ILIA At Last Multi-Stick ($34.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a muted, medium rosy mauve with subtle, warm undertones and a faint, barely-there golden pearl throughout its luminous finish. It had sheer to semi-sheer, slightly buildable coverage that applied evenly to bare skin and over-complexion products as it wasn’t prone to lifting them. The texture felt lightweight, like a gel balm–dense and smooth but best applied with fingertips as the warmth made it more movable–that spreads well. It stayed on nicely for seven and a half hours before fading as a cheek product. It applied pretty evenly as a lip product and had semi-sheer coverage, but it was thin enough that it clung to imperfections; the wear was two hours and felt non-drying.
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for details on general performance and characteristics (like the scent).
- Merit Cheeky (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, brighter, and cooler (95% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Rose Cliff #2 (PiP) is less glossy (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Petal Poppin’ (P, $20.00) is lighter, warmer (90% identical).
- Cover FX Mojave Mauve (Right) (PiP) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Smith and Cult Cool Pink (P, $24.00) is shimmery, darker, and less glossy (85% equal).
- ILIA A Fine Romance (P, $34.00) is less shimmery, darker, and cooler (85% similar).
- Essence Befitting (P, $2.99) is darker, warmer, and less glossy (85% identical).
- MAC Please Yourself (LE, $29.00) is shimmery, lighter, and cooler (85% similar).
- Cover FX Pink Dahlia (Right) (PiP) is more shimmery, more lightweight, and less glossy (85% identical).
- Tarte Amp (-, ) is shimmery, light, and brighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$34.00/0.15 oz. – $226.67 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to deliver a “soft wash of color” for cheeks and lips that can be applied with “fingertips or a densely packed brush.” The product is best for someone looking primarily for a cream blush over a lip color, as the latter can work, but it is short-wearing, thin, and doesn’t always sit well on lips (tended to emphasize texture/catch on flakes). It’s not an ultra-hydrating lip balm, but it worked well as a cream blush.
These multi-tasking products can often be used in more than one way, but often, they work well for a primary function; in this case, that’s as a blush. The consistency was smooth, dense, and balm-like, which had to be warmed up slightly with fingertips or held against the cheek. It was moderately emollient with a gel-cream feel, so it spread well over bare skin and wasn’t prone to lifting base products. The finish was dewy without overly tacky, but it never thoroughly dried down, so those who need more transfer-resistant will want to look elsewhere.
It was easy to apply and diffuse for a “soft wash of color,” as described. They were somewhat buildable to medium coverage if desired. The product wore between seven and eight hours before fading visibly. They applied best from the tube as a lip product, yielding even coverage and minimizing the effect of catching on imperfections. The range varied from sheer to medium and had higher coverage when applied from the tube. They lasted two to three hours as lip products.
