Stick foundations was relatively new in the market when I first started doing makeup in 2004, and I always opted for liquid foundation (First of all, it looked cooler to have more bottles in your kit. Hee-hee). I first started using stick foundations when I started to travel for makeup gigs. I had to downsize my makeup kit, and transfer my liquid foundations to lightweight plastic dispensers.

Then years later, I had to move on to airbrushing to keep up with the times, and had long forgotten how much I loved stick foundations. Until recently.

Fashion 21 Perfect Stick Cream Foundation, PhP 195.00/each

Cream foundations now come in pans and are actually quite hard to apply. You need a spatula and a palette to scoop out the product. Sticks are really the easiest way to go specially when you want to bring foundation everywhere you go.

I had a request from one of my subscribers on how to highlight and contour using cream foundation but ones that I had were all in pans. I wanted to show her how to apply using stick foundations which is basically the easiest to use. So I went to Fashion 21 in SM and went from counter to counter and tried on different brands until I found "the one". This is "the one".


The beauty consultant told me that it is their latest formulation (but not the newest), and it comes in 3 very versatile shades that would cover most (I didn't say all) Asian skin tones. I love that they are not pinkish.

I don't like cream to powder finishes, I think they look dry and very chalky, but this one glides on smoothly and sets very creamy and natural. Lasting power is very good, but I did get oily more than usual on my nose after about 3 hours of wear... But that's ok, that gives me an excuse to use my overly-stashed oil blotting papers! LOL

It's very easy to blend, most specially with a stippling brush or a buffing brush, and it looks even better when set with loose powder. How great it smells is just a plus. Some people don't like the smell, but I think it smells like a spa.

It has a lot of great qualities, coverage is full and can conceal imperfections easily. I think this foundation will be one of my staples in my pro kit for travel makeup jobs. I just wish they had more shades to choose from.

I got the lightest and the darkest that they had for my highlighting and contouring tutorial. As you can see, the lightest shade seem to blend with my skin, but the insides of my forearm is a lot whiter than my face. So that is definitely perfect for highlighting. So maybe I'll go back to SM or Landmark and try the middle shade. Hmm...

I would definitely recommend this product to women who are on a budget but would like quality cosmetics. I love that this formula is not too oily neither is it too dry. It has the perfect formulation. I can't wait to tell my workshop participants this Saturday about it!

The verdict? LOVE IT!

PRO TIP: Use it only on areas you need coverage and as thin as you possibly can apply it. Buff it in circular motions blending towards your hairline with a buffing brush. Set it with a sheer layer of loose powder, and the finish will be smooth and flawless.