Foundation Stick Comparison: Bobbi Brown vs. Hourglass

I love the convenience and the idea of a stick foundation.  It's easy to travel with, you don't have to worry about it spilling and making a mess, and it can easily double as a concealer.  I currently have the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in my collection in the shade 4.5 Warm Natural.  Last week, I received a sample of the Hourglass Seamless Foundation Stick in my Play by Sephora subscription box in the shade Beige.  I was intrigued to see how the two compared since Bobbi's was the only one I had ever tried.

No face makeup

Left (bangs side): BB Skin Foundation Stick in 4.5
Right: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Beige

Foundation with loose setting powder, bronzer, and blush because I don't like to look dead

Top: BB
Bottom: Hourglass 

Here is what I noticed:

Shade
As you can see from the last picture, the shades 4.5 in BB and Beige in Hourglass are almost identical.  I also did half of my face with BB and half with Hourglass, and I couldn't tell any difference in either indoor or outdoor lighting.

Texture/Staying Power/Blendability
While the Bobbi Brown stick has a nice texture, the Hourglass variety is noticeably creamier and easier to blend.  The finish it provides is a bit more dewy versus what I get with the Bobbi Brown.  They both provided great coverage.  They both hold up well throughout the day, and neither of them seem to make my skin greasy after all day wear (keep in mind, however, that my skin is normal to dry).  Speaking of having normal to dry skin, neither of these foundations cling to dry patches or accentuate any dryness.  My preferred method of blending stick foundations is to use my fingers.  I think the warmth from my skin helps to blend stick foundations better than a brush or damp sponge.  When using a stick foundation, I don't typically use a concealer--I just blend the foundation under my eyes.  That is what I did in these photos.  I've mentioned before that the light and bright under eyes is not a good look for me, so I like to use something that matches my skin for that area.

Price
Perhaps the only drawback I can think of for both of these is the price.  Bobbi Brown's is $46 for 0.31 oz, and Hourglass's is $46 for 0.25 oz.  They are both high end brands, so a high price tag on these items is to be expected, but $46 is still more than I care to pay for a foundation (I purchased Bobbi Brown's during her friends and family sale in November when it was 20% off).

Final Thoughts
These stick foundations are very similar, and I love them both.  When looking at purchasing one over the other, Bobbi Brown's is a very slightly better value when you look at it from a mathematical perspective.  However, the difference in the amounts of product in each stick is so minimal that value is not a make it or break it point for me.  If I could only choose one, I would probably opt for the Hourglass stick.  I was impressed by its creaminess and blendability.  That being said, Bobbi Brown's is pretty great too.  One determining factor between the two may be shade selection if you're still unsure which one to buy.

That's all for today--please let me know if you've tried either of these, or if there are other stick foundations you prefer!

xoxo,

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

If you know me, you know that I love mascara.  The vast majority of mascaras I have tried are from the drugstore.  I think it's hard to justify the price of a higher end mascara when there are so many great ones at the drugstore.  My all-time favorite is L'Oreal Voluminous.  The original and carbon black are my favorite varieties.

I've read over and over that a cult favorite (and a top pick for makeup artists) is Maybelline Great Lash.  This stuff has been around forever.  It's likely that if you're reading this blog, you've tried Great Lash at some point in your life.  If you haven't tried it, you've most certainly seen it in stores.  It's impossible to miss with its iconic pink and green packaging.  I think I owned this back in middle school or high school when I was just getting into makeup, but it's been so long that I didn't remember anything about it.  I decided to try it again to see if it was really worth the hype.

 

Now, there are a few varieties falling under the Great Lash umbrella.  I ended up purchasing the original in dark brown (this was a mistake--I meant to buy black), but I decided to keep it and try it out anyway.  The first time I tried it, it didn't really do anything for me.  It's been my experience that mascaras usually need some time to dry out in order for them to do what I want them to, so I never judge a mascara on its first use.  I've now used it about four times, and I've decided that I am a fan of this stuff!

Three coats of Maybelline Great Lash mascara in dark brown (two coats on the bottom lashes)

I love the way it fluffs my eyelashes out.  Some of my lashes (especially on my left eye) tend to clump together with this mascara, but I am not someone who minds that because I can work with it to create volume.  I think it still gives decent separation, and I probably could have separated the lashes a little more if I spent more time here.  I did three coats on the top lashes and two on the bottom.  After having used it a few times, it's building pretty well as I layer it on.  I like to do one coat on my right eye, one on my left, a second on my right, a second on my left, etc in order to give it a little time to dry.  This technique works pretty well for me with any mascara.  Also, I love how soft my lashes feel with this stuff!  I'm really not surprised by that, though.  After all, one of its claims is that it "conditions while it thickens."

While L'Oreal Voluminous remains my favorite, I'm really happy I tried Maybelline Great Lash.  It exceeded my expectations; I didn't have high hopes for it.  I will definitely continue to use it and will likely purchase it again in the future (but in black).  I also love how inexpensive it is!  Ulta sells it for $5.99, but I was able to find it at Target for $4.49.

If you've used Great Lash, I would love to hear about your experience with it!

xoxo,