Does the Milk Makeup Mattifying On-the-Go Stick *Really* Work?
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
When an oily skin type comes knocking, what do you do? Arm yourself with mattifying foundations, oil-free moisturisers and salicylic acid cleansers, that’s what.
But no matter what I do to fight off a midday oil slick, it doesn’t always go to plan. And I have a really bad relationship with face powders.
So, when I heard that Milk Makeup were launching their new non-comedogenic Pore Eclipse Matte Blur Stick (£35 on the Feel Unique website/$36 on the Milk Makeup website) I thought it was definitely worth a shot because the thought of having a mattifier in one handy on-the-go stick was pretty appealing.
Here’s how my oily skin and I got on.
The product details
The stick weighs 12.5g and is contained in chunky black packaging with a lid and wind-up-style dispenser. It promises to blur pores, instantly cut out shine, and lock on makeup for up to 16 hours, leaving a soft-focus matte finish.
It contains niacinamide, bakuchiol and tea tree oil on the outer ring and shine-controlling lentil extract and detoxifying charcoal on the inner core. It ticks all the right boxes when it comes to ethics too – it is 98% natural, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, gluten-free and non-comedogenic. A breakout-prone and oily skin type’s dream.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
When you pull off the lid, you instantly see the white ring on the end of the stick and its inner core which is a dark grey/black shade. You can smell a very slight tea-tree oil fragrance but it’s not overbearing and on first touch, the formula feels lightweight – not slippery or greasy. Win.
My mixed results
The instructions say you can use it in two ways – as a primer all over or as a touch-up tool to eliminate shine throughout the day. I knew I would need it mostly for the latter, but I decided to give both methods a go.
For all-over primer application, it says to apply it straight from the stick. For touch-ups, you should swipe your finger over the formula and press it into the skin on areas that need de-shining.
I am not usually a fan of primers because of their slippery silicone feel but luckily this one is silicone-free, so I went for it and applied it all over my newly cleansed and moisturised skin. The stick made this easy to do, the formula felt nice and lightweight but I noticed a bit of pilling at first. This made me realise I should have waited a little longer to use it after applying my moisturiser.
Apart from the pilling, my skin looked satisfyingly matte – but still not completely glow-less – and I was happy to then apply my makeup. The pilling made this slightly tricky, but it soon wore off and my makeup went on nicely over the top in the end.
Usually, when I apply makeup straight after my moisturiser, it can already feel quite greasy, even though I use an oil-free moisturiser and a matte foundation. But this definitely felt much better. Like I had a little security blanket underneath temporarily stopping the oil in its tracks.
This finish lasted a good few hours, but only a few. And definitely not close to 16, mainly because I don’t typically wear makeup for that long (anyone else?!). But it lasted a little past lunchtime which was a nice surprise considering I usually have to do a matte-check by at least midday.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Did I think it improved the look of my base or made a huge difference to my skin overall though? Was I blown away? No.
By 1/1:30pm, I noticed I now needed to get on top of my shine a little. Fair enough but I was hoping it would last a little longer. However, this was the perfect opportunity for the other method to come in. So, as instructed, I swiped my finger over the stick and pressed it into the areas that needed mattifying.
It went on easily and it was so lightweight that I could barely feel it on my finger. This was comforting since I am always fearful of anything clogging up my pores.
I was really pleased with the results here. My pores were instantly blurred, my skin felt smooth (not greasy) and any shine had gone. I usually get it most on my T-zone and it felt amazing to be able to eliminate it on the spot – powder-free.
It lasted ages too, although it did allow my makeup to go a tiny bit patchy which was a little frustrating. It was nothing a little makeup touch-up couldn’t fix though and I felt confident about going without a matte-check for longer than usual.
I am pretty happy with this product, but for the touch-up element more than the primer. There are a few niggles – the pilling and the patchy makeup being the two main ones. But these are easily fixed if you’re patient. I’m not a fan of powders as they dull my skin right down so I like knowing I’ve got something in my bag that can instantly help me out in the mattifying department quickly and simply.
What other users are saying
KarlaW on milkmakeup.com agrees with me about the pilling. “I had waited maybe 3 minutes after moisturising before applying it but I got a little pilling, so I learned that it requires a longer wait,” she says. And she’s on the same page with longevity too. “My makeup goes on over it ok but the staying power seems about the same as usual.”
Raylee on the other hand found it useful to wear at work. “This primer is great! Lasted all day through 8 hours of waitressing,” she says. “It’s lightweight and not caked and it didn’t pill with my foundation and concealer.” Perhaps the trick is to wait much longer than you usually would to apply after moisturiser – if you have the time.
Hayley says, “It glides on easily and creates such a smooth and matte surface. I have larger pores on and around my nose, and I can definitely see the difference when using it.”
Image – Courtesy of writer
Overall value for money
Ok Milk Makeup, what?! £35/$36? I was really taken aback when I discovered this. That is a lot of money to spend on a convenience product. And I use that term because, for me, it really is just that. I don’t love it enough to use it as an all-over primer, but I do like the touch-up element.
Even so, I’m more likely to spend £35/$36 on things like my foundation or moisturiser, not an on-the-go product kept in my handbag.
The takeaway
Pilling and patchiness aside, this is a great little stick to have in your handbag for on-the-go shine-banishing. I like the convenience of it, its lightweight feel and the fact that a few of my insecurities are hidden in one quick application. As a primer though I’m on the fence. And I’m struggling to get past the price.
My oily skin officially owes me £35.
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