Beauty Care: ColourPop Picnic Time Blush Stix Review & Swatches

Picnic Time

ColourPop Picnic Time Blush Stix ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a medium-dark, pink-coral with moderate, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had semi-sheer, buildable pigmentation–easily could get to semi-opaque coverage if desired!–paired with a moderately emollient consistency that had a fair amount of slip.

I felt like it was more emollient than most shades in the formula, and this translated into a less-even application that was harder to work with using fingertips (there is one spot in the photos that looks more uneven than it was–that is a hyperpigmentation mark coming through and making the product look darker based on assessing it in person!). A brush gave me a little more gentleness, which helped to soften and diffuse the product around the edges that my fingertips couldn’t achieve. I normally have no trouble applying this formula with fingertips or brushes, though. It lasted for eight hours before fading visibly on my skin.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

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Formula Overview

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Salt New York Peach (P, $16.00) is cooler (95% similar).
ILIA Temptation (P, $32.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
Becca Winter Berry (LE, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker, less glossy (95% similar).
ColourPop Hotline (P, $7.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Fenty Beauty Strawberry Drip (P, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Rare Beauty Nearly Mauve (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Milani Coral Crush (P, $8.99) is brighter (90% similar).
Clinique Peach Pop (02) (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Merit Beverly Hills (P, $28.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Viseart Ablaze (Blush) (PiP, ) is darker, less glossy (90% similar).

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Formula Overview

$8.00/0.33 oz. - $24.24 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to "blend effortlessly" with a "natural, skin-like finish" that can be layered or applied on bare skin. The brand recommends applying directly from the tube for heavier coverage and using a brush to pick up product for less coverage, though the coverage "easily builds colour to your heart's desire." They dry down to a semi-set finish--lightly dewy, definitely "natural, skin-like" in appearance, but not overly tacky or really wet-looking. I haven't found that they migrate or move around much, so the formula is still longer-wearing at seven to nine hours with minimal movement. They have applied well and worn well over foundation thus far, too. They are not transfer-proof but are transfer-resistant; they won't smear around with an inadvertent touch but aren't fully locked down.

The pigmentation varied a bit from shade to shade, but most shades were semi-opaque to fully opaque when applied directly from the tube in one "swipe" motion, though I think mimicking this on cheeks isn't quite as easily done as compared to my arm. I preferred picking up product on my fingertip, patting on the apple of my cheek and diffusing upward and outward, then using a clean fingertip to diffuse and soften the edges as needed. I appreciated that even the deeper hues didn't seem to "sink" into my pores and were as easy to apply and blend out as very light, more my-skin-but-better (literally, my skin!) hues. I would describe the formula was buildable from semi-sheer to medium with semi-opaque coverage possible, but there's enough slip in the formula that it starts to sheer out noticeably even when applied more heavily.

The consistency was lightly emollient, lightweight, and thin with good spreadability and movement; it didn't lift up base products but still worked well over bare skin. I didn't experience it lifting up or creating patchiness over time on top of foundation, even when I set the foundation initially, but I would recommend (same as I would for most cream-based cheek formulas!) to pair with a less-matte foundation for optimal results (the dewy finish plays well with a more skin-like base).

Oh, the caps have the names of the products, but the rest of the tube doesn't, so if you have more than one open, take care in getting the right lid back on!

Browse all of our ColourPop Blush Stix swatches.