Ever had those days where you hardly had any sleep the night before and you've pressed the snooze alarm one too many times, giving you less than 10 minutes to get ready? Well, that's my everyday situation and most days, that's alright but some days, I have a presentation or something fancy to attend and my naked face won't cut it. That's where stick foundations come in to save the day (and my face)! The two that I tested are the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick and the Missha M Flawless Stick Foundation. Keep on reading to see which I think is better!
THE BREAKDOWN
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in 2.5 Warm Sand; $44usd for 0.31oz/9g ($141.94usd per oz); 24 shades available
When the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick was reformulated, there was a lot of uproar in the beauty community. One complaint was that it no longer provided the full coverage that many had to come to love. I never tried the original foundation so my thoughts are based solely on the reformulated version. Needless to say, Bobbi Brown definitely knew what she was doing. I was hesitant about giving it a try since stick foundations can feel heavy and pore-clogging but this is so lightweight! I can feel it on but it isn't any heavier than a moisturizer on my skin. It's forgiving on flakey skin but it doesn't mask them completely. I like to use one layer all over and then spot conceal around any trouble spots. Coverage is what I'd consider medium-full: redness, hyperpigmentation marks, and active blemishes were banished but it didn't cover my dark circles well. Without primer, I get a naturally dewy finish that really does look like skin! On my skin, this gets oily within 1 hour. For reference, my skin is normal to dry on my forehead and cheeks but oily on my t-zone. Within 5 hours of wear, the foundation started breaking down in my oily spots. My forehead and cheeks looked oily but the foundation stayed intact. By the end of the day (10 hours total), most of the foundation has rubbed off, redness is showing, and my face was just a mess. This was all tested with no touch ups, primer, or powder. If you have oily skin, I would highly recommend a mattifying primer and blotting powder/sheets to keep the oil at bay. Drier skin would love this foundation!
Besides from the wear time, this foundation applies smoothly without dragging on my skin. It doesn't set right away, giving me lots of time to blend and apply more as needed. Blending with my fingers is my preferred method as it's quick and doesn't reduce coverage. The metal packaging is sleek and the swivel is smooth. I can't detect a scent which is a plus for sensitive skin. The best part is that it comes in 24 shades, ranging from Alabaster to Espresso. Most shades lean yellow which is perfect for my skintone and for reducing the look of redness. One thing to note was that my face felt itchy towards the end of the day and I got a bunch of red spots--not sure if it was the foundation or the primer since I had been wearing them separately with other products and didn't have problems before. The mattifying primer I used was the Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector.
Missha M Flawless Stick Foundation in #23; $12.60usd for 0.42oz/12g ($30usd per oz); 2 shades available
When I saw this foundation, it reminded me so much of the Bobbi Brown that I had to get it. Considering that it's leagues more affordable than the BBSFS, it would be a great alternative. I quite like it! Similarly to the BBSFS, it applies and blends smoothly with my fingers. Brushes tend to sheer the coverage a bit and not something I want to be using when I'm pressed for time. The sparkly black plastic packaging is slightly larger than the BBSFS and the swivel is not as smooth. I think the packaging has changed to a white exterior but I think the product remains the same. Coverage is decent but it doesn't seem to mask the redness as well as the BBSFS. It does however, contains SPF 30/PA++; it can be a good or bad thing depending on how you wear it but it's a plus in my book! The floral scent can be off-putting for some but I quite enjoy it and haven't had problems with it. The finish is more luminous than the BBFS but it's less forgiving on dry, flakey skin. On my skin, it didn't get oily as quickly as the BBSFS but I did need to bring a blotting powder with me throughout the day.
Shade 23 is the darker of the two offered. Going off the online swatches, it had the most yellow in it. Even then, it leans more peachy in person, giving a brightening effect on my skin. If I layer too much, it can come off looking chalky on my very yellow skin. The limited shade range is the biggest detractor of this line.
THE SWATCH
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| Swatch heavily (left) and slightly blended (right) |
THE LOOK
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| Missha M Flawless Stick Foundation -- 23 |
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| Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick -- 2.5 Warm Sand |
THE BOTTOM LINE
Out of the two, I prefer the Bobbi Brown. The most important thing to me is color match because I don't want it to look as if I'm wearing foundation, ya know? The Missha is great in terms of price and performance but the color mismatch was the dealbreaker for me. The price difference is nothing to scoff at and I can make the Missha work but as summer rolls around, the peachiness makes it more difficult for me to pull off with a tan. Bobbi's might not work out either but with a little bronzer, I can make it work.
WHERE TO BUY
What are some of your favorite stick foundation formulas?
Do you prefer stick over liquid?
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