Stick

A stick sets pigment into a base of waxes and oils with no water in it. That base is then cast as a bullet in a twist-up tube or a sharpened pencil. Wax content decides how it feels. More wax makes a firm stick that holds a crisp edge for contour and liner. Less wax makes a soft stick that melts on contact and sheers out for blush and foundation.

Temperature runs the format. A soft stick left in a car or a summer bag can slump once it passes about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile a firm stick straight out of a cold room drags until your skin warms it. Apply in short strokes and blend within about 30 seconds, because once the wax cools it grips and the edges stop moving.

Portability comes at the cost of control and hygiene. Sheering a stick out takes more work than thinning a liquid, so precision suits it better than covering a whole face on a rushed morning. Direct skin contact carries oil and bacteria back into the bullet. That is why sticks are the worst format to share. It is also why one should never pass over an open blemish or a cold sore. On the other side of the ledger, no water means a low preservative load. A stick usually keeps 12 to 24 months after opening and never counts toward carry-on liquid limits.