This product was sent to me by StyleKorean for review purposes. I was not paid for this post but please note that affiliate links are used on my blog. These go towards supporting Oh My Stellar and future content.
It’s been a while since I tried something new from 3CE but they’re one of my favourite kbeauty cosmetic brands (I’ve tried skincare from them too but, personally, I would stick to their makeup). They have been releasing a lot of colour based collections lately – most likely because their Mood Recipe line was so popular – and I’ve been loving the development of their packaging too.
When I was searching up some of their new products on StyleKorean, I saw that there was a new collection – the Easy Touch-Up Base Make-Up Edition, which is centred around easy-to-use formulas that work together to create a flawless base in the simplest ways. All of the packaging uses nude and blush shades and the range consists of foundation, concealer and two cheek palettes (contour and highlight).
Once again, this 3CE review will be split into two but, first off, I’ll be reviewing the Layer Covering Stick Foundation. As per the name, this is a stick foundation with a solid, balm type formula and a buffer brush on the other end. I personally really like this type of product, mostly because it’s so easy and quick to use, but there are many that don’t suit my skin type. In fact, even some raved about, top-selling stick foundations have not worked for me but instead, I found that kbeauty formulas work a lot better.
This is currently selling on StyleKorean for USD$17.60 (50% off from the full price of USD$35.20) so definitely jump on quick if you want to pick this up. Before that though, let’s get right into this review!
Product Description
This foundation stick claims to give high coverage and excellent adherence, gliding smoothly onto skin and melting in for easy and quick application (though I do beg to differ with some of this – which I will go into under Formula & Application). It comes in three different shades, all of which also have different colour coded tubes –
- Pink Ivory: Has an extra brightening effect on light skin tones
- Light Vanilla: Makes light skin tones look calm and even
- Natural Beige: A medium beige shade for a natural look
I would most likely compare this to pink and yellow undertone shade 21 and a shade 23. Once again, the colour range is pretty limited but this is quite typical for Korean brands. Considering that 3CE is a very trend-forward fashion inspired brand though (since it is owned by Stylenanda) and also because this is a base make up collection, I would hope that they took the lead in making it more inclusive – even if it’s just by broadening to shade 13 – 25).
Moving on from that, this foundation has four different selling points:
- Weightless and Seamless Finish: Thanks to the Technical Fitting System, this foundation delivers a finer and more seamless finish as it glides onto the skin, creating breathable and comfortable coverage all day.
- A Melting Formula: The soft formula instantly melts into the skin upon application while various pigment particles seamlessly adhere to the skin for strong and effective coverage on any imperefection.
- Easy and Quick Makeup: Dot this stick foundation around your face for your desired level of coverage, then dab all over your face for quick and fine base makeup. This foundation also comes with a built in brush (a mini-sized version of their #F20 Foundation Brush) for quick and easy touch ups.
- Soft Skin Condition: This foundation contains Centella Asiatica and Portulaca Oleracea extracts that help cultivate comfortable coverage with a skin-calming effect while featuring a gentle, UV protective formula (SPF27, PA++ – though this rating will change from country to country and is based off of Korea’s system).
Packaging
So, as I mentioned, I have been loving the development of the 3CE packaging – it’s still very simple and consistent across their range, but the use of colour is a great touch. For this stick foundation, each shade actually comes in a different colour unit carton and tube (which is somewhat colour coded to the undertone of the foundation). Since I have the lightest Pink Ivory shade, the packaging of this is a soft pink blush colour. I think the colour coding is a great idea and, whilst it’s unlikely that anyone will own multiple shades of this, this would be a great idea for their blush and highlight sticks too.
The Layer Covering Stick Foundation has a soft, matte finish tube that is made of a sturdy plastic. It’s lightweight and the quality production means that it can easily be carried around for touch ups (or travel) without any concerns for it scratching or breaking. The cap also clicks on well, so I don’t have issues with it opening.
The interesting thing about this is that the tube is designed so that the top is larger than the bottom. It’s only a small thing but I actually find it a bit distracting, especially since it also makes it harder to open single handed. The lower portion is where the dense, buffer brush sits – though I’m personally not a fan of this. I find that the bristles are too short to properly blend foundation (though it’s too bad if you want to conceal smaller areas for touch ups); when I try to do a full application with this brush, I actually get a wrist cramp haha. A smaller brush like this may also be harder to wash, though I haven’t tried to do that yet.
Formula & Application
I agree with most of the product claims for this Foundation Stick. This definitely has a super lightweight and comfortable finish, with fine pigmentation and a weightless formula that applies like a second skin. It has a semi-matte natural finish, which allows for a bit of a radiance to peek through but isn’t overly dewy – I personally like to powder over this, since I like matte finish foundations for my skin type. It is easy to use and to touch up with during the day.
That being said though, this is definitely not a ‘melting’ formula. Instead, I find that this foundation stick has a sticky texture at first and drags on skin (it isn’t creamy at all) so you need to apply a good amount of pressure for it to adhere. It would be difficult to properly dot over skin, so I prefer to streak it.
Once it’s on though, it really adheres and sets down relatively quick, so you need to use a good blending brush to even it out. The included buffer brush is hopeless for this. It is best to work with thin layers and then build up the coverage, as this will ensure the most natural application.
I would also consider this more of a light to medium buildable coverage. It’s not as intense as the description claims but instead evens out the overall skin tone. A concealer is needed on top if you have blemishes or dark circles that you want to cover but, personally, I like the light coverage so I have no complaints here.
Personal Experiences
Although this formula takes a bit more work to blend out and isn’t exactly as described (not ‘melting’ nor high coverage), I still really enjoyed this. This Foundation Stick lasted really well on my skin and, while I still got oily during the day, there was no caking and it faded naturally. It’s very lightweight and doesn’t emphasise texture at all, which may also be because I like to keep my application to a thin blended layer, though my suggestion is not to over-apply in the t-zone if you have enlarged pores. Although it doesn’t fill pores, using a minimal amount of product will help to even out the skin tone whilst minimising their appearance too.
Also, unlike a lot of other foundation sticks which tend to be more dewy and have a bit of a slip, this formula sticks to the skin very well. There’s very little transfer and I don’t have any problems with touching my face even at late afternoon. I think that this formula would suit combination and oily skin types (maybe dry skin types too but I can’t be the judge of that).
The only thing that I really don’t like about this foundation would be how it drags on the skin – I don’t have a video of the application (maybe I will do one for an IGTV video) but it’s quite sticky. This would be difficult to apply closer to the eyes, but I’m not a fan of putting it onto a brush first – as I feel like this doesn’t pick up enough product and often makes the ‘fast makeup’ process longer.
So, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A semi-matte finish foundation stick with included brush
THE GOOD
- Trendy, great quality packaging
- Colour coded tubes
- Decent price point (without the discount)
- Fine pigmentation and doesn’t emphasise texture
- Lightweight and feels like second skin
- No slip and minimal transfer if you touch your face
- Long lasting through the day
THE BAD
- That brush is really useless for initial application (okay for touch up)
- Sticky and drags on skin when applied directly
- Light to medium coverage (not high as promised)
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- SHADE RANGE | 3/5
- FINISH | 4/5
- ADHERENCE | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 4/5
- COVERAGE | 4/5 ( I personally prefer the light-medium coverage)
OVERALL RATING? 8/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
If you enjoy stick foundations but want something that isn’t heavy or too dewy on skin (especially if also like lighter coverage and semi-matte finishes) this is something that I would recommend as long as you are okay with how it initially applies. However, I would highly recommend having a different foundation brush to save yourself the wrist cramp while blending it out.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
I received the Layer Covering Stick Foundation from StyleKorean to review, so check out their website where this is currently on sale for USD$17.60 (on sale from USD$35.20)