Stick foundations are a great option for anyone to have in their makeup bag because they’re easy to apply (just swipe and blend), easy to pack, easy to build coverage with and easy to use for midday touchups. And whereas many stick foundations used to feel heavy on the skin, newer formulas like ILIA’s Skin Rewind Complexion Stick have a featherlight feel to them. There are also more shade options to choose from a la BASMA The Foundation Stick, which comes in 40 hues. Ready to try one? We’ve compiled our top picks for the best stick foundations ahead.
The 9 Best Stick Foundations to Swipe Now, Vetted by Editors and Reviewers
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Published Mar 26, 2024
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Paula Boudes for PureWow
The Best Stick Foundations At a Glance
1
Editor’s Pick
ILIA Skin Rewind Complexion Stick
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2
Best Overall
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
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3
Best Shade Match
Fenty Eaze Drop Stick Blur + Smooth Tint Stick Foundation
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4
Best for Combination Skin
MERIT The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
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5
Most Lightweight
Nudestix Tinted Blur Foundation Stick
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How We Chose the Best Stick Foundations
We asked PureWow editors to share their top picks for the best stick foundations. We also scoured the internet to see what brands and stick foundations were highly reviewed. From there, we looked at specific ingredients and considered other features like the texture, finish, shade range and price of each product to bring you this list of the nine best stick foundations.
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Oh, how I wish I had a foundation like this when I was younger and just starting to wear makeup. It’s virtually foolproof, thanks to its silky-smooth application and it has a soft, skin-like coverage that doesn’t crease or settle into my pores or even underneath my eyes, which are often dry. Also of note: It goes beyond makeup and has skincare ingredients in the formula, including a ceramide-peptide complex to strengthen the all-important skin barrier, as well as winged kelp extract to give dull, tired skin a touch of luminosity.
Fast Facts
- Coverage: medium
- Shade Range: 42 shades
- Finish: soft, natural
Despite my best intentions, I don’t always get around to washing my makeup brushes and sponges—which is another reason why I love using foundation sticks, especially when I’m traveling. I can quickly swipe one wherever I need coverage and blend away with my (clean) fingertips. This sleek stick from Hourglass Cosmetics is more pigmented than many others I’ve tried, able to camouflage acne scars and dark spots and it actually lasts a full day on my face. Also, the triangular tip is nice because it gets into the those hard-to-reach areas, like around your nose and mouth.
Fast Facts
- Coverage: full
- Shade Range: 32 shades
- Finish: natural
For PureWow's associate editor Chelsea Candelario, Fenty's Eaze Drop Stick Foundation is a must in her makeup routine. "I have a hard time finding a foundation that matches my complexion and this one by Fenty has put my woes to rest. It's easy to use and blends nicely onto the skin, whether I'm using a brush or my fingers. It's lightweight, offers a smooth finish and has a buildable coverage for any look. It has been my staple base for a couple of months now and I haven't looked at any other foundation since."
Fast Facts
- Coverage: light to medium
- Shade Range: 25 shades
- Finish: natural
If you have combination skin and prefer a softer, slightly matte finish, you may want to try this complexion stick. Creamy enough that it glides across your skin without dragging, yet lightweight enough that it blends seamlessly into your skin with a few taps, it hits the sweet spot in every way. “[This is] the only product that doesn’t make my under eyes look cakey,” shares one Sephora reviewer. “[It] gives me day to day minimal coverage and looks so natural. [And it has a] soft matte finish and it doesn’t break me out. I think it’s best for oily/combo skin types though.”
Fast Facts
- Coverage: light to medium
- Shade Range: 20 shades
- Finish: matte
Most Lightweight
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like the feeling of makeup on your skin, but you still want a little help with evening out your complexion, we’d suggest giving this jumbo stick a whirl. It has a featherlight texture and feel to it because it’s formulated with less wax than traditional foundation sticks. Simply swipe it over any blemishes or areas of discolorations you want to soften and blend to blur everything out just so, thanks to light-reflective mica. One Sephora reviewer enthuses, “This is a 5-in-1 stick that does wonders to my skin. It is exactly what I was looking for and more! This foundation is different from other foundation types I've used like liquid or powder. The application with stick was very easy and the results are great! It was quite long lasting.”
Fast Facts
- Coverage: light-to-medium
- Shade Range: 11 shades
- Finish: matte
If ingredients are of concern to you, we’d recommend this creamy stick formula from renowned makeup artist Gucci Westman (who, fun fact, used this exact foundation on Gwyneth Paltrow on her wedding day). Packed with natural antioxidants like camellia seed oil and vegetable-derived squalene, it glides and melts into skin upon application. All that’s left behind is a fresh and dewy finish—sans any silicones, parabens or synthetic fragrances.
Fast Facts
- Coverage: medium
- Shade Range: 21 shades
- Finish: dewy, satin
Fans of the brand’s Ultra HD Liquid Foundation may want to give the Ultra HD stick a try, as it has all of the same benefits—and is even easier to apply. No, seriously, it glides on without tugging or skipping over your skin and lays down solid coverage that doesn’t cling to pores or any textured areas. One reviewer at Sephora sums it up nicely: “This is a perfect foundation to use for anyone and any situation. It is very versatile and forgiving. You can be a complete beginner with makeup and get a great result from this foundation. At the same time, it can be built from very light to very high coverage and it can be finished in a variety of ways to achieve any look.”
Fast Facts
- Coverage: full
- Shade Range: 20 shades
- Finish: natural to dewy
Buttery soft with a buildable finish, this foundation stick’s star ingredient is apricot butter, which nourishes skin without being too greasy; it also features aloe vera and avocado oil to improve elasticity and further facilitate hydration in the skin. Hypoallergenic, fragrance- and paraben-free, it’s also praised for not causing breakouts or irritation.
“What I love about this product is it’s easy to use and so light and breathable that I don’t even notice I’m wearing foundation,” says one Sephora reviewer. “With that being said, it also covers all blemishes which is amazing! I doubled up and used a second shade as a concealer because I absolutely love the texture. Unlike other concealers, it’s doesn’t crease and cake later in the day! I also have sensitive skin, this formula does not cause redness or bumps which is a major plus.”
Fast Facts
- Coverage: medium
- Shade Range: 40 shades
- Finish: natural
When we were researching the best stick foundations, one that kept coming up in reviews was this one from Wet n Wild. Noted for its creamy texture and offering a smooth, semi-matte finish, it’s also infused with argan and sunflower seed oils to make it even easier to blend into your skin and keep dry patches from forming as it wears.
As one reviewer shares, “I have never used a stick foundation, as I was more of a liquid foundation person, so I was a little skeptical when buying it. The price seemed too good to be true but makes it a great value for your money! For me, the coverage results are great compared to other types and brands of foundation. The makeup lasts all day for me and covers all of my blemishes. It looks pretty natural, and leaves face feeling as it should (not dry or oily).”
Fast Facts
- Coverage: light-to-medium
- Shade Range: 21 shades
- Finish: semi-matte
What Is the Best Way to Apply Stick Foundation?
Our editors and makeup artists we’ve interviewed in the past agree that the best way to apply stick foundation is to swipe it over clean, moisturized skin. Apply it to any areas where you want coverage and blend it in by taking a damp makeup sponge like a BeautyBlender and tapping it into your skin to finish.
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PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.