Tan in a Stick

"Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other's good, and melt at other's woe." - Homer

2017's summer beauty trademark is that sunlit, naturally healthy glow, brought to life by highlighters, bronzers and self-tanners, everything that is, of course, unnatural and man-made! With the rise of tubular on-the-go makeup sticks, the aformentioned products have morphed into their own forms of roll-on cylinders or creamy crayons, perfectly sized for your purse, toiletry bag, backpack, or clutch. I have wholly bought into this trend because I'm all about versatile makeup products, especially those that are quick and easy to apply. As a makeup minimalist myself, I love using the bare necessities to create wholesome, natural look on my own face.

Check out this brief little swatch video on our YouTube channel for live-action demos of each stick:

The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer, though clever and the first one purchased, is a huge disappointment. That's a difficult sentiment to voice as I'm a huge proponent of Tarte! As you can see in the swatch, this bronzing stick is Oompa-Loompa orange! It is not only dark and the furthest thing from true bronze there is, but once applied, it pulls and clings to the skin in the oddest of places. The initial application is creamy, and the slender point makes for exact placement around the face, but products slips and grabs in all the wrong ways. I am, however, really enjoying MILK's Matte Bronzer cylinder! Although the tip is rather large and flat, the product inside is just the right shade of "tan", and I double mine as a slight contour since the shade tends on the cooler rather than warmer side of bronze. Benefit's Hoola Cream-to-Powder Quickie Contour Stick isn't bad either! It's a bit darker than their powdered Hoola bronzer and warmer in tone than MILK's bronzer, but for certain skin shades, it's a great, quick option. The product itself turn from cream to a bit of a more powdery substance (very similar in texture to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Foundation I reviewed a few weeks ago) as the stick's description aptly portrays, so it can easily be blended out with a brush or smudged out with a finger without causing awkward application.

The best bang for your buck would be the MILK Matte Bronzer ringing up at $24 and providing a healthy, non-orange depth to your face! Any other suggestions of easy-to-use bronzing sticks that you're loving? Please let us know!