From ‘sunset’ to ‘boyfriend,’ blusher has swept in (pun very much intended) as this year’s unexpected makeup hit. Blush sales rocketed by 50% between January and July whilst product launches are up by 20%. But as our cheeks become prime makeup real estate how do we choose which products get to bestow them with that perfect flush with so many options vying for attention?
Here at Grazia, ease tends to win out so when we heard that Nudestix - the brand known for fool-proof, multi-tasking makeup heroes - were launching ‘STAX blushers’ we were all ears (make that cheeks). Beloved by makeup artists and nepo babies alike (Sophia Richie became ‘Nude Beauty Director’ of the brand in 2022 after featuring the Nudie sticks in various GRWM videos), Nudestix was actually founded back in 2014 by Ally and Taylor Frankel alongside their chemical engineer mother Jenny.
After a somewhat slow burn (Richie upped the ante considerably after divulging she used the Nudies Matte All Over Face Bronze Color in ‘Sunkissed’ and Nudies Matte All Over Face Blush Color in Picante on her wedding day), the brand is now hot property. In the age of doing more, the art of doing less has broad appeal and with lives that are becoming unbearably squished, a fool-proof, fuss-free product that offers ‘you-but-better’ polish on-the-go was always going to be on the nose. So what do we make of the evolution from stix to STAX?
What We Liked:
Fans of the OG multi-masking ‘Nudies’ (dual-ended all-over face colour) will love the fact that the viral ‘Picante’ colour has been re-imagined as a ‘Picante Nude’; a warm, nude peach shade.
Housed in magnetic, multi-stacking packaging that gives an oh-so-satisfying ‘snap’, the 3-in-1 cream-to-powder ‘cloud cushion blush balm’ formula is packed with complexion-boosting skincare ingredients such as green tea and rosehip oil as well as being leaping Bunny Certified. 'I’d say the formula feels more powdery than balmy so is definitely better for cheeks and eyes than lips unless you like a super matte feel,' says Acting Beauty Director Cassie Steer. 'I loved the light-as-air texture which leaves a beautiful whisper of colour (I like my blusher bold so I went for the Magenta Matte shade) which can be built up by simply dabbing more on (STAX were made for fingers).'
What We Didn't Like:
Barely-there, ‘minimalist makeup’ may be the hallmark of the brand but for the darker-skinned members of our team ‘minimalist’ translated as almost undetectable; 'I love the whole concept of a magnetic stackable blush, it just makes for easy storage and it just looks cool. However I was very disappointed with the colour pay-off,' says Digital Beauty Assistant Renee Washington. 'I picked the punchiest shade which is Magenta Matte and on my dark skin it just lacked richness and depth, which is disappointing considering how far makeup has come. The actual texture of the product is more like a shadow so maybe if it was creamier the pay-off would be different.'
Shop: Nudestix Blush
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