Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick: First Impression

Oh, hello again, Maybelline. I kept seeing this product in a number of videos from the US and while I have mentioned that I'm not a big fan of Maybelline products as the majority do not seem to work for me, I do very much enjoy the idea of a stick foundation. And so I ventured onto eBay to find the possible shade I wanted, as the Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick is not currently available in Australia. After skulking through a number of blogs with swatches of the stick foundation, I decided that the most suited one to my NC25-30 skintone would be Natural Beige (220): the lightest of the medium shades with a yellow-toned outer ring gel stick, and a pink-toned anti-shine core. 

This product has a powder core that will dissolve excess oil and says to provide a natural matte finish. When I first applied this product, it was a tad sticky, as you would except from, well, a foundation stick. But as I began to blend it with my fingers, it blended around and on the skin so amazingly smoothly, as you can feel from the effect of the powder core. However, I get the same effect in the end that I usually get from Maybelline foundations where the foundation will have a tendency to sit on top of the skin, rather than blend a bit more naturally into the skin. It does however give the natural matte finish as it promises, and it is very easy to apply. The coverage is only about light to medium, putting another layer of the foundation on doesn't really seem to add to the level of coverage.

Left to right, with flash: core swatch, outer gel, whole swatch of the stick

Same, but without flash

This shade seems to be the tiniest bit light, but because it does blend out so well, it's barely noticeable. Especially considering I have slightly oily skin, foundations (especially drugstore foundations) have a tendency to oxidise a bit on me, so it works out well in the end. This product does not feel heavy at all on the skin, it barely feels as if you're wearing base. And mainly due to the texture of this foundation, it might be a nifty idea to purchase this in a couple shades below and a couple shades above so you can contour with it too!

Considering the size of the product, you do not really get a whole lot for the price, I was actually quite surprised how compact the stick was when my package arrived. But I guess that adds to the feature that you can apply it on-the-go as it would fit nicely in your bag. I do like the design of the packaging though, I am quite a fan of the typology of this entire line, but it should be noted that the lid is a tad bit loose for my liking.

So far, I'm still a bit skeptical about this product, mainly because I thought the coverage would be a bit heavier, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of applying this product. I'll be curious to know the lasting wear of this product, but I can see that it will be easy to reapply during the day, due to the easy on-the-go fit-in-your-hand size!