There’s something so irresistible about cream blush sticks. The fact that one can scribble on and smoosh in the instant appearance of good health makes sticks a practical handbag essential that ticks off both lips and cheeks.
Whereas previous incarnations were broadly samey and could mostly be differentiated by colour alone, the new crop includes a formulation for any skin type – even oily.
Milk Makeup built an entire brand on easy, “back of a taxi” application sticks of cream colour. And so the new reformulation of their push-up bronzers, contours and blushers brings the excitement of a full relaunch. The opportunity wasn’t wasted. The new Lip & Cheek Blur (£24) is not for me, but it’s absolutely for someone blessed with some natural oil in their cheeks who might previously have struggled to make cream blush stay on. Shade, a very pretty brownish mauve that (it must be said) looks very similar to Merit’s popular Bespoke, is gorgeous and blends out softly with either fingers or brush.
double quotation markThe finish catches the light, but not in a year 9 school disco way – this looks healthy, carefree and chic
Speaking of Merit (its Flush Blush creams are among the most popular out there, after all), Jones Road’s recently dropped Blushing Sticks (£30), feel and look pretty identical, so if you love those, you’ll love these. The shades are very different and, as is typical of Jones Road, very easy and wearable. Bare is a suits-everyone rose that gives a flush of good health on any skin tone.
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Kosas’s recently launched Impressionist Multisticks (£32) are emphatically for skins, tastes and temperaments able to handle shiny, glassy colour that will probably need topping up in the afternoon. But one application of Nuance, a muted, pinky beige, and another of Intuition, a dusty shade of pink, had me fully on side. The shades here are exceptionally well chosen and hard to find elsewhere. The finish catches the light, but not in a year 9 school disco way – this looks healthy, carefree and chic.
My most worn of the lot has been Bobbi Brown’s Skin Enhancer Multi-Stick (£29), specifically Beach, an irresistible warm, toasty brown with a hint of pink that resembles – in the best possible way – slightly sunburnt skin. The formula is one of the brand’s best in a while – less shiny than the Kosas, but with more slip than the Milk Makeup and with a wear time that sits somewhere between the two. It can be daubed on carelessly, and the moisturising formula won’t rip up any foundation or powder you’ve laid underneath.
