This Makeup Must-Have is the Secret to Looking Effortlessly Gorgeous (2025)

Makeup sticks might just be our best secret to creating a five-minute makeup routine that's easy, gorgeous, and ideal for everyone from busy minimalists to those with mature skin. "Makeup sticks are so easy to apply because they're cream-based, so you can swipe them directly onto the skin," says Neil Scibelli, a New York City-based celebrity makeup artist. "They're also super convenient for travel and mid-day touch-ups." We love that the creamy formulas hydrate and glide onto the skin without skipping across or settling into uneven texture, and they blend into skin easily; typically, we just use our fingers to pat the color in a bit. There's a makeup stick for every step in your routine: foundation, blush, bronzer, lip color, highlighter, and even eyeshadow. "Oftentimes they're multi-use as well, which saves valuable beauty real estate," says makeup artist Suzy Gerstein.

Clearly, we're big fans of these mighty wands for their ability to put together a full face of makeup with ease, control, and precision. Want a smoother complexion? Apply a foundation stick for effortless coverage. Love a chiseled jawline? There's a bronzer or contour stick that'll sculpt you right up. Or, do you prefer a fresh and radiant look? Mix a little bit of blush and highlighter stick for that lit-from-within glow.

How to Apply Makeup Sticks

The beauty of these formulas is that you really can swipe, blend, and go. To ensure your makeup stays in place all day, apply the formula in thin layers, advises Gerstein, who adds that if you want to try a pro technique you can swirl the stick on the back of the hand to warm up the product before applying it either with fingers or a brush. "This helps me control the amount of product that ends up on my face," she says. You can also use a damp beauty sponge or makeup brush, which Scibelli recommends for complexion sticks, like foundation or bronzer.

If you're not already using a makeup stick (or two or three) in your routine, then this is your sign to start. Ahead, shop our favorite picks as well as makeup artist-approved options.

Ogee is known for its convenient and pigmented makeup sticks. RaeDawn Johnson, Gayle King's go-to makeup artist, says the complexion stick is one of her favorites for its ability to even out skin tone and smooth your skin. Its formula contains nourishing pracaxi seed oil and patchouli leaf extract to create an incredibly moisturizing feel and an easy-to-blend texture that doesn't settle into fine lines. Shop it in 20 shades.

"I use the Merit flush balms on repeat," says Gerstein. "They work both under and over powder blush for a long-lasting finish, melt into the skin, give the perfect glowy kiss of color, and are just so easy to throw in your bag and apply on the go." The curved sticks are available in 12 shades, ranging from neutral hues to vibrant pops of color. Scibelli is also a fan of this brand, specifically the Sheer Sculpting Bronzers, for its buttery formulas.

"I've never met a glowier complexion stick," says Oprah Daily beauty editor Genesis Rivas. "I like to think of it as a mix between a highlighter and tinted moisturizer because the coverage is light but buildable." Available in 20 shades, it evens out your skin tone while imparting the dewiest and most radiant finish. It also contains hydrating skincare, like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to make skin look plump and juicy. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may want to strategically place this on areas that don't get shiny because its glowing finish can emphasize some texture.

Both makeup experts waxed poetic about these shadow sticks, and for good reason. "These eyeshadow sticks are mainstays in my kit," says Gerstein. "The formula has a nice slip to it that gives you some play time to smudge it into place with brushes or fingers before it sets down for all-day wear." Scibelli also praises these sticks and says he's been using them on clients for years.

Whether you want to define your jawline and cheekbones or warm up your complexion to look like you have a summertime glow, you can't go wrong with these ultra-soft and creamy sticks. They glide onto the skin like butter and blend out effortlessly. Bonus points for the packaging; the dual-ended stick features makeup on one end and a brush on the other end. "The brush is a legit makeup brush; it's soft and creates a natural, pretty flush. But don't let that intimidate you! I've applied this on a bumpy commute without a mirror—it's foolproof," says beauty director Kate Sandoval Box. It comes in seven shades as well as in a mini size.

"Nudestix might be one of the first brands that showed me the beauty of a makeup stick," says Rivas. The brand is all about multi-use formulas that make makeup application easy, quick, and beautiful. "You can shop bronzers, shadows, and blushes, but the highlighters are one of my favorites because they aren't shimmery or glittery. They make your skin look hydrated and radiant," Rivas says. You can find them in six wearable shades for all skin tones.

This dual-ended makeup stick is practically all you need to pull off an entire routine because you can apply the two complementary hues on your eyes, lips, and cheeks to get a full face of color. "I love to keep one of these in my travel tote; I often apply the matte bronze-y shade to my eyelids and as a cheek contour and then add the dewy pink hue to my lips, cheekbones, and the center of my lids," Sandoval Box says. But feel free to play and customize your makeup to your preferences, whether you're using these shades as highlighter, bronzer, blush, lipstick, or eyeshadow. Choose from three dual-ended sticks.

Think of this as a skin tint plus skincare conveniently packaged in a ready-to-apply stick. Available in 16 shades, you can use this to even out your skin tone, highlight, or contour your complexion. The coverage is sheer, making it perfect for daily wear or a no-makeup makeup look. The formula is loaded with beneficial skincare, including hyaluronic acid microspheres (to help plump skin), peptides, nourishing coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba seed oil.

This blush won over the hearts of our Oprah Daily staffers upon first swipe, which is why it won a 2024 beauty award. It's a serum-meets-blush stick that contains hardworking ingredients, like fermented arnica to reduce redness and goji berry complex to plump skin. It’s available in eight shades, and you can build the pigment to your liking, whether you prefer a soft, diffused look or believe there’s no such thing as too much blush. “My favorite part is the glassy finish. It instantly makes skin look healthy and dewy,” says Rivas.

"This is one of my favorite color stick options because you can use it on the eyes, cheeks, and lips," says Scibelli. "It contains hyaluronic acid, which is going to hydrate and give the skin a more plumped, dewy finish. The shade is universally flattering and can be layered as well." You can find this option at any local drugstore for a budget-friendly price. Talk about a win-win.

Our beauty team is dedicated to finding you the best of the best formulas. We spoke with makeup experts to learn about the benefits of makeup sticks, and what to look for, and got their go-to recommendations. We also researched and tested top-rated and brand-new formulas that hit the market to help you find the best products out there.