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.
Read more: Shop Vogue’s Edit Of The Best Concealers
Everyone’s make-up needs are different – some people will prioritise coverage, whereas others might be after a lightweight formula – which is why we’ve highlighted a selection of our favourite foundation sticks, each with varying properties and benefits. We focused on options packed with nourishing ingredients (think peptides and squalane) that offer a range of finishes and coverage options – and we also asked a few celebrity make-up artists to weigh in on what to look for in a foundation stick and how to apply it best. If you’re keen to make a purchase, consider Vogue’s guide essential reading material.
Read more: The Best Foundation For Every Skin Type
Vogue’s favourite foundation sticks:
In this story:
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. Make-up artist Katie Mellinger is also a fan, saying, “I love that the formula doesn’t appear too shiny and almost dries down to a semi-matte finish.”
- Key Ingredients: N/A
- Finish: Semi-matte
- 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, skin-like finish. Squalane, camellia seed, and coconut oil power this hydrating formula, which make-up 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-make-up make-up 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: Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint
- Why We Love It: If you like a little extra coverage – to balance out say, redness, or uneven skin – look no further than ABH’s cult foundation stick. It’s won hype for having the kind of formula that gets you an undetectable layer of product, which unifies the skin tone without looking caked on. Balmy, dewy, and buildable, it won’t completely camouflage features like freckles or blemishes, but perfects the complexion and imparts a gorgeous glow. I love it for no make-up make-up days, or in the summer when I want a lighter base.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptide complex
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium
- Shades: 16 shades
Best light coverage: Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint
- Why We Love It: Celebrity make-up artist Alexx Mayo describes this sheer, moisturising 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 colour 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: Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick
- Why We Love It: People on the darker end of the spectrum are often left out when it comes to foundation, which is why I have always appreciated the variety of deeper shades that Tom Ford’s Traceless foundation and concealer sticks are available in. Both have a versatile formula that can be built up to achieve as full coverage a look as you are after, and a soft luminosity that makes skin look as if its lit from within. It is a splurge, but given that it’s infused with supremely good skincare ingredients that blend like butter and actively smooth the skin, it’s a sound investment for a flawless base.
- Key Ingredients: Tom Ford Infusing complex, Morinda fruit extract, shine-controlling kaolin
- Finish: Luminous matte
- Coverage: Buildable coverage, from light to full
- Shades: 11 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, skin-like 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, advises 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 customise 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.
