MAC Bare End/Earthnut QuikTrik Stick Review, Photos, Swatches
Bare End/Earthnut
MAC Bare End/Earthnut Studio QuikTrik Stick ($32.00 for 0.42 oz.) has a light-medium, pearly gold on one end and then a medium, warm brown on the other end. The gold seems ideal for highlighting, while the darker shade could be used to bronze or contour (on warmer skin tones). This one applied a bit better and lasted a touch longer than some of the other duos, but it’s still faster to wear away than most powder blushes on me.
The QuikTrik Stick is a double-ended, cream-based stick that’s supposed to work for highlighting, contouring, bronzing, or blushing. It is supposed to have buildable, blendable color and can be worn over bare skin or foundation. One side is more shimmery, while the other is darker and more natural (but still has a sheen from the creamier consistency) in finish. In general, the formula applies well to bare skin or over liquid foundation, as it is very emollient, blendable, and easy to spread across the skin, but I notice that it seemed to break up my foundation a bit after six hours of wear.
Bare End/Earthnut
LELimited Edition. $32.00.
Get a shade-by-shade breakdown of this duo, along with individual photos and swatches…
Bare End
Bare End is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a pearly sheen. The texture was thin, moderately emollient, and just a touch tacky to the touch. It had sheer, buildable coverage–up to semi-opaque–and a noticeable luminosity to it when applied to the skin. It also layered well over other products as a highlighter. This shade seemed to dry down a little more than others in the lineup, though it was never fully dry. It wore well for six and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Too Faced Flush (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Star! (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment (Original) (P, $28.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Becca Champagne Pop (LE, $42.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- NARS Noctum (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Sun Light (LE, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Laura Geller Gilded Honey (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Midnight Sun (P, $20.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (PiP, $24.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Laura Mercier Addiction (P, $45.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
Bare End
LELimited Edition.
Earthnut
Earthnut is a medium brown with warm, reddish undertones and a natural sheen. It had semi-sheer to mostly opaque, buildable pigmentation that was easily applied and blended out the skin, and then layered for greater coverage. The texture was light-to-moderate in slip with a touch of tackiness, as it never quite dried down on me. It started to break apart after six and a half hours of wear.
Top Dupes
- Guerlain #03 (P, $53.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- ColourPop Kiss Kiss (P, $7.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Instant Crush (P, $7.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Bikini Contest (P, $4.99) is darker, less glossy (90% similar).
- Tarte Park Ave. Princess #2 (LE, ) is lighter, less glossy (90% similar).
- MAC Tight and Tawny (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Carry-On (P, $8.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- Guerlain #02 (P, $53.00) is darker, cooler, less glossy (90% similar).
- Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (P, $52.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- bareMinerals Warmth (LE, ) is less glossy (90% similar).
This one looks pretty for people with fair-to-medium warm complexions. Overall, these seem like they would work best when someone doesn’t need to wear foundation; they seem like they’re made to be tossed in your bag so you can apply or touch up on the fly, using just the stick and your fingers. I can really see the appeal of them for that purpose.
That’s a perfect way to describe them!
I like this highlighter shade but afraid this contour is too yellow. Although it looks very natural on you, not yellow or orange at all. I may have to go check these out in person.
The contour might be too warm for sure 🙁 Let me know if it works out though!
Pleasantly surprised by these two.
Yay!
Ooh, I love the gold shimmer in that first swatch!
It’s very pretty!
Not bad! The shades, though, I feel would blend in too well with my own skin to the point of being super subtle. Just got rematched at Sephora @ JCP @ Tempe Marketplace yesterday. Specifically asked for a match to Tarte Amazonian Clay, came up with Light-Medium Honey or (still) Medium Honey. If I want a dead-on match: equal parts of BOTH.
Oh noooo! Not two shades 🙁
Ikr?!? That gets expensive! ?
That looks made for warm toned ultra fair blondes!
Yay!