12 Days of Blogging Day 8: L’Oreal Shaping Stick vs. Maybelline Super Stay Foundation Stick

I wanted to review a few stick foundations – because for some reason I can’t get enough of buying them from the drugstore. Instead of just reviewing one, I wanted to throw these two newish foundations head to head.

I have tested each under several conditions: 12 hour shifts, night out makeup, with primer, without primer, and the resounding verdict it the Maybelline just isn’t as great as the L’Oreal. You would think being from the same parent company (L’Oreal owns Maybelline) they would be similar. However, you would be wrong. My skin is normal-dry for reference.

The claims for the Maybelline:  “Multi-Use Foundation Stick is formulated with a cream-to-matte finish and pointed blender sponge for easy and quick application at home or out on the town”. This has 12 shades.

The claims for the L’Oreal Shaping Stick: “The ultimate multi-use makeup – Conceal imperfections or cover all-over to create your perfect base – Go 1-2 shades darker to define and sculpt your features – Go 1-2 shades lighter to brighten and enhance•Create a perfectly defined, longwear look that feels weightless on the skin – Up to 24 hours, medium to full buildable coverage•Glide-on application melts into skin, providing smooth, flawless coverage that’s never cakey or draggy•Longwear makeup sticks for buildable coverage and shaping allow you to cover, conceal, highlight, and contour – Build to your ideal level of coverage•In 12 shades to cover, conceal, highlight, and contour – Shape your face for a perfectly defined makeup look”

Both foundations don’t have a wide shade range, in fact I don’t know who exactly could buy these other than white folks. So there’s that. Which is my first resounding con to both foundations. They are both like 9 shades of beige and a few semi dark shades so not great there.

I will say, in terms of formulation, neither are lying. The maybelline is very matte – much more matte than the L’Oreal as I wore them one day side by side. The L’Oreal stands up to the claim of feeling weightless and it doesn’t get cakey despite having a bit fuller coverage than most foundations in my collection. The Maybelline really clung to weird spots. Even when I hydrated more than usual – this foundation did not look nice on my skin?

The application: For the Maybelline this doesn’t blend out with a sponge, or brush, so my best mode of blending was my fingers or the small sponge at the end of the foundation. The L’Oreal on the other hand blended out beautifully with a brush and sponge and left a more dewy finish than the Maybelline.

Also the size and the price. The Maybelline foundation stick is $16CAD for 7 grams of product which works out to $2.28 per gram and the L’Oreal is $20CAD for 9 grams of product and works out to be $2.22 per gram. The L’Oreal you are technically getting better product for less per gram despite the $20 price tag (unless my math is totally wrong than ignore this entire paragraph). However, I think these are priced too high for drugstore foundations, however this is a huge trend in drugstore prices and L’Oreal has always been super pricey.

Overall: The L’Oreal shaping stick wins for me out of the two foundations. I think that you can achieve that dewy look with this one with the ease of application that the stick provides. I would say – go for the L’Oreal if you have drier skin but if you have oily skin I’d go for the Maybelline.