Tired of carrying around a bulky makeup bag? Makeup sticks are the modern multitaskers your beauty routine needs—effortlessly working as eyeshadow, blush, and a sheer lip color. Whether you’re doing a quick 10-minute look or simplifying your travel kit, streamlining your products isn’t just practical—it’s stylish.
“As someone always on the go, a single product that does three things is perfect for speeding up my routine,” says celebrity makeup artist Jen Tioseco. She loves cream formulas that blend easily and work on multiple features.
### Vogue’s Top Multipurpose Makeup Sticks
– Best Glow: Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Glow Stick, $48
– Best for Precision Color: Make Up For Ever Artist Color Eye Lip Brow Pencil, $24
– Best Drugstore: e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick, $5
– Best Foundation Stick: Merit The Minimalist Stick, $38
– Best for Shading: Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stylus, $38
Warmer weather is the perfect time to embrace a lighter touch. These creamy, blendable formulas give weightless, dewy coverage—no brushes needed. Minimalist, effortless, and endlessly wearable, multi-use sticks simplify your routine while saving time and space. Here are eight editor-approved picks for easy, all-over color.
—
### Best Glow: Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
Price: $45
Why We Love It: “This product is like painting with light,” says Tasha Reiko Brown. It’s a great one-product wonder for all skin types, adding vibrancy and hydration wherever applied. Use it as a subtle highlighter or a sheer eyeshadow for a fresh, awake look.
Key Ingredients: Synthetic wax, carnauba wax
Finish: Luminous
Shades: 6
—
### Best for Shading: Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stylus
Price: $38
Why We Love It: The ultra-slim design makes this perfect for precise contouring or as an eyeshadow stick. Draw lines on cheeks, nose, or jaw and blend with your finger. The buildable formula ensures you never apply too much.
Ingredients: Squalane, linefill, blue lotus wax
Finish: Natural
Shades: 4
—
### Best for Precision Color: Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil
Price: $24
Why We Love It: Beauty writers love this pencil—Kiana Murden swears by Limitless Brown, while Conçetta Ciarlo can’t get enough of Endless Cacao. Though mainly used as a lip liner, it also works as eyeshadow, brow filler, contour, and even blush (as seen in makeup artist Emily Wood’s TikTok tutorials). Oh, and J.Lo is a fan too.
Key Ingredients: Hydrogenated palm glycerides, synthetic wax
Finish: Matte
Shades: 12
—
### Best Multi-Finish: Ilia Multi-Stick
Price: $34
Why We Love It: Ilia’s multi-stick gives a natural flush wherever applied—cheeks, lips, or eyes. The creamy formula blends effortlessly for a fresh, lived-in look.
Finish: Dewy to satin
Shades: 6
Simplify your routine with these versatile sticks—less clutter, more glow.Here’s the rewritten text in fluent, natural English:
—
Shea Butter-Infused Cream Stick
This creamy stick glides effortlessly onto the skin, thanks to its shea butter formula. With an ultra-lightweight texture, it’s perfect for a natural, no-makeup look, leaving a soft rosy finish. Senior fashion market editor Madeline Fass loves it for subtle eye color, and celebrities like Brooke Shields and Diana Silvers are fans too.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, avocado oil, orange peel wax
Type: Cream
Finish: Luminous or natural
Shades: 12
Size: 0.15 oz
—
Best Sheer Finish: NARS The Multiple Stick
Price: $39 (Nordstrom, BlueMercury)
Why We Love It: This multi-stick isn’t quite a blush or highlighter—it strikes the perfect balance of subtle glow. Designed for versatility, you can use it on cheeks, eyes, lips, or even collarbones for a dewy look. The cream-to-powder formula blends easily, leaving a sheer wash of color, enriched with vitamin E and açaí oil.
Key Ingredients: Microcrystalline wax, candelilla wax, glycerin, tocopherol
Type: Cream-to-powder
Finish: Luminous
Shades: 3
Size: 0.5 oz
—
Best Complexion Stick: Merit The Minimalist Stick
Price: $38 (Merit)
Why We Love It: Merit’s two-in-one stick works as both foundation and concealer, offering lightweight, buildable coverage. Developed with aesthetician Biba de Sousa, it contains fatty acids and sea daffodil extract to hydrate and reduce dark spots. Celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf loves it for mature skin, as it doesn’t settle into fine lines. Pro artist Amrita Mehta also swears by it for a natural, long-wearing look. Plus, it comes in an impressive 30 shades.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, fatty acids, sea-daffodil extract
Type: Cream
Finish: Natural
Shades: 30
Size: 0.23 oz
—
Best for Shimmer-Free Color: Jones Road Lip + Cheek Stick
Price: $36 (Jones Road)
Why We Love It: This glossy (not shimmery) stick works as a dewy blush or tinted lip balm, delivering a natural flush of color. Castor oil, packed with fatty acids and vitamin E, helps plump skin and smooth fine lines—great for dry or mature skin.
Key Ingredients: Castor oil, synthetic wax, titanium dioxide
Type: Cream
Finish: Natural
Shades: 8
Size: 0.32 oz
—
Best Drugstore: e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick
Price: $4–$5 (Amazon)
Why We Love It: For an affordable, pigmented multi-stick, e.l.f.’s cream-to-powder formula is a steal—cheaper than a coffee! The lightweight, non-greasy texture blends easily on eyes, lips, and cheeks. Plus, the compact size makes it perfect for on-the-go touch-ups.
Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, shea butter, vitamin E, mica, microcrystalline wax
Type: Cream-to-powder
Finish: Luminous
Shades: 7
Size: 0.16 oz
—
The Benefits of Multi-Use Makeup Sticks
In short, multi-purpose sticks save time, reduce clutter, and keep your look cohesive. They’re perfect for breaking the rules—use one product on multiple areas for a seamless, effortless finish.
—
Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!How to Use a Multi-Purpose Makeup Stick for Effortless Beauty
Makeup sticks are a game-changer for creating a cohesive look with minimal effort. Celebrity makeup artist El Debratto explains that they help tie the face together, ensuring your makeup looks harmonious.
Anastasia Vavina, another pro artist, agrees, emphasizing that fewer products mean faster glam. She recommends a “one-and-done” approach—using the same shade on cheeks, eyes, or even lips for a natural, flushed effect.
### How to Apply a Multi-Purpose Makeup Stick
Experts love makeup sticks for their foolproof, beginner-friendly application.
– Finger Application: Jen Tioseco prefers using fingers to warm up the product for seamless blending.
– Direct Application: Hannah Isobel Busst suggests swiping the stick directly onto skin and blending upward with fingertips.
– Brush Option: If you prefer brushes, Tioseco recommends a dual-sized brush—larger side for cheeks, smaller side for lips and eyelids.
### Meet the Experts
– Meredith Baraf – Works with Brooke Shields, Erin Andrews, and Nasim Pedrad.
– El Debratto – A New York-based editorial artist with clients like Coco Rocha and Glamour Magazine.
– Hannah Isobel Busst – London-based pro who’s collaborated with Victoria Beckham Beauty, Dsquared², and more.
– Amrita Mehta – New York artist known for working with Aoki Lee Simmons and Sophia Culpo.
– Tasha Reiko Brown – Chanel makeup artist for Gabrielle Union, Michael B. Jordan, and Alicia Keys.
– Jen Tioseco – L.A.-based artist behind looks for Madelyn Cline, Camila Mendes, and Gwen Stefani.
– Anastasia Vavina – New York-based makeup and hair artist featured in Numero Netherlands and Elle.