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The best stick foundations have a lot going for them. For starters, they’re buildable and hydrating and can even double as concealer for spot treatments. Their easy, press-and-unwind formats also make them perfect for on-the-go use, and many of these foundation formulas are enriched with skin-friendly ingredients to ensure breathable wear throughout the day.
Bearing in mind that everyone’s makeup needs are different, below we’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite foundation sticks. We focused on options packed with nourishing ingredients (think peptides and squalane) that also offer a range of finishes and coverage options. And we asked a few celebrity makeup artists to weigh in on what to look for in a foundation stick and how to apply it best.
Vogue’s Favorite Foundation Sticks:
- Best for Mature Skin: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, $68
- Best for Everyday: Ilia Skin Rewind Complexion Stick, $48
- Best Camera-Ready: Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation, $52
- Best Medium Coverage: Ami Cole Skin Enhancing Stick, $29
- Best for Concealing: Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick, $38
In This Story:
- What to Look for in a Foundation Stick
- What Are the Benefits of Stick Foundations?
- Who Should Use Stick Foundations?
- How to Apply Stick Foundations
- Meet the Experts
Best for Everyday: Ilia Skin Rewind Complexion Stick
- Why We Love It: If you’re rushing out the door but still want to apply a bit of foundation to even out your skin tone, this complexion stick from Ilia is just what you need. It offers medium coverage, but it’s buildable, so you can apply as much or as little as you like. We love that it’s packed with hydrating ingredients like a ceramide-peptide complex, winged-kelp extract, and butterfly-lavender extract. This keeps skin feeling hydrated all day long, without the sticky “I need to wash my face” feeling that some foundation sticks can leave behind. Also, there are 42 shades to choose from, so you can match the tint as closely as possible to your skin tone in the summer, winter, and everything in between.
- Key Ingredients: Ceramide-peptide complex, winged-kelp extract, butterfly-lavender extract
- Finish: Natural matte
- Coverage: Medium
- Shades: 42 shades
Best Full Coverage: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
- Why We Love It: The best thing about this foundation stick is that it’s truly a choose-your-own-adventure situation. You can build it up for full coverage or use it as a concealer to cover blemishes, redness, and other imperfections. Makeup artist Katie Mellinger is also a fan, saying, “I love that the formula doesn’t appear too shiny and almost dries down to a semimatte finish.”
- Key Ingredients: N/A
- Finish: Semimatte
- Coverage: Full
- Shades: 26 shades
Best for Mature Skin: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick
- Why We Love It: Gucci Westman’s foundation stick glides easily across the face for direct medium-coverage application. Alternatively, you can apply it to your hand and use a brush to transfer the product onto your face for a lighter and more natural, skinlike finish. Squalane, camellia seed, and coconut oil power this hydrating formula, which makeup artist Amrita Mehta says “is perfect if you’re aiming for a dewy look or have sensitive skin.”
- Key Ingredients: Vegetable-derived squalane, camellia-seed oil, berryflux vita extract, coconut oil
- Finish: Radiant finish
- Coverage: Medium
- Shades: 20 shades
Best for Concealing: Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
- Why We Love It: For those seeking a multitasker, Merit’s two-in-one complexion stick functions as both a foundation and spot concealer. A staple in Mehta’s kit for its weightless finish, she reaches for it whenever her clients are after a no-makeup makeup look. Vogue senior beauty writer Kiana Murden likes to keep a tube in her purse for touch-ups on the go.
- Key Ingredients: Fatty acids, sea-daffodil extract
- Finish: Lightweight finish
- Coverage: Light to medium
- Shades: 30 shades
Best Medium Coverage: Ami Colé Skin Enhancing Stick
- Why We Love It: Formulated specifically for darker skin tones, Mehta says Ami Colé’s foundation stick “offers medium coverage with a radiant finish while still being lightweight and comfortable.” With 16 shades to choose from, each stick is formulated with nourishing ingredients like baobab-seed oil and shea butter for a lit-from-within glow.
- Key Ingredients: Baobab-seed oil, shea butter
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium
- Shades: 16 shades
Best Light Coverage: Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint
- Why We Love It: Celebrity makeup artist Alexx Mayo describes this sheer, moisturizing formula, one of Charlotte Tilbury’s latest launches, as “unique,” adding that the “lightweight foundation is perfect for those seeking a natural boost to their skin.” Mayo also recommends using it as a subtle highlight on the high points of the face and body.
- Key Ingredients: Multi-molecular-weight hyaluronic-acid blend, vitamin E, daikon-radish-seed oil
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Light
- Shades: 20 shades
Best Blurring: Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blur + Smooth Tint Stick
- Why We Love It: Finding the perfect shade can be challenging, but not with this foundation stick from Fenty Beauty. “The color range in this formula is fantastic!” Mayo says. It’s an excellent product for those who prefer a natural matte finish with a blurring effect on the skin. “This product works wonders on normal to oily skin types and stays put throughout the day,” he adds.
- Key Ingredients: Murumuru butter, QuickBlur complex, sodium hyaluronate
- Finish: Second skin
- Coverage: Light to medium
- Shades: 25 shades
Best Camera-Ready: Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation
- Why We Love It: Mehta describes this as a great full-coverage and long-wearing option. “The satin finish gives you radiance where you want it without becoming overly oily, making it an excellent choice for long days or special events,” she adds. With just one swipe, you’ll see an instant improvement in tone and texture for that enviable glass-skin look.
- Key Ingredients: Barbarian-fig blossom
- Finish: Satin, natural
- Coverage: Full
- Shades: 18 shades
Best Shade Range: LYS Beauty Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick
- Why We Love It: LYS’s foundation stick comes in an impressive 22 shades, ranging from porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones) to espresso (deep skin with warm undertones). Mellinger says it’s a great pick for those with darker skin tones and emphasizes the benefits of the formula’s skin-care ingredients, like anti-inflammatory green-tea extract and antioxidant rose-hip oil. On application, you’ll be obsessed with its buttery-smooth texture—a benefit that keeps Murden constantly reaching for it.
- Key Ingredients: Green-tea extract, watermelon-seed extract, rose-hip oil
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium coverage
- Shades: 22 shades
Best Skinlike Finish: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick
- Why We Love It: The Bobbi Brown foundation stick has earned its status as a beauty-bag staple for its sheer, skinlike finish. Mayo explains: “This creamy, easy-to-blend, medium-coverage foundation is a quick and effortless way to even out your complexion, melting into the skin seamlessly.”
- Key Ingredients: Olive extract, shea butter, light diffusing powders
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium to full
- Shades: 31 shades
What to Look for in a Foundation Stick
When choosing a stick foundation, you should consider your skin type, the formula, the finish, and your desired coverage, says Mehta, who recommends a mattifying formula for oily skin and a hydrating one for dry skin.
It’s also important to be mindful of ingredients that agree with your skin. For dry or dehydrated skin, seek out formulas with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or squalane. If your skin is acne prone, opt for lighter, noncomedogenic ingredients like rose-hip oil and green-tea extract. For sensitive skin, choose soothing formulas with ingredients like peptides, ceramides, or other calming agents. “Since stick foundations are usually cream-based and full coverage, you’re applying more product to your skin and it tends to wear longer throughout the day,” adds Mellinger. “So you definitely don’t want to use anything that might irritate your skin or exacerbate skin issues.”
What Are the Benefits of Stick Foundations?
Since stick foundations are cream-based, they tend to wear longer; they’re also buildable, so you can easily customize your desired coverage. “They’re fantastic for contouring—just choose a shade darker than your skin tone,” Mellinger says. A darker shade can be used for bronzing and warming the skin, while a lighter shade can double as a highlighter.
The unwind-and-rewind format is also easy to apply and perfect for travel: Simply swipe directly from the tube to your skin and blend. “Even though they are full coverage, you can sheer out the coverage based on how you apply,” says Mellinger. “If you want a more sheer finish, use less product and blend it out with a damp sponge.”
Who Should Use Stick Foundations
“I find that stick foundations work best for normal to dry skin, primarily due to the ingredients, although some are formulated specifically for oily skin,” says Mellinger. However, anyone can use a stick foundation—just keep your skin type in mind when adjusting the coverage. “If you have more mature, oily, or dry skin, use less product and blend it out with a damp sponge for a more sheer application,” she advises. This helps prevent the foundation from emphasizing lines or other skin imperfections.
How to Apply Stick Foundations
“For fuller coverage, apply the stick directly to your face and blend with a brush, sponge, or fingers until seamless,” says Mehta. From there, apply more to areas where you need extra coverage. Mellinger likes to use a fluffy synthetic brush for this. “I apply the foundation directly to the brush and then blend it around the face.” You can also use a sponge in a stippling motion, building up coverage as you go.
“If you’d like more sheer coverage, I recommend applying the stick to the back of your hand to warm the product, then working it into the bristles of a fluffy brush,” Mehta says. “From there, use small circular motions on your face to create a more natural finish.” You can also use a small, precise brush to spot conceal any areas that need extra attention.
Meet the Experts
- Amrita Mehta is a New York–based makeup artist who has worked with brands such as Versace, Maybelline, and Nike.
- Katie Mellinger is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with Chloë Sevigny, Sofia Coppola, and Emma Watson.
- Alexx Mayo is a Los Angeles–based celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lizzo and Yvonne Orji.