A full face of colour in five minutes? Make-up artist, Jesse Walker, shares her top tips & tricks for getting the most out of a cheek stick
Here at Boots Health & Beauty, we’re all about helping you find ways to make beauty budgets stretch further. And no other product will give you more bang for your buck than a multitasking make-up stick.
“Multi-purpose sticks are great for summer – they’re super easy and quick to apply, and they take up less room in your bag,” explains Jesse. “You can do so much with them. I slip one in my pocket for the ultimate, one product face on the go.”
Sheer, creamy, super blendable, they add a moisture-filled finish for beautifully glowing skin. They can be used on cheeks, lips and eyes, to resolve a range of highlighting, contouring and even bronzing needs. Plus, their compact size makes them ideal for saving suitcase space when packing for your next holiday.
Our fave buy? Huda Beauty Cheeky Tint Blush Stick, available in five shades. See below for how Jesse makes the most out of hers, and scroll on for more tips and Team Boots-approved multitasking make-up picks to help you save time and money.
1. Play around with the placement of your blusher
A multipurpose stick’s creamy texture makes it perfect as a glowy blusher, and when applied straight onto cheeks and applied with the fingers, it melts into skin like a dream. Just take the forefingers and blend; taking it across the nose, for a naturally flushed effect.
Playing with its placement, though, takes it to the next level. Blusher can change a look depending on where it’s applied, Jesse tells us. Sweep across the centre of the face for a sun-kissed look, apply higher to lift the cheekbones, or to the apples of the cheeks to give volume and fullness.
Multi-purpose sticks are great for summer – they’re super easy and quick to apply and take up less room in your bag
2. Use a make-up brush to change the intensity
The easy-to-blend texture and radiant finish of a cheek stick means that you can dial the intensity up or down with ease, to suit either day or night – perfect for if you’ve chosen a deeper colour.
“If you want the colour to look a little bit more sheer or if you’re using a darker shade, such as the Huda Beauty Cheeky Stick in Rebel Red or Baddie Berry, you could use a brush,” says Jesse. After tapping on with the fingers, just use a fluffy headed tool such as Revolution Create Fluffy Eye Brush to blend it out and soften the edges.
3. Wash onto eyes to create a monochromatic look
Love an eyeshadow palette but don’t have the space to pack it? Swap it out for a stealthy swipe of your cheek stick, to give monochrome make-up a modern take.
Blend a small amount across the whole lid with a fluffy brush, for a subtle wash of colour, or build up layers for a more intense pop, Jesse recommends.
You can also apply it using the fingers “with a tapping motion, similar to how you’d use it on the lips and blend it out,” says Jesse for a quick hint of colour that looks fun and fresh.
4. Pat onto lips for a bitten, blotted look
For a perfectly imperfect pout, apply your cheek stick onto lips for a balmy hydrated finish that’s ideal for hazy summer days.
“For a barely-there, no make-up look, dab on with a finger,” Jesse suggests. This gives a pretty stain effect, which you can then add a clear gloss to for a different finish. “This is a great technique for any lip product to make it a little softer and more blended,” she says.
Apply it where the sun would naturally hit you – the tops of the cheeks, a little bit down the nose and forehead, and use a brush to blend it out
5. Use a warm-toned stick as a bronzer
If you have a light or olive skin tone, take inspiration from Jesse and use a warm, peachy-toned cheek stick to add extra warmth to your complexion.
“Apply it where sun would naturally hit you – the tops of the cheeks, a little bit down the nose and forehead and use a brush to blend it out,” recommends Jesse.
It can also act as a hydrating alternative to a powder bronzer in the summer months, great for those of us who have dry skin.
5 of the best multitasking make-up sticks, tints & stains
So now you’ve nailed the technique, here are five of our favourite make-up multitaskers to help put Jesse’s tips into action. Whatever your budget or skin tone, we’ve got you covered.
Best for travel
Try: Huda Beauty Cheeky Tint Blush Stick
• Available in 5 shades
For an on-the-go glow, look no further than these buildable, moisturising cream sticks from Huda Beauty. Enriched with lychee extract and vitamin E, they drench skin and cheekbones with a veil of hydrating colour that’ll make your complexion appear lit from within.
Best for shade range
Try: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge
• Available in 9 shades
• Mirrored flip-top
One of Bobbi Brown’s most well-known (and beloved) products, Pot Rouge has stood the test of time for a reason. From the plum-tinted Chocolate Cherry to the peachy Calypso Coral, its range of shades provide a glowing colour that looks amazing, for every skin tone.
Best for contouring
Try: Stila Convertible Colour
• Available in 3 shades
• Mirrored compact
• Cruelty-free
Enhance bone structure with a few swipes of this cult-classic cream blusher. With a formula that blends like a dream, its shades are perfect for creating a pared-back lip or for a dose of contouring under cheekbones.
Best for a matte finish
Try: e.l.f. Putty Blush
• Available in 4 shades
• Semi-matte finish
• Vegan-friendly*
• Cruelty-free
If you have combination or oil-prone skin, e.l.f’s Putty Blush could be for you. Although it dries down to a semi-matte powder, its formula containing argan oil and vitamin E provides a hint of moisture, for a velvet-soft finish that also feels nourishing.
Best for value
Try: 17. High Shine Lip Crayon
• Available in 8 shades
• Vegan-friendly*
• Cruelty-free
With its castor oil-infused formula and purse-friendly price, this luminising lipstick pen is as kind to skin as it is to the bank balance. We love its range of pigmented shades and the slimline applicator that skirts around Cupid’s bow and cheeks effortlessly.
