Can Wet n Wild’s Stick Foundation Live Up to the Cult Favorite Original?

Putting the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick Foundation to the test. How well does it hold up to the HOLY GRAIL liquid formula? Let’s find out. (Contains Affiliate Links)

To this day, the Wet n Wild Photo Focus liquid foundation is one of my favorite foundations of all time. It’s a miracle product, really – and definitely out performs much pricier options from the higher end lines. Essentially, it’s a go-to wonder in my world. I can apply it in the morning and forget about it….till I wash it off my face at 11 pm, midnight or even later. It’s seriously, that good.

So I obviously had to get my hands on the Wet n Wild Photo Focus STICK foundation when it was released this spring. I had a good browse through the shades and decided on ‘Classic Ivory’ for myself and set out to discover the truth.

Could it possibly live up the original? I’ll be honest, I had my doubts.

Testing the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick Foundation 

Last month I picked up the new Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick foundation from W&W’s website during one of their mega-sales. Seriously, if you’re a fan of the brand and aren’t yet aware of their website…I highly recommend it. Not only will you be able to avoid playing hit-and-miss as you bounce from drugstore to drugstore trying to locate something – but you’ll also save loads of money. 

At 40% off $5.99, this bad boy cost me around $2.40. Steal! It’s worth noting, the fabulous original Photo Focus foundation is also a bargain at $6.49 a bottle. (And worth way more than that!)

Pricing wise, things are obviously fantastic…but like I said, I had my doubts. I just really didn’t see how the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick foundation could ever live up to the original. After all, it’s not easy to measure up to perfection – let alone top it. 

Giving it the old college try, I’ve used the foundation for several weeks now and am ready to report my findings! 

My First Impression

Right out the gate, I was a bit concerned. The foundation had almost an oily finish on my skin so I was immediately worried I’d end up looking like an oil spill exploded on my face. (Not good.) As I continued on, though, I have to say that the foundation does set really nicely. By the time I was finished with all the rest of my makeup I was feeling pretty good about the Wet n Wild Stick Foundation and hopeful that it would turn out to be a winner. 

Probably the biggest fear surrounding stick foundations in general is that they will be cake-y, but this definitely was not. It does still feel a bit awkward as though I’m applying deodorant to my face, but there was no cake-factor. Thank goodness!

How Long Does the Foundation Last?

Carrying on, I just want to get to this point immediately. The Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick foundation is definitely NOT a long-wearing product like the original formula. Where the liquid version can get me through 18-hour days…the stick only gave me around 4-5 hours. 

So…obviously right there, I was disappointed. I’m constantly juggling a busy schedule and simply don’t have the time to worry about my makeup when running around all day. While this could be quite beautiful for a night out, I definitely wouldn’t consider the stick version to be an everyday foundation. (The liquid version I do 100000% percent recommend as a long-wearing, everyday foundation.)

What’s the Finish and Coverage Like?

Satin, veering towards dewy. If you are looking for some glow, I think you’ll like the way this finishes. It’s also most definitely a full-coverage foundation. 

How Many Shades Are Available?

In total, the Wet n Wild Photo Focus stick foundation is available in twenty-one shades. That said, I think you’ll have to purchase directly from W&W if you want access to the full shade-range as I notice the stores are carrying more select shades. 

The color selection for darker skin tones is also, pretty poor. While there are numerous options for lighter skin with a multitude of undertones, there are only eight shades I’d consider dark and the variation between theme is pretty extreme. 

Great in Photos?

By design, the foundation is supposed to be great in flash photography and I would have to agree. Like I mentioned above, it really would be a great night-out foundation as it has a beautiful finish and photographs nicely (without flashback). 

My Overall Thoughts:

Honestly, the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Stick Foundation lived up to my expectations…which were that it would not come close to the original. I played around with different primers and powders, trying to stretch the amount of wear I’d get out of this before things turned greasy…with no success. It seems that no matter what you do, you’re only going to get 5 hours out of this one. Great for a night out, yes. Not for a long day. 

That said, there are a lot of positives about the foundation. It does, obviously, have a fantastic prize and wears considerably better on the skin than about 85% of the other drugstore foundations out there. That’s pretty impressive, I must say. I just feel you’re ultimately better off going with the original. It was fun for Wet n Wild to try expand the line of such a winning formula, but the saying “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” definitely comes to mind here. When you strike gold with a winning formula as they did with the Photo Focus liquid foundation, I totally understand the want to try and strike gold again…but they’re ending up with a silver medal for me.

The Pros:

• Fantastic price
• Great coverage and finish for a night out
• Photographs nicely with no flashback
• Blends evenly
• Is not cake-y like other stick products
• Lightweight formula that doesn’t settle into lines
• Certified cruelty-free

The Cons:

• Short wear-time of only 5 hours
• After 5 hours, your dewy glow will become an oil spill unless you diligently touch up with powder…around ever 30 minutes. #Impractical
• Poor shade range for darker skintones

Overall Grade: B-. I vote, skip the stick and stay with the liquid version.

For comparison sake, feel free to hop over to my review of Wet n Wild’s LIQUID Photo Focus foundation, here.

Shop the Post

Wet n Wild‘s Photo Focus Stick Foundation ($5.99)

Wet n Wild‘s Photo Focus Liquid Foundation ($6.49)

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Kelly

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