For years, I've been trying to master powder. I know it's touted as the key to long-lasting, fresh-looking make-up, but it's never sat well on my dry skin, which can be a nightmare when it comes to make-up prep. Concealer always settles into fine lines, eyeshadow creases, and by 3pm, the skin I had carefully primed to look dewy has lost all its sheen.
As it turns out, I was doing it all wrong for my skin type. A fellow beauty journalist recently recommended using a serum stick for touch-ups on the go, and I haven't looked back since. It allows me to effortlessly diffuse creasing and dry patches, while bringing my skin back to life in seconds, wherever I may be.
I was surprised to learn that these handy little sticks have long been a staple in many MUAs' kits, not least for Aimee Twist, who often uses them on herself and her celebrity clients. "I use them to bring luminosity back into the skin, especially after setting make-up, which can sometimes leave the complexion looking a little flat or dry," she says. "They're perfect for reviving tired make-up, it makes the skin look so much fresher and more radiant. Plus, they won't disturb make-up underneath."
How to use serum sticks
Twist likes to apply serum sticks with her fingertips, pressing the product into the skin rather than swiping it on or clogging a blush. "I focus on the high points of the face, including the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and brow bone, wherever I want to add a subtle, natural looking sheen," she explains.
Best serum sticks on the market, 2026
This two-in-one treatment and touch-up balm is loaded with 80 per cent squalene and cold-pressed rice bran to target fine line, wrinkles and dryness instantly.
This ultra-fine, melting balm hydrates and plumps the skin for up to 24-hours, for a glass-skin effect.
Boosted with ceramides, antioxidant-rich peptides and bakuchiol—a plant-based, more gentle alternative to retinol—this stick can be used as a primer and on-the-go to keep skin feeling and looking fresh.
A MUA-essential, this balm moisturises and highlights, effortlessly melting into the skin to reflect the light and impart radiance.
This clever product is infused with 64 per cent skincare, including sea fennel and wakame extracts, for a long-lasting glassy glow.
If you prefer a tint, Glossier's Futuredew solid is a oil-serum illuminator that has no sparkle—just skin-first, targeted glow, which looks beautiful on the cheekbones, nose and brow.
