You know one of ’em popular The Multiple sticks by NARS? I don’t know why, but I’ve never been compelled to buy of those. I’ve played with them a lot in store yet have never been tempted to get at least one to try out. I adore their powder blushes but when it came to The Multiples, meh … I’m happy to give them a miss. When Face of Australia sent me their Lumi-Tint Illumnating Sticks for review, I must admit I was sceptical. They look mighty similar to the NARS Multiples and given that I’m not a fan of the latter, I had to wonder how the Lumi-Tints would work.

I had a look at the available shades and given that most of them are bronzing and highlighting sticks, I gave those a miss and decided to try the one that resembled cream blush on a stick instead, which was the Hydra Haven. Now do bear in mind that since I do not own a NARS Multiple, I cannot compare the Face of Australia’s Lumi-Tint to a Multiple. But what I can and will do is share my thoughts on how this Hydra Haven worked for me.

The Lumi-Tint in Hydra Haven is just as I called it, a cream blush on a stick. By slowly unscrewing the bottom of the stick, the blush stick appears. When the product is new and unused, it contains a sharp “edge” around the blush which I’m not a fan of. I’m assuming this was due to the firm packing of the cream blush into the stick that caused that sharp bit. When I swatched the new stick on the back of my hand, it didn’t only feel sharp on my skin; lots of hardened bits of blush chipped off on the skin.

This may sound like a problem but really, it’s just a mild inconvenience. In order to “shave” the hardened bits that form the sharp edge on the circumference of the blush stick, I rubbed it on the back of my clean hand, rolling the sides on my skin until the surface is smooth and the edges are round. This is what the blush stick should have looked like when new but hey, nothing a quick roll on the hand can’t fix.

Hydra Haven is a peachy pink shimmery cream blush. Instead of swiping the product directly on my cheeks, I swirl my finger on the surface and then dab it on my cheeks. It may feel dry when doing that on a new product (which is why I recommend rubbing the product on the skin to remove the uppermost layer first) but as you use keep using it, it will be creamy. It feels slightly tacky to the touch when applying but it dries fairly quickly on the cheeks. It gives a beautiful glow on the cheeks and looks very good when sunlight hits the tops of the cheeks.

The Lumi-Tint (at least the one in Hydra Haven) produce the same results as Face of Australia’s Mineral Therapy Illuminators. Personally, I much prefer the Mineral Therapy Illuminators as they don’t feel as dry as the Lumi-Tints. Of course, the latter would serve as a much better travelling companion and something that I won’t hesitate bringing with me when I’m traveling but if we’re talking about daily regular use, I prefer the creamier Mineral Therapy Illuminators.

Face of Australia’s Lumi-Tint Illuminating Sticks are limited edition (another limited edition? Why does FOA keep coming up with limited edition products?), are available in 4 shades (Hydra Haven, When In Rome, Tuscan Sun and Santorini) and retail at AU$12.95 each. Face of Australia is available at Priceline, Kmart and Big W stores nationwide.

What I like about it: I cannot vouch for the rest of the shades but the Hydra Haven gives the skin a very healthy glow on the skin. Perfect for summer!

What I do not like about it: Sharp edges when new and unused. The hardened bits that form the sharp bits flake on the skin when the Lumi-Tint is first used. I recommend rubbing the surface and rolling the edges a few times first before use.

Have you tried Face of Australia’s Lumi-Tints? What about those popular NARS The Multiples? Are you a fan of these cream blush/bronzer/highlighter sticks?