Miss Cupcake/Tomato

MAC Miss Cupcake/Tomato Studio QuikTrik Stick ($32.00 for 0.42 oz.) is 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.

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. The pigmentation was semi-sheer, buildable up to semi-opaque coverage. The downside to the formula is that both shades remained lightly tacky with a moderately dewy finish, and, unsurprisingly, the wear time was shorter at six hours. I get better wear (an extra hour or two) if I lightly pat translucent powder on top or pair with a similarly-hued powder blush. The finish is lovely if you like a dewier finish--they reminded me of the type of products I'd reach for in the summer to pat over bare skin.

• Brand Description