There is something deeply satisfying about scribbling on your face with a makeup stick. Also, convenient. Solid sticks of foundation eliminate the risk of smashed or leaky bottles, are more compact and portable than liquids and creams, and can mostly be blended with fingertips, dispensing with brushes and sponges. They can be applied in a more localised way than other types of foundation and are particularly useful when someone – often with a deeper skin tone – benefits from two shades of foundation and does not want them to merge into each other.
Sticks were all the rage for a few years, but fell from favour until Bobbi Brown’s excellent Skin Foundation Stick (£39) was practically the last one standing. Dior and Charlotte Tilbury recently revived the category and sticks are now enjoying a major comeback. Under the most scrutiny is Bobbi Brown herself, no longer a part of the eponymous brand, but helming the highly influential Jones Road. Her new Your Skin Foundation Stick (£36) is different from her groundbreaking Bobbi Brown formula, but exactly as I have come to expect from Jones Road – very moist, glowy and natural-looking. Although definitely not for everyone (including oily skins, and those who want full or matte coverage), it is a sure-fire winner with devotees of Brown’s pared-back aesthetic. There are 30 shades in a selection of undertones. It spreads like butter, though if longevity is a priority, you will need a setting spray. But expect a comfortable ride and a pretty, non-caked finish.
More surprising is Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Luminous Skin Tint Foundation Stick, £33. This is marketed as a solid version of the brand’s wildly popular Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer. In fact, it services the customer who finds the balm – as I do – patchy and drying. This one is a dewy, very-light-in-coverage skin tint (manage your expectations by forgetting the word “foundation” is even there) that needs just seconds of blending before it melts flatteringly into the skin. This has recently become my weekend makeup of choice, because it gives just enough colour and unglittery gleam to look healthy but still effortless, and does not feel makeup-y when you are nodding off during Saturday Kitchen.
As you can probably tell, both these new sticks work best for an oil-starved complexion. More balanced types can still indulge their Crayola makeup cravings with Dior and Bobbi Brown’s existing, and more universal, sticks.
