ColourPop Flying High Lite Stix Review & Swatches
Flying High
ColourPop Flying High Lite Stix ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a cool, iridescent lavender with a more translucent base and a mix of finer pearl and larger micro-sparkle. It’s one of the more sparkly shades in the highlighting range, so if sparkle/glitter is something you tend to avoid, I’d look at other shades in the range with finer pearl. Despite being more sparkly, it still had excellent spreadability and movement on my skin, so it applied well on bare skin as well as over foundation. It had more medium coverage, even when applied directly from the tube, and never quite achieved full coverage. That being said, it had a strong shine, subtle, iridescent shift, and highlighted my skin without emphasizing its texture. This shade stayed on well for eight hours before I noticed some sparkle had migrated over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Becca Aquamarine (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Becca Pink Pyrite (LE, $38.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Milani Unicorn Dreams (PiP, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- Essence Be My Spacelight (P, $4.49) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Frosted Kiss (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- bareMinerals Whimsy (P, $29.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Pink Mist (P, $9.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Anastasia Magic (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Clionadh Ohm (P, $12.50) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Pink Heart (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% 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.
Ingredients
Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylyl Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Paraffin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Ceresin, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Alumina, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Synthetic Beeswax, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrated Silica, Microcrystalline Wax, Potassium Sorbate, Water, Tin Oxide, Hexylene Glycol. May Contain: Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Carmine (CI 75470), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Because I have Tarte Believe, which I hardly ever use because it’s too white based, idk? I mean, this one does at least allow your skin peek through. Looks wonderful on your skintone, not as certain about mine!
Now that’s a unicorn highlighter! I love it.
A good dupe for this would be the Nudestix Glow Stick in Illumi-Naughty. It gives that beautiful glow and iridescence without any sparkle or glitter. Also, it has a small removable angled brush at the other end of the stick, which may come handy.
*come in handy
I thought I would be all over this one but something about it just isn’t striking me right. I think it might look like a bruise on my pale skin with the purple shift. Also, don’t love the glitter particles. What I do love is your eye look with all the Kaja shades. I may have to rethink getting ore of them. Now that there are mattes they make more sense.
Don’t need any more highlighters (and wouldn’t get this one anyway because of the glitter); just came in here to say that CP’s doing well with these! Nice to see products that work well over both bare skin and foundation.