Browse & learn
Makeup without the vocabulary test.
Start with the words if you are new here, or go straight to product search if you already know what you need. Product types are lanes, not rankings: a tint, powder or cream has a job before it has a brand name.
Makeup basics
Eight terms that unlock most of the desk.
These are working definitions, not rules about what you should buy. They are here so a first-time reader can understand the questions the rest of the application asks.
- Finish
- What the surface looks like after application: matte, natural, satin, luminous, glossy or somewhere between them.
- Coverage
- How much visible skin or pigment a layer obscures. Sheer, medium and full describe opacity, not quality.
- Undertone
- The quieter color direction underneath a shade. It helps explain why two colors with the same depth can look different on skin.
- Oxidation
- A visible color shift after application, often described as a base turning darker, warmer or more orange as it sits.
- Pilling
- Small rolls or crumbs that form when layers do not settle together cleanly. It can be a layering, amount, timing or compatibility problem.
- Setting
- Reducing movement after application. Powder, spray, time and application method can all change how a film sets.
- Flashback
- A pale or reflective cast that appears more strongly in flash photography than it does in ordinary room light.
- Film weight
- This desk’s shorthand for how much material a product type tends to add to the face. More layers are not automatically better layers.
When you know the lane
Product search
Search formulas by type, film weight, price and preference. Prices are street bands, not live quotes. A finish is shown only when the name or the type states it — the desk does not guess the rest.
15 shown · ranked against the profile currently on The Edit · 1 of 15 with a stated finish. The rest are not guessed.
15 formulas across 1 lane. 0 of them sit in a lane already in your kit.
- Street bands run under $25 to over $60. Price is not in the fit score and never has been.
Merit · Multipurpose complexion stick
The Complexion Stick
Base and contour from one object — capsule cornerstone.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganFragrance-freeOgee · Multipurpose complexion stick
Sculpted Complexion Stick
Organic stick that presses in with fingers alone.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganVapour Beauty · Multipurpose complexion stick
Soft Focus Foundation Stick
Cream stick with a diffused, not matte, finish.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganGlo Skin Beauty · Multipurpose complexion stick
HD Mineral Foundation Stick
Mineral stick for buildable placement.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedMineral-preferredHouse of Tara · Multipurpose complexion stick
Foundation Stick
High pigment load — a light hand is the whole instruction.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedFenty Beauty · Multipurpose complexion stick
Match Stix Matte Skinstick
Contour and base placement stick — build, do not mask.
Worth considering · 22nd of 52 types
Delivers close to the desk's default coverage — set yours and this line becomes personal rather than assumed.
The catalog prior flags more movement or patchiness pressure on oilier zones.
Scored as multipurpose complexion stick, not as this formula — every multipurpose complexion stick here carries the same 40.
Current· street price bandManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Matte· from nameILIA · Multipurpose complexion stick
Multi-Stick
Desk example from ILIA. Price is a prestige band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedNUDESTIX · Multipurpose complexion stick
Magnetic Eye Pencil
Desk example from NUDESTIX. Price is a mid band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganLisa Eldridge Beauty · Multipurpose complexion stick
Gloss Embrace
Desk example from Lisa Eldridge Beauty. Price is a prestige band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedNYX Professional Makeup · Multipurpose complexion stick
This Is Milky Gloss
Desk example from NYX Professional Makeup. Price is a drugstore band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganWet n Wild · Multipurpose complexion stick
MegaGlo Highlighting Stick (sheer)
Desk example from Wet n Wild. Price is a drugstore band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
The name overlaps the priced row Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Stick. Overlap is not a verification, and this card is still an example.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganRare Beauty · Multipurpose complexion stick
Positive Light under-eye (sheer)
Desk example from Rare Beauty. Price is a mid band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
The name overlaps the priced row Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener. Overlap is not a verification, and this card is still an example.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedVeganPat McGrath Labs · Multipurpose complexion stick
Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection (sheer)
Desk example from Pat McGrath Labs. Price is a luxury band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
The name overlaps the priced row Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation. Overlap is not a verification, and this card is still an example.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedMAC · Multipurpose complexion stick
Studio Fix (used as spot, not mask)
Desk example from MAC. Price is a prestige band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not statedMake Up For Ever · Multipurpose complexion stick
Artist Color Pencil
Desk example from Make Up For Ever. Price is a prestige band midpoint, not a live quote.
Reference example, not a verified formula of this type. The type score is not a finding about this row.
Incomplete· tier-band estimateManufacturer evidence was not collected for price, size, shade or INCI. Those stay unknown. A street band or a shade count on the card is not that evidence.
Finish not stated
Watch the hand · 1 referenceThe distinction this page is built on, demonstrated.
Chosen to demonstrate a decision this desk already makes. They are technique references, not endorsements, and a product named inside one is an archive example rather than a recommendation.
Next
Where this goes next
Chosen from your own record: 3 things open at the beginner stage, and what usually follows this page.
Say what your skin is doing
Answer the brief
0 of 8 so far. Every engine weights your own answers. Until they exist, the desk is scoring an average face rather than yours.
Log one worn day
Log a day
0 of 1 so far. What held past hour six is the one fact no formula list can predict for you.
Practice: Use half as much
0 of three mornings settled. The ladder always offers the half-finished rung first.
From where you are on the ladder.
When this is not a makeup question
Nothing is written into another desk without you choosing it. These links carry only the context named on them.
- Skincare Intelligence
Carry your skin, climate, sensitivity and named concerns across so the routine can be evaluated with the same stated inputs the makeup desk used.
- Vanity or Vice · Routines & Ingredients
The order you apply things in, what each film is intended to do, and where the evidence is uncertain — argued long-form rather than scored. This is the reading behind the sequence this desk just gave you.