ColourPop Winter Nites Lite Stix Review & Swatches
Winter Nites
ColourPop Winter Nites Lite Stix ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a light lavender with subtle, cooler pearl and a more translucent finish so the undertones tended to appear more like whatever one’s skintone was.
- Semi-sheer, buildable coverage (as marketed)
- Lightly emollient, creamy without being too wet
- Spread evenly over skin and on top of foundation
- Long-wearing (9 hours)
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Lights on Lavender (LE, $42.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Poor Unfortunate Souls (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Laura Mercier Obsession (LE, $45.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever 5 Frozen Purple (P, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Still Loading (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Majestic (LE, $9.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Ultraviolet #1 (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop Rocket Science (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Sleek MakeUP Hemisphere (PiP, ) is more shimmery (85% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Unicorn (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.28 oz. - $35.71 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to "blend effortlessly" with a "natural, skin-like finish" that can be layered or applied on bare skin. The brand recommends applyling directly from the tube for heavier coverage and using a brush to pick up product for less coverage, though the coverage "easily builds colour to your heart's desire."
They dry down to a semi-set finish--lightly dewy, definitely "natural, skin-like" in appearance, but not overly tacky or really wet-looking. I haven't found that they migrate or move around much, so the formula is still longer-wearing at seven to nine hours with minimal movement. They have applied well and worn well over foundation thus far, too. They are not transfer-proof but are transfer-resistant; they won't smear around with an inadvertent touch but aren't fully locked down.
The pigmentation varied a bit from shade to shade, but most shades were semi-opaque to fully opaque when applied directly from the tube in one "swipe" motion, though I think mimicking this on cheeks isn't quite as easily done as compared to my arm. I preferred picking up product on my fingertip, patting on the apple of my cheek and diffusing upward and outward, then using a clean fingertip to diffuse and soften the edges as needed.
I appreciated that even the deeper hues didn't seem to "sink" into my pores and were as easy to apply and blend out as very light, more my-skin-but-better (literally, my skin!) hues. I would describe the formula was buildable from semi-sheer to medium with semi-opaque coverage possible, but there's enough slip in the formula that it starts to sheer out noticeably even when applied more heavily.
The consistency was lightly emollient, lightweight, and thin with good spreadability and movement; it didn't lift up base products but still worked well over bare skin. I didn't experience it lifting up or creating patchiness over time on top of foundation, even when I set the foundation initially, but I would recommend (same as I would for most cream-based cheek formulas!) to pair with a less-matte foundation for optimal results (the dewy finish plays well with a more skin-like base).
Oh, the caps have the names of the products, but the rest of the tube doesn't, so if you have more than one open, take care in getting the right lid back on!
Browse all of our ColourPop Lite Stix swatches.
I do believe that this right here is a purple highlighter that even I could pull off due to its translucency! What’s very strange is that green or “warmer” blues, if translucent, work great with my olive undertone.
I have Fenty Unicorn, but I like this much better! It would look pretty with Fenty Drama Class, or as a blush topper too!
I like this one. I hope it’ll not sell out before I can decide if I need it or just want it. I liked all of the highlighters so there’s also the hard part of deciding if I should get one, two or all of them.