I sampled the foundation in store before purchasing it. An employee applied it for me with the tarte foundation brush thats meant to be paired with it. I use the shade medium sand which literally is the perfect match for my skin tone. I have never found another foundation that matches my skin as close as the tarte clay stick so thats the main reason i decided to purchase it… but also because i walked around the store for about an hr and a half, and once i was finally done shopping i took a look at the foundation and it didnt seep into any pores, or exaggerate any finelines. It also felt sooo velvety soft on my skin. I use the sigma F80 kabuki brush to apply this foundation at home, but i also prime and set while doing my makeup, & so far im still loving it. My skin is combo/oily… im very picky with foundations bc most make me look like a grease pile after a cpl hours but the clay stick did not! ❤️ the longest ive worn it was about 7 hours and for me it honestly did not budge… itd be a tiny bit shiny in the t-zone after about 5 hours but id just touch it up with setting powder and it was all good to go. I havent had it long so i cant tell how long one stick will last… i dont pile foundation on so i think it will last a decent amount of time. If you like FULL coverage, this may not be for you… its definitely a medium coverage foundation in my opinion. I would just recommend trying before you buy! Everybodys skin is different so what works for me may not work for someone else