Top 15 Eyeshadow Sticks for Easy & Stunning Looks | Allure
Eye makeup doesn't have to be complicated — especially if the best eye shadow sticks have anything to do with it. Just ask any Allure editor or slide into the DMs of your favorite makeup artist, and they'll agree. "Eye shadow sticks are so versatile," New York City-based makeup artist Amrita Mehta tells Allure. "I love to use them for all-over color or to add a bit of sparkle to any look — I also use them as an eye shadow base and they work really well as a smudged liner, too."
The best part? Even beginners won't have a rough time with creamy, easy-gliding eye shadow sticks. "You can apply them directly onto the eyelid and then blend out [with your fingers] — super effortless," Los Angeles-based makeup artist Emily Cheng confirms. You can create crisp graphic lines and cat-eyes with the tip (many brands have a built-in sharpener in their designs) or slick them on with abandon and blend out the edges with your fingers for a smoked-out look in less than a minute. If you're a stickler for brushes, New York City-based makeup artist Tobi Henney loves to diffuse shadow sticks with the MAC 217 Synthetic Blending Brush.
These user-friendly pencils are typically very creamy and glide onto your lids without tugging on your skin. And unlike powder shadows, there's virtually no fallout to anticipate or deal with. In fact, makeup artists like Mehta love using eye shadow sticks as a priming base for other eye shadows. The possibilities don't end there, either.
"A matte taupe shade works amazing as a contour color or any shade can be applied on the lips for a nice pop," Mehta says. "I love to add a bit of a shimmery shade to the center of my lips and blend out with my finger for added dimension." You could, in theory, use one shade for your entire face — talk about creating a quick look on the fly.
Below, we've rounded up the 15 best eye shadow pencils and sticks — some classics, some newer-to-the-market hits — as recommended by us, Allure editors, and our highly esteemed makeup artists. Once you try these multitasking cream-to-powder formulas, you may never go back to "regular" eyeshadow palettes.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Courtesy of brand1/15
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour
Laura Mercier's Best of Beauty-winning Caviar Stick Eye Colours might not be the newest kids on the block, but they're definitely a makeup-artist staple in their own rights. "I'm a die-hard fan of the Laura Mercier shadow sticks in Cocoa [shown above] and Caviar," New York City-based makeup artist Kirin Bhatty tells Allure. "I always have them in my kit as they are super versatile and you can create something very natural to something very smokey in a matter of a few swipes." And with around 35 (and counting) shades in matte, shimmer, chrome, and intense finishes, you'll practically never run out of options.
Henney is on-board with these gorgeously convenient sticks, too. "They are super creamy and can be blended out very easily," she tells us. "My favorites are Wild Rose, Copper, and Cocoa." There you have it, folks. Cocoa, pictured above, is the perfect walnut brown for all of your everyday, go-to looks.
$29
Courtesy of brand2/15
About-Face Shadowstick
Halsey knew exactly what she was doing when she brought the About-Face Shadowsticks to life. The shade selection is top-tier with colorways you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Swipe on a few layers of pearly Acidic (the neon yellow-green pictured above) for a bold look in seconds — and tons of DMs asking what you're wearing. (Just ask Allure news editor Nicola Dall'asen.) Each pencil has a perfectly slippery glide but the mattes are slightly more pigmented while the pearly shades are sheerer but impressively buildable, and the built-in sharpeners ensure your lines are on-par with those of your favorite liquid liner.
$21
Courtesy of brand3/15
Charlotte Tilbury Color Chameleon
Henney adores the shade Golden Quartz (pictured above) for its versatility but says that the entire Charlotte Tilbury Color Chameleon range "is beautiful for a super-fast smoky eye." Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo agrees, adding that the creamy shadow sticks are highly blendable and don't result in any creasing. So yeah, there's a lot to love. And while certain shades are marketed for different eye colors — like Amethyst Aphrodisiac, a shimmery violet, for green eyes), don't let that stop you from experimenting with whatever colorways you are most drawn towards.
$27
Courtesy of brand4/15
Nyx Professional Makeup Jumbo Eye Pencil
If you're looking for a major steal, you're in luck. For less than $5, you can indulge in one of 16 gorgeous shades found in Nyx Professional Makeup's Jumbo Eye Pencil range. These ultra-creamy crayons couldn't be easier to use as a priming base (neutrals), all-over shadow (brights), or liner (deeps). Channel your inner "Rain on Me" diva look with Milk, an opaque white that's unexpected yet classic.
$5
Courtesy of brand5/15
Live Tinted Huestick
Few formulas can compete with the versatility of Live Tinted's Huestick, which centers around inclusivity and makeup solutions for all skin tones and unsurprisingly won a Best of Beauty Award two years in a row. Suitable for your cheeks, lids, and lips, the 10-color collection became especially well-known for its peachy, orange, and red tints (like Perk, a peachy pink, pictured above) that'll color correct dark circles and acne scars for an even makeup base. Be it blush, contour, or lipstick, these dusty rose, bronze, and berry shades are worth adding to your rotation. As if it couldn't get any better, they feel virtually weightless on the skin, thanks to a hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid and squalane.
$24More from Allure
The 9 Best Magnetic Lashes for When Eyelash Glue Is Just Too Much Effort
These Are Allure Editors' Favorite New Beauty Products
These Are Allure Editors' Favorite New Beauty Products of December 2021
These BB Creams Are Perfect for Nailing the "No-Makeup" Makeup Trend
Courtesy of brand6/15
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick
There may be no three words as calming as "mirror-free shadow." But the failproof nature of this Best of Beauty Award winner isn't the only reason we always wear ours down to a nub: Sand Dune (a tan-beige pictured above) is flattering on basically every person on the planet. "Apply one streak from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye, and blend up to the crease," suggests Oquendo, who says it's perfect for daytime.
$30
Courtesy of brand7/15
Colourpop Color Stix
Another affordable hit on this list is the Colourpop Color Stix, which Mehta is a fan of due to its "great color payoff." Colourpop is always releasing new, sometimes limited-edition shades of these petite yet high-impact shadows, but Mehta counts Isla Vista (metallic chartreuse) among her go-tos. As for us, the matte, berry-tinted Bitter Sweet (pictured above) lends the perfect pop of color to complement your like-minded blushes and lipsticks.
$7
Courtesy of brand8/15
Beauty Pie Wondercolour Longwear Cream Shadow Stick
Bhatty is seriously impressed by the Beauty Pie Wondercolour Longwear Cream Shadow Stick, which comes in 13 show-stopping yet wearable shades, like the metallic Copperini pictured above. "The textures are spot on and they have gorgeous pigments," Bhatty raves. And no wonder, because these crease-proof wonders are infused with vitamin E (also known as tocopherol) for a supremely comfortable feel and glide.
$28
Courtesy of brand9/15
Kiko Milano Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks
Don't overlook drugstore brands when it comes to high-quality shadow sticks. If you need proof, Mehta highly recommends the Kiko Milano Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks, which she says are incredibly pigmented and budge-proof. The rounded tip is perfect for creating rich, even, and all-over color or smudged-out liner. If you're not sure which of the 19 shades to reach for, Mehta vouches for 58, a lilac shade fitting for dreamy, pastel-inspired looks.
$10
Courtesy of brand10/15
Shiseido Kajal InkArtist
This might be cheesy to say, but Shiseido's Kajal InkArtist isn't like the other shadow sticks. A former global color artist for the Japanese beauty brand told us that this multitasking formula is perfect for creating graphic liner, diffused shadow (hence, the smudge tip), or even dipped brows. Even though there's a built-in sharpener to revive your crayon's accuracy, you can also use a pointed cotton swab doused in some micellar water to clean up your lines.
$25
Courtesy of brand11/15
Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow
"Chanel has the most beautiful, matte-brown eye shadow stick in the shade Contour Clair [shown above]," Henney says, calling it "a fabulous, go-to shade for day-to-day looks." It's the kind of neutral, effortlessly chic shadow we'd imagine on an off-duty model vacationing in Sardinia. While the formula is long-wearing, pair it with an eye shadow primer for extra insurance that your color won't fade away by aperitivo.
This jumbo pencil from Sephora Collection, pictured above in 08 Gold, claims to be a two-in-one formula (eye shadow and eyeliner), but it's an especially good shadow. "It helps create that 'I've slept in my eyeliner' look," says makeup artist Daniel Martin, who especially loves it when he's going for a "rock and roll eye." Plus, it's waterproof to the point that it takes serious makeup remover to erase. (But please don't be deterred and actually take the time to cleanse your complexion.)
$14
Courtesy of brand13/15
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color
We couldn't write a story about eye shadow sticks without including Magnetic Eye Color, from the aptly named, stick-based makeup line, Nudestix. As one of the first brands to fully embrace the shadow stick trend, it has since expanded to 22 shades in matte and luminous finishes that suit casual and glam looks alike. Pro tip: Some of the lighter, shimmery shades (like Angel and Nudity) can moonlight as highlighter, too.
$26More from Allure
These Are Allure Editors' Favorite New Beauty Products of December 2021
The 9 Best Magnetic Lashes for When Eyelash Glue Is Just Too Much Effort
These Are Allure Editors' Favorite New Beauty Products
These BB Creams Are Perfect for Nailing the "No-Makeup" Makeup Trend
Courtesy of brand14/15
Make Up For Ever Aqua Resist Smoky Shadow
Need an eye shadow that'll last through your longest days? Take it from us: Make Up For Ever's Aqua Resist Smoky Shadow (pictured above in Jungle, a golden khaki) has wildly impressive staying power and a waterproof, smudge-proof formula that doesn't require touch-ups throughout the day, no matter what kind of events you're sporting it at. The pointed tip is also great for filling in your waterline sans irritation.
$23
Courtesy of brand15/15
Lancôme Ombre Hypnôse Stylo
We're not ones to shy away from bold colors, which is why we're head-over-heels for Lancôme Ombre Hypnôse Stylo in the electric Bleu Chrome shade (pictured above). It seems to brighten up your face in the same way that a fiery red lipstick would. You don't even need to wear a ton of mascara with this one; the striking color is enough. And fret not, the neutral-leaning shades are just as enticing and incredibly creamy application-wise.
