Monday, March 11, 2013

Review on Benefit Foundation Play Stick

Hi Everyone!

For those of you in southern California, did you feel the earthquake?! Haha, it happened a little before 10am, so if you weren't up, then you didn't feel it. I was in my lab office and it shook a little. =P

Anyway, today I am reviewing the Benefit "Play Sticks" Foundation Stick
This product costs $36. I bought it 2 years ago so it was around $32 for me. It contains 0.3 oz or 8.5 grams of product and can be found at Ulta, Sephora, or online.
It is supposed to be a cream to powder foundation stick that helps promote a healthy complexion while giving natural-looking coverage with a satin-matte finish.

What do I think of this product?
Even though I've had this foundation stick for a long time (2 years!), I rarely use it because I just don't use foundation that often. Also, I have a couple problems with this foundation, which is why I do not use it at all now. However, I think it's past due for a review! XD

This foundation does not irritate or redden my sensitive skin. I have the color "Spin the Bottle" which is too light for my face currently, and I would probably go for "Paper Doll" if I had to buy it again. It does have a fragrance, like an old-fashion perfume smell, which I would be happier without. But it isn't too strong and does not irritate my skin or eyes, so it's okay. I would say that this foundation gives light to medium coverage. The color is quite strong and pigmented so I do not build up or apply more than one layer of foundation.
I believe there are currently only 4 colors in stock and the color "Jax" is not available anymore. The majority of these colors are on the lighter side with a warm undertone. Therefore, if you have a cool undertone or darker skin color, this is probably not the right foundation for you.
This is a cream stick foundation. Even though it is a cream formula it does not feel or look heavy or thick during application. The texture is emollient and easily slides across the skin making it easy to apply and blend. Because it is so emollient, it may feel a little sticky during application but it will definitely not feel greasy or give you a shiny oily appearance. After that it quickly dries to a powder finish.
However, the big problem with this foundation for me is that it tends to over dry or become more powdery on patches on my face in the cheek area. It is supposed to dry to a powder finish giving a satin look however, it looks partially or randomly dried on my face. This makes ugly dry patches of powdery foundation on my face. On the the rest of the face, it does dry to a powder finish gives a satin finish. However, that doesn't solve the problems of dry foundation patches on my skin. =/
Another problem is that even though this covers up spots, redness, and blemishes on my skin, it makes my little pimple bumps stand out even more. Basically, it will even out my skin tone and complexion but all the bumps on my face become suddenly easier to see and are more pronounced. I am not sure why this happens, but it makes my acne look worse than it really is. =(

I have read many reviews on this foundation stick and it seems to work pretty well for most people. Perhaps it is because of my combination skin that this foundation dries in patches on my cheeks, but I really don't know. Though one of my best friends also has the same problems as me when using this foundation and she is Asian too...so...maybe it doesn't work for Asian skin as well? Don't know. Not great evidence from just 2 people's stories. But it's just a thought. =P

Anyway, because of these issues I have with this foundation I would not buy it again and I also don't use it anymore. I do somewhat regret buying something pricy that I won't use, however, I bought this when I was just starting to learn about makeup and this was recommended to me by someone working at Ulta. I just took her word for it without doing any research or trying it out, so my fault in the end. =P

Here are a few swatches of the foundation:

I know that the foundation looks really yellow on my arm and hands, but in reality, my face is more yellow and has a yellow undertone and my arms and hands have a pink undertone.


 There is a blended swatch on the upper forearm area and a swatch on the lower arm area.


There is a blended swatch on the left side of my hand and a normal swatch on the right side of my hand.

Do I recommend this product?
Hmm...from my personal experience I do not recommend this product. However, you are free to go to Ulta or Sephora and try it out in stores before making your final decision. Maybe this product may work better for you if you do not have combination skin and if your skin is oily.
It can be expensive for foundation, but as long as it works for your skin and does not harm it, I would say go for it. Because this is your skin we're talking about! I make sure to buy good quality concealers and foundations because they directly touch my skin and I do not want bad side effects.

So I hope this review helped you! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below. Thank you for reading and I will talk to you later! =)

Oh yeah, finals are next week for me, so I will be MIA for a bit, but when they're over, it is spring break! And I will have a lot of time to post reviews, videos, etc. =D

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