You know how some products are like a slow burn? They look ‘meh’ to you at first, but then as you go along and use it, it suddenly wriggles and nestles itself into your routine. This is how I feel about the By Terry Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation.
At first, I was a little scornful of it.
“Here is another gimmick product!” I thought during the product launch a few months ago. Not content with just making a stick foundation, By Terry has made it dual-function. Half of the stick is a foundation, and the other half is a highlight.
“Won’t all that shine make me look like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz?” I wondered to myself. It would have been rude to voice it, I think 😛
However, as it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
The foundation stick is split into two, if you look at it from the top.
Pictured here is shade No. 1 Fair Beige, which is my shade. There are 10 shades available. For the 5 fairer shades, the highlight side is the same pale champagne gold. For the 5 deeper shades, the highlight is a pale peachy shade.
The foundation side is a satin-matte texture, and feels creamy when swiped on the skin, which is nice. It’s never nice to have something dry tug on the skin.
But the biggest issue that faced me when trying to use this foundation stick was this – how do you use just one side?
The size of the tube is quite small, as you’ll see in the picture below, and that makes it hard to use either side on its own. Not impossible, but more difficult.
So I did what was most practical – I just swiped using both sides of the stick. My fear was that I’d look like the Tin Man, but as it turned out, using both sides of the foundation stick gives skin an interesting glow.
This is what it looks like when I swatch it on my skin. No. 1 Fair Beige is a slightly more pink-toned shade. The next shade up, No. 2 Neutral Beige was too deep and warm for me.
The coverage of the foundation is medium at best. You can build it up a little, but only if you are careful to use just the foundation side. If you use both sides, you can risk looking a bit more shiny than you like.
The highlight side is a pale champagne without as much shimmer in it, as I expected. It is very fine, and dare I say, rather subtle shimmer.
If you look at the picture where I’m holding it, you will see a sponge applicator on the bottom of the foundation stick. Apparently, it is there, so you can use it to blend the foundation on your face.
Practically, I say it’s just a useless piece of crap 😛 It will get dirty and grimy and there is no way at all to clean it. So, the majority will not use it. Also, it is rather small, so it will take you a day and a half to blend the foundation all over your face 😛
Stick to your beauty blender sponges, if you use them, or your brushes, or if you’re lazy like me, use your fingers 😀
Yep, I blend the foundation in using my fingers. I just draw a few lines on my face, and then blend them in. I don’t put very much, and the creamy texture allows you to blend it quite smoothly.
What I particularly like is that the blend of the foundation and highlight delivers just enough glow and coverage, that this Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation makes for a nice under-eye concealer and brightener! 😀
Even when I don’t use it as my foundation, I sometimes like dabbing just a little under my eye area, and blending it out. It offers just enough coverage and just enough brightening, without looking too made up. Just very natural.
For an approximation of how this foundation looks when I wear it, here is a before-after picture. As per usual, I have brightened and tweaked contrast but have not otherwise touched it up in any way.
I did not put very much. Just 2 lines on each cheek, one down my nose, one on the forehead and a dab on the chin. I then blended it out with my fingers.
The coverage is medium, but I do like how it has erased the tiredness around my eyes, and seems to add a glow to my skin. It isn’t garish or glittery. It isn’t a shine you can see from the Moon.
But, and here’s what made it so hard to take the ‘after’ photo, it looks really really nice in photos! For some reason, the blend of the foundation and the highlight photographs well, so your skin looks all lovely with a soft-glow effect 🙂 By Terry wasn’t kidding when they promised the “Camera-ready flawless effect” because it really does give you that effect in photos!
Here’s a more complete photo after putting on the rest of my makeup. I have not used any additional concealer or powder for base. I’ve added brows (Excel), some eyeshadow that you cannot see, a touch of bronzer from the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar palette, a touch of peach-pink blush and the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm.
I find it holds up fairly well in our heat and humidity, and in my case (normal-dry skin) it does not sink into my pores or lines.
There are only 2 drawbacks for me – the price, and the scent. It is lightly fragranced with an odd perfumed scent, which thankfully dissipates. But it’s not pleasant to me. And as for price, well, this is By Terry after all – it’s not cheap!
IN A NUTSHELL
The By Terry Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation is a dual-sided stick foundation, with a creamy satin-matte foundation on one side, and a highlight on the other. You can use it separately, or as is easier with these things, to just blend them together as you swipe it on your skin. I like that the coverage is not too high, and it feels very lightweight on skin. The blend of the foundation with the highlight gives skin a glow that does not look too bling, and if you love taking photos, it looks AMAZING in photos! I also like how I can use this as a concealer-cum-brightener for the under-eye area to erase tiredness. It really is a surprise hit for me.
PROS:
Easy to blend with just fingers
Creamy texture feels lightweight on skin
Light to medium coverage
Highlighter is not too shiny
Foundation and highlight side blend on skin with a natural glow
Makes you look amazing in photos
CONS:
Pricey
Perfumed
Some people might find the highlight side too shiny
May not work well on oily skin types
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants to look flawless in photos
PRICE: RM229 | £40 | US$48 for 8.5g
WHERE TO BUY: Ken’s Apothecary stores and website, SpaceNK, Cult Beauty
For those interested in the ingredients, here is the ingredient list for the By Terry Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation. I usually provide ingredient lists for foundations because it covers a wider surface area of the face, and some people are sensitive to ingredients that way 🙂
Ingredients: Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Myristyl Lactate, C12-15 Alkyl Ethylhexanoate, Hexyl Laurate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Mica, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Dimethicone, Myristyl Alcohol, Ceresin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Silica, Polyethylene, Cera Microcristallina / Microcrystalline Wax / Cire Microcristalline, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Stearyl Dimethicone, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Lauryl Peg/Ppg-18/18 Methicone, Phenoxyethanol, Octadecene, Parfum / Fragrance, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Ci 77491 / Iron Oxides, Ci 75470 / Carmine, Isostearyl Alcohol, Tin Oxide, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Eugenol, Bht, Coumarin, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ci 77492 / Iron Oxides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Stearyl Dimethicone, Synthetic Beeswax, Ceresin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cera Microcristallina / Microcrystalline Wax / Cire Microcristalline, Mica, Polyethylene, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Octadecene, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Ci 77491 / Iron Oxides, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Parfum / Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Bht, Eugenol. (T32212A1)
Have you tried this By Terry Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation or anything similar?
I usually wear my makeup for day-to-day wear and I was quite happy with this. But it wasn’t until I had to take photos that I went “Oh my! Dayem, I think I look good!” LOL! 😀 Do you know of anything similar?
Paris B
A detailed review, Paris but I’m happy sticking with my good old liquid foundation as I am only familiar with that. Jan Iredale’s Glow Time BB cream has served me well for several years now, rather sheer, definitely not for the camera…LOL.
Haha liquid foundation is fine and that’s usually my foundation of choice too! I have my faves too but it’s always nice to explore outside the box 😉
Great review Paris!
I need to give this foundation a go-go 🙂 I’ve never tried a By Terry foundation before, so this looks like a good start.
Why can’t companies realise and learn that an applicator attached to a foundation is a STUPID idea??? It doesn’t make sense!!! Revlon released a foundation with an applicator sponge recently also *ugh…
I’ve tested another By Terry foundation in a tube, but I find it too drying. Wasn’t too impressed with their bases till now (although they generally get a lot of raves). I guess they think they’re doing us a favour by giving an applicator, never mind that it’s too small or too impractical LOL! I’d much rather they left it alone, but I guess they have to justify their prices one way or another? 😛
Haha thank you for your easy-to-understand and honest review. I’m from Singapore so in terms of weather factor I can trust your review ?
Hi Emma, glad you found it useful! And yes, it’s always helpful to look for a product review from a country with similar weather – at least that way, you know if it works (or doesn’t!) But also note skin type of the person reviewing!