Nymphomani-Ugh: Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer Baby Glow Stick Review

On my neverending quest for glowy K-star skin, I tried Etude House’s Nymph Aura Volumer Baby Glow Stick. Etude House makes various Nymph Aura Volumers in liquid form. (Volumer=makeup that gives a dewy, shiny, plump look. It’s often liquid and can be mixed into liquid foundation and BB cream.)

Since I frequently wear mineral powder foundation and powder over my BB cushion, I thought the stick version would disturb my makeup less than the liquid version.

Baby Glow Stick is apparently the solid version of Nymph Aura Volumer in #3 Transparent. In the swatch, you can see that it adds a clear (no hint of pink), wet-looking shine:

Unfortunately, the Baby Glow Stick was a huge disappointment.

After applying my usual makeup (except for highlighting powder), I swirled a clean finger onto the stick and patted the volumer onto the various parts of my face where I wanted a glow: cheeks, chin, nose bridge, cupid’s bow. The shiny effect was visible in person although pretty hard to capture on camera without flash.

The disappointment came with the extremely short lasting power. When I took a look in the mirror an hour later, the shine was gone. Strangely though, I could still feel the product on my face for hours afterward; it feels balmy on the skin but doesn’t actually moisturize (despite the inclusion of ingredients like glycerin and argan oil).

I tried the volumer three times with the same results each time. It’s possible that my skin, which is on the dry side of normal, absorbed the product. Whatever the reason, it was a huge letdown and I went back to using highlighting powder.

Update: I tried this again atop just a BB cushion (Hanyul Luminant Cushion) thinking that maybe my finishing powder or mineral foundation was absorbing the volumer. Nope! Same results, so I’m concluding that this is just a bad product.

Pros: Clear, dewy shine. Packaging is well thought out (twist-up tube with a tiny clear cap to protect the surface from drying out).

Cons: Shockingly short lasting power. No moisturizing effect.