I will readily admit that I am nary a fan of 2-in-1 products.
Not to be confused with multitaskers, I’m specifically talking the age old marketing trope of the 2-in-1. A hybrid. While I love a lip product on the cheeks, a bronzer through the eye socket and a lip balm as a highlighter, I have never been one for shampoo/conditioner combos, lip to cheek tints et al. In most cases, and something I’ve lamented time and time again on this website, dual purpose beauty products do one job well and one job very, very poorly.
Until now.
A 2-in-1 highlighter and foundation, By Terry’s Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation has changed the way I apply my makeup. It has affected my approach to foundation, my application process and my skin finish preferences.
I have never favoured stick foundations as a texture nor delivery mode, matte as a skin finish nor a sponge as a method of application, however the Nude-Expert Duo Stick has brought me ’round on all three. This is the ultimate “your skin, but better” foundation. Despite usually erring towards highly fluid, dewy, sheer coverage formulas, high shine never truly looks like skin. This foundation almost mimics both the texture and natural finish of a bare complexion and, despite buildable coverage, feels almost undetectable to the touch (a luxury my regular fluid foundations don’t afford me as they often have quite a lot of tack to them).
The key to this mimicry lies within the highlighter half of the foundation. When applied to the skin directly from the stick and blended with the built in sponge, the highlighter blends seamlessly with the foundation for a radiant finish- a texture akin to satin, rather than a flat matte. The effect is that of a lit-from-within glow, with the subtle shimmering pigments within the highlighter working to attract and deflect the light to almost blur the surface of the skin.
Another way in which this foundation has changed the way I apply my makeup comes courtesy of the sheer number of ways you can use the product. I use my finger to isolate the highlighter and apply it to the high planes of my face to impart a dew over the skin, I’ve used a shade lighter than my skin tone to draw light towards the centre of my face, and I’ve applied a darker shade beneath the cheekbones and around the perimeters of my face for a subtle contour (for reference, I’ve been working with shades 4 Rosy Beige, 5 Peach Beige and 9 Honey Beige).
I’ve long spoken of my love for a beauty product that can disrupt me enough to break a beauty pattern, and this foundation follows suit. Revolutionary in both finish and formula, By Terry’s Nude-Expert Duo Stick has changed the way I apply my foundation.
This post is sponsored by By Terry however all views are, as always, my own.
