ColourPop Mercy Me Blush Stix Review & Swatches
Mercy Me
ColourPop Mercy Me Blush Stix ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a medium, peachy-orange with warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had buildable pigmentation from semi-sheer to mostly opaque with highest coverage delivered when applied directly from the tube and least coverage when applied with a brush. I liked applying the color with my fingertips and patting it onto the apples, then gently spreading it outward along the edges. The consistency was lightly creamy, emollient without being tacky or too thick, which helped it spread across my skin evenly whether bare or with foundation. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me before fading.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
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Formula Overview
$8.00/0.33 oz. - $24.24 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 applying 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 Blush Stix swatches.
Ingredients
Phenylpropyldimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylyl Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Paraffin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Ceresin, Hydrated Silica, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Lauryl Laurate, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Microcrystalline Wax, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Water, Hexylene Glycol, Mica (CI 77019), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).
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.
How do these compare the the supershock cheeks Colorado in terms of staying power? I all ready have several supershocks and am trying to decide if I need both formulas.
Sorry – should read supershock cheek COLORS, not Colorado. Stupid autocorrect…?
The Stix are definitely dewier/wetter overall and tend to have a lot less shimmery – you can mimic some dewiness with satiny finishes, though.
Ooh! Very fresh and summer-y feeling!
Lucky for me, I do have the Clock Work duo from them from a year or two ago? One of my faves for this time of year!
On my list! I think I will wait for a couple more reviews before I pull the trigger. Start with one blush and one highlighter to see if I’m into the formula.
Another nice one!
This looks like a great shade for fair skin. Very nice for summer.
Lovely peach shade, but I could do without the orangey undertones.
How do you think this would look on medium skin? I really like the color but worry it won’t show up. Thanks.
It would likely be subtle! My arm is about NC15/20, my face is closer to NC20.