter, but I need some extra oil-absorbing touch-up products throughout the day. Lately I’ve been trying out the Nip + Fab Shine Fix ($9.95 USD / $12.95 CDN), and let me say- this summer is going to be a lot less…shiny.

The Packaging

The mattifying gel comes packaged in a simplistic white tube with blue detailing (as I’ve mentioned before with the Nip + Fab line, blue usually means “face” and green means “body”).  It has a tiny squeeze tip applicator so you can control how much product you need. It’s a sleek, thin tube, so it’s totally purse or pocket friendly!

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

The Product

This product is solely meant to reduce shine and give a more smooth, airbrushed finish to the skin.  While it is meant to control oil throughout the day, I think of it more as a touch-up product simply because I think it works better than way.  It contains an astringent to absorb excess oil and tighten pores, so your skin looks super fresh and matte.

My favorite way to use it is when I start seeing some oil slicks showing up (this usually happens around noon if its a hot day).  I put about a pea-sized amount between my fingers, rub them together and lightly pat it all over (concentrating on my nose, inner cheeks, chin and forehead…basically the T-zone).  It removes the shine so easily and perfectly, its like magic!  The only downside is that the effects don’t last all day (which is why I prefer it to touch-up rather than trusting it as an anti-shine primer).  It has a quite strong scent though, it almost smells like camphor a bit… which I don’t like, but it disappears quickly and makes my skin feel quite refreshed so I don’t mind.  If you have really oily skin, I would recommend using a powder-free blotting sheet (like the ones from Clean & Clear) to remove excess oil. Then apply this mattifying gel, then top it off with a layer of blotting powder.  This really helps to keep your skin fresh and matte for much longer than the gel alone.

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Before & After

Bare, shiny skin

After Using Nip + Fab Shine Fix

Ingredients

Nip + Fab Shine Fix Ingredients

Summary

• Price: $9.95 USD / $12.95 CDN for 0.5oz / 15mL
• Availability: Target & Various Drugstores
• Selection: This one shade suits all
• Overall: I’m so happy I found this shine fighter- not only is it inexpensive and easily accessible, but it works really well! It may not be the best primer to prevent oil slicks, but it sure works well at absorbing oil and tightening pores throughout the day. The scent may put off those who don’t like fragrance in their skincare products though.
• Rating: A-