Love & Kate: Katherine Cosmetics WOW Stick Review & Swatches

I’m usually a mineral powder or cushion foundation gal. But lately, when I’m #blessed with a good skin day, I’ve been venturing outside my comfort zone with this K-Sport “WOW” Stick SPF 20 ($36) by Katherine Cosmetics (I got mine for a discount through an “inflooencer netwerk”).

“WOW” Stick is basically Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint (see my review)/Milk Sunshine Skin Tint in stick form: translucent, dewy sheen and very low coverage.  (Before & after pics below.)

Essentially a giant twist-up balm, it can be applied by swiping directly onto skin or–my preferred method–by using fingertips to warm and pick up the product and smooth onto skin.

It’s best for those who want a moisturizing base and like the dewy sheen, which lasts all day.

Light Medium matches my skin right now (NC20), although I wonder whether it’ll look dark when my skin fades to NC15 in the winter. After all, it’s sheer but still tinted.

It’s swatched next to Katherine Cosmetics’ Everyday Concealer in Light, a yellow-toned NC20-25 that matches my skin almost perfectly, maybe just a smidge darker. (No reverse panda eyes here.)

As a bonus, it has broad-spectrum SPF 20 courtesy of some chemical filters (of course I always apply sunscreen separately to ensure I’m fully protected–have I mentioned my balls yet? Teehee).

Now for the most impressive part: it filled in my nose pores! Not in a siliconey way, but in the way that you’d expect a balm to smooth over skin.  Coverage is very low with just some slight diffusion of redness and evening out of skin tone. But it makes enough of a difference that I’ll take a minute to apply this when I step out to the Whole Foods hot bar.

Compared to Glossier’s and Milk’s tints, “WOW” Stick is better for my skin.  It’s superior at smoothing over texture and Nose Pores From Hell.

With Glossier and Milk (and all liquid bases in general), the makeup often looks a bit dry and applies patchily between my eyebrows and around my nose. (Can you tell I have a thing about my nose?) I get that even when my skin is well moisturized and looks smooth. I’m guessing the Stick’s heavier and more moisturizing balm formula prevents the usual flakiness.

Btw, it’s also marketed as a primer, but I don’t use it as one.  Although cream blush blended really well on top, it doesn’t control oil and is not as weightless as a conventional primer.

Pros: Applies smoothly, travel-friendly, fills in pores, moisturizing, and long-lasting dewy sheen. Not tested on animals.

Cons: No oil control and can look oily without a little powder. Very low coverage.

Katherine K-Sport “WOW” Stick SPF 20 Ingredients