Hi friends!
I’ve been wanting to do this post for some quite some time, but for some reason or other I’m just getting around to it now. So, you know I love me a good cream texture when it comes to makeup; it’s just my absolute favorite! They’re lovely to blend, and they just give the most beautiful, natural effect on the skin.
But what’s even better than a cream? Well, one that comes in the form of a stick of course! Who doesn’t want quick & easy makeup that you can literally draw on?? If you only have a few minutes to get ready everyday and don’t want to mess around with powders & brushes, I definitely recommend grabbing yourself a stick!
Nowadays you can pretty much get an entire face of makeup in stick form. Everything from primer, foundation, & concealer to eyeshadow, blush, bronzer and beyond. You can get sticks in every price bracket as well, all the way down from Wet n’ Wild and up to Tom Ford. They’re everywhere, so let’s get into why I think they’re so quick & easy to use.
NO-FUSS APPLICATION
Like I mentioned earlier, stick makeup allows you to essentially draw on your makeup. Yes, you will need to still blend the product in of course, but sticks give you the option of completely foregoing brushes or sponges if you so desire. Using the warmth of your fingers really helps to meld product into the skin for an effortless appearance. Sticks also give you a lot more control over where you place your product, as opposed to using powder and a brush which can sometimes get out of control very quickly. Therefore it should take you less time overall to achieve your look when using a stick product.
If you’re looking for insanely easy-to-apply eyeshadow sticks, I’d recommend either the Bobbi Brown Long–Wear Cream Shadow Sticks or the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks. Both blend out like absolute dreams and are retractable.
Read this: The 2018 beauty discoveries I’m obsessed with!
COMPACT PACKAGING
This is a bit of a no-brainer, but it needs to be said. If you’re either a dedicated makeup-on-the-go person, or a touch-up-throughout-the-day kinda person, you can easily just throw stick makeup into your bag or travel bag. For example, if you like to touch up or reapply coverage to your face throughout the day, using a stick eliminates the mess that liquid foundations often cause. You don’t have to worry about pouring or pumping anything onto the back of your hand first; you just go straight on with the stick.
I personally haven’t tried many stick foundations or concealers but my mom absolutely loves the Clinique Chubby in the Nude Foundation Stick. But there are so many drugstore foundation sticks out there these days you could try.
IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL
A lot of stick makeup products, especially eyeshadows, have built-in longevity. They give you a certain amount of playtime to blend and shape, but then they set for long-wear. The amount of playtime you get will of course depend on the product.
For instance, in my experience both the Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colors and the Charlotte Tilbury Color Chameleons have a much shorter playtime than either the By Terry Ombre Blackstars or the Pixi Beauty Endless Shade Sticks, for instance. So you have to work a bit quicker, but they both have amazing longevity (9+ hours without any creasing or much wear).
Now if you have oily or combo skin, you may find you still need to set creams with either a powder on top, or a primer underneath to get the most wear. This may be especially true if you use a foundation or concealer stick as well.
Read this: Top 5 cream blushes you need in your collection
VARIETY OF FINISHES
Stick makeup comes in a variety of finishes. This is especially true when it comes to color cosmetics, like eyeshadows, blushes, highlighters & bronzers. So if you’d rather not have to layer products to get a certain finish, you really don’t have to.
You can get shimmery, pearl, matte or even glittery finishes available in stick form. The Bobbi Brown & Laura Mercier sticks offer a ton of variety for the eyes, and don’t forget about Milk Makeup! A brand that’s entire ethos is centered on quick & easy makeup using creams and sticks. My mom swears by their matte stick bronzer in the shade Baked, which appears to be sold out everywhere online right now.
So what do you guys think of stick makeup? Have you tried it? Do you have any favorites? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
PIN IT!
