Beauty Care: Anastasia Bubbly Stick Highlighter Review & Swatches

Bubbly

Anastasia Bubbly Stick Highlighter Anastasia Bubbly Stick Highlighter ($34.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a light-medium gold with moderate, warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had medium, buildable pigmentation, which was as marketed, that applied well to bare skin as it blended out evenly and didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture.

When working with over foundation, I did not find a brush worked well as it was prone to pushing around the product and lifting up base products, but I had no trouble applying the product with a fingertip on top of foundation. The texture was smooth, lightly emollient, and dried down to a powder-like finish that did not move as readily once it dried down. It lasted decently for eight hours before fading visibly.

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

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

ColourPop Bullz Eye (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
Too Faced Pineapple Paradise (Highlighter) (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Luna (LE, $68.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
Huda Beauty Seychelles (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
Kaja Gleamy (P, $24.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Sydney Grace Satin Kicks (P, $9.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
ColourPop Goody Two Shu (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
MAC Gimme That! (LE, $34.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Lethal Cosmetics Gravity (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Milk Makeup Iced (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$34.00/0.28 oz. - $121.43 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have a "customizable glow" with an "ultra-smooth" consistency that "melts effortlessly" on skin. The coverage was described as "buildable," which was true--most shades were more medium to semi-opaque, but the more emollient nature of the product made it inclined to sheer out during practice, so they were more buildable once I started applying them to my face.

The consistency was lightly emollient, thin, and had good glide, but it was quick to dry down and set to a powder-like finish. It looked a little drier and wasn't as flattering to my normal-to-dry skin as other cream-to-powder formulas, so it may be more suitable for oilier skin types. I didn't have any issues with the product lifting up foundation, so it worked fine over bare skin as well as on top of complexion products--as long as I used my fingertips to apply and blend out.

Because of the quick dry down time, I found fingertips to be the most flexible and foolproof for applying the product. Using a brush was where the application was more prone to going on unevenly, bunching up, or lifting up base products. The formula lasted between seven and eight hours on me.

Browse all of our Anastasia Stick Highlighter swatches.

Ingredients

BUTYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, DIMETHICONE, ISOTRIDECYL ISONONANOATE, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, MICA, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, PARAFFIN, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, POLYETHYLENE, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, SILICA, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491)

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.