I’ve never been a huge fan of stick foundations. The first foundation I ever owned was a stick of Australis foundation, which was the consistency of cement and the colour of terra-cotta. I used to plaster this goo all over my face every day in an attempt to cover my teenage visage, which was littered with clusters of pimples and red blotches. Ironically, this practice did nothing but draw attention to my blemished face, and blocked my pores worse than ever. You can probably understand from this experience why I was hesitant to try another stick foundation.

My favourite makeup artist at Benefit suggested that I give the Playstick a go. I forked out the $34 for my stick and reluctantly took it home, dragging with me the nagging feeling that I might be about to experience a case of Buyer’s Remorse.

 

The Benefit Playstick has changed the way that I think about stick foundation. I expected the texture to be cakey and the coverage to be thick. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Playstick foundation glides on easily and blends beautifully into the skin. It has a lightweight feel and it’s easy to forget that you’re wearing it. The Playstick is a full-coverage foundation, which is perfect for full-makeup looks or evening makeup. It gives really good coverage and evens out the skin tone while remaining smooth. The only thing that I wasn’t thrilled about was the fact that the foundation stays quite greasy after you’ve blended it. You really do need to add a light dusting of translucent powder over the top of your base to set the foundation, or else it will rub off on everything.

 

You don’t need to apply a lot of the foundation to get good coverage. I usually paint a little dot on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin right from the tube and then buff it into my skin using a foundation brush.

The Playstick foundation lasts pretty well. I find that if I apply it in the morning, it will last all the way through to evening, needing only a few light powder touch-ups throughout the day. I wore this quite a bit during summer, and I found that hot weather did cut down on its staying power. It’s probably too creamy to wear in very hot weather.

 

I really like the way that the Playstick is packaged. It comes in a tall, slim tube which winds up like a lipstick. I was especially taken with this design because it’s so handy when I’m travelling. The stick is really streamlined and the cap locks on tightly, so there’s no chance of it leaking all over your bag.

 

The Playstick comes in 4 colours, and includes some very pale tones. I was so thrilled to find that the lightest colour, Jax, is a perfect match for my natural skin tone. I find it really hard to find foundation in the right shade, because I’m so fair and most companies really seem to be pushing tan foundations. It’s refreshing to find a makeup company that caters for pale lasses. The Playstick is perfect for my skin, and I used this product to create Sam’s pale-face look when I did her Magenta makeup for Rocky Horror Night.

 

The Benefit Playstick foundation costs $34 US for one tube. I thought that the price was very reasonable. This was a very high-quality product and I was happy to pay that much for it. The tube probably contains enough for about 9 months of use, which is excellent value for money.

 

I’m really taken with the Benefit Playstick foundation. If you’re looking for a new base, and have previously been sceptical about stick foundations, I recommend giving this one a test-drive. It will totally change your mind