Never mindthe laptop, two books, or gym shoes in your bag right now — it’s likely your makeup bag that's taking up all that precious space. Sound familiar? Us, too. To help lighten the load, we’re embarking upon an all-stick makeup diet — a move inspired by celebrity makeup artist Mélanie Inglessis, who favors chubby pencils for lips and eyes when on the road and glamming celebs like Amber Heard, Kate Hudson, and Olivia Wilde. “They are light, never spill, and can be packed in your carry-on,” she says. “It's just a compact way to travel.” But how does the makeup game change when moving from powdery palettes and liquid formulas to cream and gel-based sticks? Ahead, Inglessis and Natasha Severino, a makeup artist who works with models like Dree Hemingway and Jessica Hart, give us their top tips. Pencils up!
Eyeshadow
Celeb makeup artists reach for this creamy shadow when creating looks to survive serious red carpets, because the formula is (somehow) both smudge-able and lasts all night. Need proof? Check out Rosamund Pike’s lived-in metallic eye at last year’s SAG Awards, which Inglessis created with this stick.
Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic Waterproof Glide-On Eye Shadow, $22, available at Make Up For Ever.
Primer
This clear, chubby stick may not look like much on its own, but it’s a cure-all for wandering makeup. Apply as a reverse lipliner outside the lipline to keep lipstick from bleeding, or all over the lips to extend the wear of your favorite color or gloss. On eyelids, it helps keep shadows from creasing and can be used as a tool to correct wonky winged lines, too.
Urban Decay Ultimate Ozone Primer Pencil, $16, available at Urban Decay.
Bronzer
Makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has famously used this bronzing stick on Gisele’s ridiculous cheekbones to make her look like a golden goddess. To get the look, she lightly swipes this stick across the forehead, cheeks, bridge of the nose, and chin, then pats the product into the skin with her fingertips.
Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Ibiza, $45, available at Charlotte Tilbury.
Concealer
Concealer pens aren't typically built to spot-correct blemishes and acne scars — something made easier with this double-ended wand, which boasts an additional shade for color-correction. (Guys, it has two sides!)
Severino also loves these wands to make eyes look wider. “Use them instead of a white eyeliner to line the waterline,” she says. “It makes eyes appear more open without an unnaturally white effect.”
Tom Ford Correcting Pen, $48, available at Tom Ford.
Lipliner
This creamy lip pencil never needs sharpening, thanks to its twist-up design. But what we love most is its ability to go from liner to full-coverage lipstick, made possible with a built-in brush.
E.L.F. Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Nude Pink, $3, available at E.L.F..
Brows
Kiernan Shipka has grown up in blessed times: The perfectly browed thespian knows nothing of plucking her face-framers into near non-existence (thanks, in part, to brow artist Kristie Streicher). For the rest of us, a smartly designed brow wand makes for a very necessary cheat.
The tip of this retractable pencil wields a triangular shape that’s designed to be used in three ways: Draw believable hairs with its sharpest point; fill in patches using vertical strokes with the tip’s face; or create a dramatic look by coloring with the wide side. A spoolie brush helps feather real hairs to make brows look born-this-way gorgeous — just like Shipka’s.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer, $23, available at Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Highlighter
When looking for an out-of-the-pan highlighter, try a creamy stick over a click pen. “Highlighter click pens are tricky. The tip gets dirty easily and looks messy,” Inglessis says. Pick up a sparkle-free stick, touch it to parts of the face that protrude (like the bridge of the nose, browbones, and Cupid’s bow), and blend. “Just use a little, so it looks natural and skin-like,” Inglessis suggests.
It Cosmetics Hello Light Anti-Aging Luminizing Crème Stick, $24, available at Ulta.
Eyeliner
In the market for a new eyeliner? A gel formula could become your favorite, since they glide onto the skin with the smoothness of a rollerball. However, you can get a similar effect with any pencil by sharpening it, then warming the tip on the back of your hand — a trick Severino suggests to give liners more slip. To microline the eyes like a pro, “apply the pencil as close to the lashline as possible, then smudge the line with either a flat brush or cotton tip until you've reached the desired effect,” she instructs. Or just use the tip of this convenient liner.
Trish McEvoy Intense Gel Eye Liner, $28.50, available at Trish McEvoy.
Lip & Cheek Color
The quickest way to look more awake? Dab a touch of creamy tint to the apples of cheeks and center of lips with your fingers, Severino says. Though the fingers help warm the product so it better melts into skin, we like that this cream-gel stick boasts an on-board brush — because sometimes, city fingers are just too gnarly to touch your face.
Trèstique Color & Contour Blush Stick, $34, available at Trèstique.
Contour
This double-ended stick may seem intimidating upon first glance, but hear us out. All you have to do is apply dots where you want to shade or brighten (this guide will show you exactly how to do this), then blend and buff with your fingers.
Tarte The Sculptor Double-Ended Contour & Highlighter, $24, available at Beauty.com.
Matte Lipstick
“This is my favorite,” says Severino of this matte lip chubby, which delivers major color payoff. “It’s such an amazing product to have if you’re out on the town for the evening... Make sure the pencil is sharp, so you can create whatever lip shape you desire. And bring a lip balm, since some matte formulas can dry the lips.”
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, $26, available at NARS.
Foundation
There's no makeup messier than an exploded liquid foundation, so stick versions are the choice for girls on the go. But as Severino points out, stick foundations tend to be heavier in composition, so they’re best used sparingly. To avoid a caked-on look, “avoid using them as all-over foundation,” she says. Instead, use them to spot-correct and touch up throughout the day.
Iman Second to None Stick Foundation, $16, available at Target.
Satin Lipstick
Finding the right shade of drugstore lipstick can be tricky, mostly because the packaging doesn’t always quite represent the shade inside. Thankfully, these satin-finish lipsticks come in an array of wearable shades that are encased in what-you-see-is-what-you-get exteriors. Plus, the retractable angled tip makes both lining and filling in so easy, you could do it on a train, sans mirror.
L'Oréal Colour Riche La Lacque Lipcolour Stick, $10, available at Ulta.
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