Stick Foundation Showdown: L’Oreal Foundation Stick Vs. Maybelline Foundation Stick

Stick foundations have been around for a while, but in recent months they have become much more popular. I remember when Maybelline released their Fit Me Stick foundation and it was the first of its kind in the drugstore. Although I’m personally not a fan of that foundation, it started a trend. We’ve seen high-end brands create amazing stick foundations that completely upped the game. I mean, just look at the Hourglass Veil foundation. Heavenly, to say the least. But the affordable brands at the drugstore haven’t done much with stick foundations since the release of the Maybelline Fit Me stick foundation…until now. In the past few weeks, Maybelline and L’Oréal have released new stick foundation options, a welcomed change from the normal liquid foundations lining the drugstore makeup aisle. The Maybelline Superstay Multiuse Foundation Stick is brand new to the drugstore shelves, and the L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Stick Foundation is new to the Unites States but has been in the European market for a few months.

Stick foundations are great — they are perfect for travelling (no accidental spilling), are very easy to use, and are great to use for contouring using a shade darker than your skin tone. But how do these new stick foundations from Maybelline and L’Oréal fair? And how do they compare to each other? Which one should you choose over the other? Ladies and gentlemen, this calls for a Stick Foundation Showdown! I’ve compared these foundations and given them scores based on their performance, appearance, formula, etc. Let the games begin.

 

First Up: L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Stick Foundation

First let’s talk about some logistics. The packaging of the L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Stick Foundation is compact and sleek. It’s easy to throw in your makeup bag on the go. However, the shade range of this product falls short. With only 12 shades total, the shade range is lackluster.

Onto the application. I applied three swipes of the foundation on either cheek then a swipe on the chin, nose and forehead. I used a kabuki brush to buff the foundation in. I prefer using a brush to apply stick foundations instead of a beauty sponge to avoid losing any pigment. The L’Oréal foundation blends seamlessly and I get a light to medium coverage. Here’s what it looks like before and after. PS: For those of you who are going to hate on my skin, you can leave the site now. For everyone else, please continue reading. 🙂

before: 

after:

In order to get a bit more coverage and to see if it layers well, I apply just a touch more. The finish is very natural, and it blends seamlessly again. Overall, I love the way this foundation looks. It’s not too dewy, but not too matte. The wear test is where this foundation falls short. With concealer and powder on top, this foundation starts to break up around hour 6-7. So, it’s a good foundation to get you through your workday, but don’t expect to have flawless skin during happy hour after work.

 

Last, but Not Least: Maybelline Superstay Multiuse Foundation Stick

Logistics of the Maybelline Superstay Multiuse Foundation Stick: The packaging is slightly bigger than the L’Oréal foundation, but it’s still the same circumference. It features a small, angled “application sponge” on the opposite end of the product. I highly recommend not using this applicator. Use a brush or normal beauty sponge and you’ll be much happier. The packaging is still sleek and compact, though. For the shade range, it features 15 unique shades. Although more options than the L’Oréal foundation stick, I still think 15 shades just isn’t enough. And the Maybelline stick foundation includes .25 oz of product. That seems like quite a bit less than the L’Oréal one. Look at the comparison looking at the products completely.

I applied the same amount of foundation to my face as I did with the L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Foundation Stick — three swipes on either cheek and swipe on my chin, nose and forehead. I used the same kabuki brush (from E.L.F.) to buff on the Maybelline Superstay Multiuse Foundation Stick. First impressions were that it looked good. It was a touch dewier than the L’Oréal stick foundation, but not dramatically different. It gave about the same coverage as well. When I zoomed in and looked at my skin more closely, I noticed that it was clinging to dry patches on my skin and looked strange.

before:

after: 

I should also note that this foundation did not last very long on my skin before turning into an oily mess. It took maybe 5 hours before it looked pretty dang bad.

 

THE WINNER: L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Foundation

Although not perfect, the L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Foundation Stick won this showdown. Although they were similar in a few ways, the L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Foundation looked better on my skin and it looked better for longer. And you get more product. But L’Oréal, step up your shade range! I know you can do it, seeing as your True Match range has tons of color options. But regardless, L’Oréal Infallible Longwear Shaping Foundation Stick took the cake!

What are your favorite foundations? Do you like stick foundations? Let me know in the comments below! For more foundation reviews, head over to our Beauty page.

XO –

Annena