I've Tested Hundreds of Eye Shadow Sticks—Trust Me, These 13 Are Perfect for When You Can't Be Bothered

If foundation and mascara are the makeup equivalents of your wardrobe staples, then wearing eye shadow is like reaching for your clutch bag or most eye-catching pair of heels. You may not wear it on a regular basis, but it’s there if you need to put in some extra effort and add interest to your look. But an eyeshadow stick? Well, that’s a different story.

I’ve never been a dedicated daily eye shadow wearer, so supersized eye shadow palettes have never really appealed to me. Indeed, when I have owned them, I’ve found myself reaching for the same few shades again and again. Likewise, the idea of blending multiple different shades across my eyelid feels far too overwhelming. Truthfully, I want easy eye shadow looks only. When it comes to applying eye shadow, I’m very much a one wash of colour kind of person, which is why eye shadow sticks are my go-to eye makeup product of choice.

While I don’t use them everyday, a good eye shadow stick is an essential tool in my makeup bag for occasions when I want to highlight or define my eyes. Their ease of use lends them well to my preferred one-wash look over my lids, but of course, two or three can be used in combination if you do wish to experiment with a more dramatic or creative look, like a smokey eye or cut crease. If, like me, you’re often left feeling overwhelmed on how to apply eye shadow, a stick formula helps take away a lot of that confusion—just scribble on and smudge.