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Last Updated on March 5, 2025 by Eve Dawes
Glow up with DIBS Beauty Sticks: Comparing every blush, contour & highlighter!
Dibs beauty stick Desert Island Duo is their award winning number 1 best seller that I’ve had in my makeup bag for years ever since my makeup artist recommended it to me. However, they’ve come out with so many other blush, contour, and highlighter sticks and products since then I thought it was time to try them out to make sure I was still using the best Dibs makeup for me. I tested every formula to compare and help you find the perfect products for your makeup routine. What makes each one different? What’s the best way to apply them? Time to review and find out which Dibs products and shades are best for you?
This review contains affiliate links and gifted items.
Make makes Dibs beauty so good
What I love about Dibs makeup, besides how long lasting their formulas are and how pretty the finishes are, is that they’re vegan, cruelty-free, free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and many more controversial ingredients. As well as dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested and were created for what real people actually want.
A lot of their products also have skincare ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Jojoba seed oil as well as their signature vanillin scent. Don’t worry it’s not overpowering or sickly. It’s very light and slightly sweet and I’ve never even noticed the scent on my face!
Dibs Beauty Review: Blush, Contour & Highlighter Explained!
My honest review some of Dibs makeup best sellers to help you find out which DIBS blush, contour, and highlighter is best for you. From matte to high shine finishes, pinks to bronzes, creams to powders here’s all of the different ways to apply & layer them. Plus tips to create flawless looks andsome ways you might not have thought of to use them.
As well as how to find the right shades and products for you and my new personal favorite. I know it’s a long one! But I wanted to show you how to apply and use them different ways to get the most out of your products.
Dibs beauty stick | Desert Island Duo
Desert Island Duo has been my go to cream blush and contour for years! Spoiler alert, I’m not sure how much I’ll use it now that I’ve fallen in love with the GlowTour Duo. However, I think if you have oily or combination skin you might prefer this. In the video above I demoed this on one side and the GlowTour Duo on the other so that you can see the difference in finishes.
The shade I have is Shade 2 – You Do You / Mood Boost. Which they call a nude pink but I’d call more of a bright cool pink. The bronzer side is a neutral tan contour.
It’s super easy to apply. You just swipe the darker contour shade along the areas you wish to add definition and blend upwards, preferably with Dibs Duo Brush for the Face. You can also use your fingertips to apply and blend. Then add the blush-highlighter shade to the areas you wish to add color and shimmer. You can do this either straight from the stick, with your fingers or using the brush again. I found that you don’t even need a highlighter with this because it’s super glowy already.
Because Dibs beauty products are designed to be layered I’m going to put this over both of these to show you what that looks like if you want a really long wearing, custom color. Then I’ll show you it on it’s own. You can create so many different finishes and custom blended color with these, they’re really fun to play with.
Dibs GlowTour Duo in Aura
I wasn’t brave enough to try their GlowTour Duo in Aura as I thought it might be too pink and too shiny. It’s a pH-powered shimmering blush and highlighter side which matches your natural pH to create a custom-to-you pink flush along with a clear dewy highlighter for a glistening finish.
Dibs GlowTour Duo
Dibs GlowTour Duo is another highly pigmented, double-ended blush and bronzer contour beauty stick from Dibs makeup but it has more shimmer and an ultra-creamy contour VS the more matte OG Desert Island Duo.
It comes in 4 new shades in cooler tones than the original Desert Island Duo. I got it in Starlit which is a Peachy Coral Glow and Light Cool Beige Contour. As I wanted something different to the bright pink Desert Island Duo I already have. Like all of Dibs beauty sticks, it’s creamy, buildable, and blends really easily.
This applies the same way as the Desert Island Duo and is super easy to apply, build coverage and blend in. They’re all highly pigmented so a little goes a long way and you can easily add more. Like most of their products it has skincare ingredients too which includes:
- Shea Butter
- Vitamin E
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Vanillin
Like most of Dibs makeup, it can either be used on it’s own or layered with your favorite original Duo shades to add more shine and highlight. I shared both ways in the video.
Why I fell in love with the product was the Starlit shade was perfection on me and the rolling highlighter was so pretty and flattering. Because it’s built into the blush, it looks so natural versus a hard line across your cheekbone. I also found it hydrating and it didn’t settle into or accentuate my fine lines and crows feet which is an issue I have with a lot of other products! I am well and truly sold on this and might have to try more shades to play with!
Dibs Duo Brush Face | Double ended face brush
This is Dibs original cream and powder duo brush and I wish I’d found it sooner. Because it’s the softest brush ever and perfect for blending, setting, building & smoothing. Listen, you know I’m not the hype girl but I can’t help it with their products. I’m so impressed, and having my own custom makeup company I’m hard to impress.
With a 58,000 person waitlist and a favorite of The Today Show – meet our iconic Duo Brush Face! Dibs
The large rounded brush head is for your powder products and the slightly denser, angled brush side is for your cream products. It’s made with high quality synthetic brush hairs and a great multi-tasking brush.
Dibs Status Stick
If you’re looking for a non-sticky, non-greasy, transfer resistant face and body highlighter check this out. It can be used for head to toe shimmer but I prefer to use it on just my décolletage, shoulders, chins, cupids bow and the end of my nose.
It comes in 3 shades and this is High Road Highlight. You can use it on its own as it has lots of hydrating ingredients like Jojoba seed oil and Mango seed butter. Personally I prefer to layer it on top of my body moisturizer as my skin gets really dry here in Vegas.
To apply: You can apply directly with the stick and then blend with their (Every)Body Brush or Duo Brush Face for seamless application.
What I liked about this is that it gives a luxe skin-enhancing sheen rather than being too glittery. It’s also easy to apply and blend for an instant glow-up whether you use their contoured brush or the stick. Another bonus is, you know how a lot of body highlighters can end up on your clothes, well this one is transfer-resistant.
Dibs Duet Baked Blush 3-in-1 Blush, Highlighter + Topper
If you prefer a powder to cream formula or even if you don’t you might want to give this one a chance! It’s another great multi-tasking product from Dibs beauty for that sunset glow. This shimmering powder compact is designed to be used as a blush, topper, or highlighter or all 3.
It comes in 5 shades and the one I have is Starstruck, which is a Poppy Peachy-Coral and Golden Bronze that I thought would be great for the summer or whenever I use self tanner.
How to apply Dibs baked blush
To apply you can either wear the 2 shades individually or blend them by brushing the dome from one or both sides for a custom glow. There’s no right or wrong with this but I found swiping the larger side of the double-ended Duo Brush Face so that the top was on the bronzer and the bottom on the blush worked best application wise for me.
Then tap or swipe it onto your skin wherever you want that sun-kissed rolling glow. By rolling glow, which I talked about before with the GlowTour, I mean that it moves with you like a natural highlight rather than being a fixed highlight on your cheekbone.
Pro tip: Because all of their products are highly pigmented, build the color slowly. It’s easier to apply more than to take it off!
What I like about this talc free all-in-one blush, topper, and highlighter is that like most of their other blushes it has hydrating jojoba and macadamia oils. I tend to avoid powder highlighters as the issue I have with most powder formulas is that they sit in and highlight my fine lines making them look worse. Not the look I’m going for! Whereas as this is a talc-free baked formula which amplifies your glow incredibly well while blurring texture and smoothing imperfections.
Ok, I didn’t look like an air-brushed canvas, but it’s so much more flattering than most powders I’ve tried. I also loved how much glow and color pay off it gave.
Which Dibs beauty stick and face product is right for me
If you prefer a more matte look or have oily or combination skin I think you’ll prefer the Desert Island Duo. There’s also a lot more shades, especially warmer shades to choose from. Plus you don’t have to worry about it breaking in your travel bag like you do with powder compacts. I have dropped way too many to count!
If you prefer cooler tones and a more glowy finish, check out the GlowTour Duo which has really streamlined my makeup bag. I hate clutter and this is awesome especially for traveling. Its also cuts down the cost of having so many products too.
If you want more sunset shades and an even more high shine product, the baked blush is worth looking into. It’s definitely going to be a part of my summer makeup looks and will be coming with me on my summer beach vacation.
The Dibs double ended makeup brush is right for everyone. If you’re serious about your application I highly recommend this fool proof brush. As it’s designed to give you the best application of their beauty sticks and powders.
How to find the right Dibs colors
If you’re not sure what shade to get, Dibs beauty has 2 complimentary virtual shade finder services. I definitely suggest doing this as it’s free and it makes finding the perfect color for you so much easier.
Shop Dibs Beauty
From beauty sticks and baked blushes to contour sticks and highlighters, these are some on my favorite Dibs makeup products and the best makeup brushes to apply them with. As well as the ones on my wishlist.
