Problem Solvers

These make up multi-taskers will become your handbag heroes

If you’re more ‘do my make up on the bus’ than spend an hour getting gorgeous, then you need our edit of super-fast fixes. Versatile and convenient, these quick sticks are practically foolproof – perfecting, brightening and glow-giving with nothing more than a sweep and a smudge with your fingertip.

Or, if you’re jetting somewhere, these solid make up offerings will speed you through security. They’re perfectly travel compatible, and won’t leak all over your hand luggage.

Sound good? Here’s our guide to the ultimate cosmetic pencil case…

To help your hastily applied ‘face’ go the distance, use primer to create a ‘Velcro’ base. Stila’s {Aqua Glow Perfecting Primer} feels cooling – infusing skin with moisture to diminish depth of lines and lend a fresh-faced, dewy lustre. Blurring and refreshing, it’s the ultimate entrée in any speedy make up menu.

Foundation but not as you know it, ICONIC London’s {Pigment Sticks} have none of the typical ‘powderiness’ you might associate with twist-up cover-ups. Instead, the ultra-creamy formula ‘melts’ into your complexion – blending imperceptibly for a full coverage (yet realistic) finish. Use the warmth of your fingers to blend, and if you like a subtle contour, select a darker shade and ‘stripe’ beneath your cheekbones (before blending!) to lend instant definition.

Blush and lip tint? Look no further than 3 Concept Eyes’ super-cute {Creamy Cheek Sticks} in five ultra-wearable hues. Packed with pigment, a quick ‘dot’ on the apple of each cheek instantly ‘lifts’ a fatigued face, while the excess colour can be patted into lips to grant a pretty ‘pop’ of pigment.

If you’re more au fait with bronzer, Charlotte Tilbury is your woman. Her aptly named {Beach Stick} in ‘Ibiza’ grants a gorgeous sunkissed glow – especially when applied in a horizontal stripe across the cheeks and bridge of the nose (it’s called {sun stripping}) and smudged for a beautiful, outdoorsy tan. Flecked with gold, it also doubles as a beautiful cream shadow – just use your fingers to pat lightly over lids.

To accentuate cheekbones, collarbones or exposed shoulders, nothing could be simpler than sweeping Laura Geller’s {Easy Illuminating Stick} in ‘Diamond Dust’ directly onto skin. The holographic hue has blue-toned pink and violet pearls, which scatter light to lend an opalescent gleam. Beautiful on all skin tones, this is a subtle nod to this season’s obsession with ‘kaleidoscopic’ colours, without looking too outré for a rainy Monday morning…

And if you’re heading straight for dinner from your desk, reach for one of BY TERRY’s incredible {Stylo Blackstars} – tapered shadow sticks which work as both liner and shadow to ensure swift (goof-proof) eye enhancement. In a spectrum of glimmering shades, select two for a beautiful, smoky-eyed look you can master in moments (they’re also great for back-of-taxi make up masterpieces).

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...