The latest from By Terry is her new Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation ($48 for 8.5 g/0.3 oz, made in Korea). I’ve been a really big fan of the By Terry foundation bases including her Cover-Expert and CC Cream. It’s been a while since I’ve played with stick foundations and I think this new formula is quite nice. The Nude-Expert Duo Stick currently comes in 10 shades with a twist up stick on one end and a small sponge applicator on the other. These are split formula creams, half is a semi-sheer highlighter and half is a foundation. They are on the compact side but there is actually a lot more than I expected based on the packaging. I’ve played around with these for a little over a week now. I’m happy to report that it holds up remarkably well in humid weather. More thoughts and review below. I’m thrilled to be able to share swatches of the entire lineup as well.
The formula is creamy, smooth and glides on the skin nicely. It is heavily scented with a scent I find hard to put my finger on. It’s not quite floral, but it almost smells like a sweet almond cake. The scent isn’t too strong though and it did not irritate my skin. Texture is semi-emollient in the sense it’s creamy but has a nice dry down so it’s not greasy. They are packaged in a similar size/format to the Glow-Expert Highlighters (my picks reviewed here).
The Nude-Expert Duo Stick is described as having a matte finish, but with the highlighter portion there is a satiny glow. There are two shades of highlighter in the entire lineup. The first five shades have a champagne pearl color, the second five shades have a sheer golden champagne color. Pigment/coverage wise I find it very natural for a stick. There is enough coverage to smooth out and even the skin but it still looks like skin. I’d rate it medium in coverage. I still need concealer for under the eyes and spots but for an everyday natural effortless base this is excellent. It smooths out my skin tone, blends evenly without any streaking, looks natural with a radiant matte finish. I think it would be suitable for a wide range of skin types.
Lasting power was really good on my skin. It truly does have a semi-matte finish. In terms of stick foundations, the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick has more opaque coverage. The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation also is more opaque and thicker with a heavier feel. I haven’t replaced either in a while, right now I don’t have a good match in the Hourglass lineup (I’m a lot more tan than I was in San Diego!) and the Make Up For Ever one is one I feel like I should definitely replace but I haven’t had a chance to swatch and rematch myself.
Swatches of all the colors below. I think they’ve done an excellent job at formulating colors for light to fair skin tones, however there are definitely gaps for those with medium-tan, olive to deep skin tones. My best matches are either 7 Vanilla Beige and 9 Honey Beige right now. The MAC equivalent is NC35 or NC37 (which is what I wear in the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Formula). I truly hope they will consider expanding the color lineup because I think it’s an excellent formula but limited on colors.
Current shade lineup:
- 1 Fair Beige
- 2 Neutral Beige
- 2.5 Nude Light
- 3 Cream Beige
- 4 Rosy Beige
- 5 Peach Beige
- 7 Vanilla Beige
- 9 Honey Beige
- 10 Golden Sand
- 15 Golden Brown
Swatches of each portion mixed together then applied on the arm. The shimmer side is sheer enough that it gives the foundation a hint of glow on the skin:
Just the highlighter side swatched, you can apply it by itself on the skin, but with any duo-split formula I usually find it’s best just to mix them:
Below wearing:
- Foundation is Nude-Expert Duo Stick in 9 Honey Beige
- No powder worn
- Blush is By Terry Compact Expert Amber Light 5 (reviewed here)
- Lips are Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Bare + Lip Gloss in Sandy Beige (review here)
- Eyeshadow is Urban Decay Naked Palette
- Brows are the Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
- Top from Madewell
Some more swatches and comparisons, first set is with the lightest colors compared to the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealers in 1N, 1C, 2N, 2C and 2W. I think the color lineup for fair skins is pretty good. I know a number of my fair skin readers struggle to find something light enough in color, I hope you find a match here!
Second set is lined up next to the three Stylo-Expert Click Sticks I bought last year in 4.5, 5 and 8:
One last look at all the colors:
Bottom line, excellent formula and I’m happy to have a few colors that match my skin tone. The mix of glow and matte is really nice and easy to wear. It gives me enough coverage to even out the skin and texture feels lightweight enough to not feel heavy even in humid weather. I really hope they expand the color range – what they have now is limited! You can find the By Terry Nude-Expert Stick Duos out now. Available at Beautylish, Barneys New York, Bluemercury, Space NK and Revolve. Do you have a favorite stick foundation?
Foundation sticks provided courtesy of By Terry team for review.
