Fenty Beauty Cognac Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick Review & Swatches

Cognac

Fenty Beauty Cognac Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick ($25.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a deep, coppery brown with warm, reddish undertones and a pearly sheen. It had opaque pigmentation when applied directly from the tube, and more medium, buildable coverage when applied with a brush or fingertip. The texture felt smooth, slightly emollient (but not wet or creamy), and it had enough slip that I could transfer product from my fingertip to my cheeks without it drying down entirely.

The cream blush was thin, more power-like when applied to my cheeks, and it dried down fast enough that I felt like I had to work very quickly to diffuse the edges of the blush. It didn’t blend out as evenly as I could, unfortunately, and as a result, the permanent version performed somewhat worse compared to the holiday mini release did. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading visibly.

Top Dupes

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MAC Hard to Get (P, $27.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
MAC Glow With It (P, $33.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
Dior Blush Bronze (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
MAC Earthshine (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
NARS Lovejoy (P, $30.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
LORAC Spotlight (LE, $23.00) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar).
NYX Deep Plum (P, $6.50) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).

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Formula Overview

$25.00/0.25 oz. - $100.00 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be long-wearing with a “light-as-air,” “blendable” texture that “lives to be layered." They twist-up and are medium-sized with a domed edge. I found that applying to my fingertips worked better than direct application, as it enabled me greater control over coverage level as well as placement, and if you tend to apply over foundation, then this will help keep the Match Stix cleaner, too.

The texture was thin, and it did seem to go from a “cream” in the tube to a more powder-like product once on the skin. They were fairly blendable with a few being more sparkly with less visible base color, which may not be for everyone, and others had a more pearl-like sheen that didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. Most shades applied and blended out without lifting up foundation or pulling into pores (over bare skin), but the ones that did tended to have larger particles in them. They lasted between six and eight hours on me.

A problem I had throughout just swatching each shade on my cheeks for photos was that whatever was exposed was a bit dry, more powdery to the touch, and I felt like I had to really warm the product up and/or swipe it back and forth on the back of my hand to refresh the texture. This is not uncommon with drier, cream-based formulas, but it's still a downside and an area that could be improved upon. Some shades were very pigmented, others were medium and buildable, and a couple were sheerer.

Browse all of our Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick swatches.

Ingredients

Mica, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Octyldodecanol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, C20-40 Alcohols, Tribehenin, Paraffin, Polyethylene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Diisostearyl Malate, Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Isostearyl Alcohol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Malic Acid, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).