The Best Full-Coverage Stick Foundations

With all the choices on the market, how is a makeup lover supposed to CHOOSE? It’s like choosing a favorite child! This is EPISODE ONE of a series on foundations. Check out our picks for the best full-coverage stick foundations out there!

If you are a makeup lover, and you are choosing a  foundation for yourself,  choosing the right foundation for the occasion and time of day is the key to success. Having different foundations and knowing what type of coverage and finish they give is time-saving.

If you are a pro mua and the foundation is for a client who is in your chair, it is important to know how to manipulate the product to get the finish, texture, and tone right in the most cost-effective way.

It also helps to know that most commercial brands of foundation will contain 18% to 23% pigment if they are liquids and most theatrical brands like the ones mentioned in this blog post are 35% to 40% pigment. This means that the products mentioned here will be full coverage and very opaque. They are mostly used for intense theater performance conditions (which could also mean a night at the club). Additionally, these stick foundations will hold up out there in the city streets this summer!!!

Kryolan TV Paint Stick

This full-coverage stick weighs in at a heavy 35% pigment and provides a matte finish and is suitable for most skin types. As a bonus it can be used as your concealer as well! A fusion of oils and waxes makes this foundation water and sweat resistant.

A favorite of RuPaul’s makeup artist Raven, who uses 5 different shades to get that RuPaul glow, giving this product icon status among all of the legends in both the drag and theater communities.

Pro Tip: If you want less coverage you can thin it out with Kryolan’s Makeup Blend, a mixing medium that will sheer out the foundation. Finally,  set with Kryolan Fixing Spray.

• 35% Pigment
• Matte Finish
• Suitable for most skin types
• Icon in the Drag and Theater Communities
• Can be used as a concealer as well

Ben Nye Creme Stick Foundation

Creme Stick Foundations are a densely pigmented foundation that has a satin finish. This oil and wax-based formula is also used heavily in drag, theater, and cosplay because of its ability to hold up under stressful performance conditions. A little bit better for oily skin as it has a drier feel and finish to it. Set with your favorite setting powder or setting spray and this stick foundation won’t let you down. With 44 shades available you will for sure be able to find a shade for all of your hot girl personalities!!

• 44 shades Available
• Has a dry feel. Great for oily skin
• Oil and wax-based formula
• Dense full-coverage pigmentation
• Ideal for performing art fields like theatre, drag, and cosplay.

Pro Tip: Having multiple shades of foundation is a great idea! With exposure or lack of exposure to the sun, our skin color changes throughout the year. Sometimes we are in between two colors and need to mix them together to get a good match. In addition, you can use lighter and darker colors to highlight and contour!

Mehron CreamBlend Stick

Mehron’s CreamBlend™ Stick Makeup is a highly pigmented, cream makeup. The full-coverage, vegan formula is developed to withstand extreme performance conditions including Broadway’s hot stage lights. Mehron’s CreamBlend stick is full coverage, has a wide shade range of 40 shades, and is vegan and cruelty-free! This stick is a little better for dry skin as it has an oilier base but is made without the petrolatum found in most grease paints. They have complexion colors AND all the fun bold colors. Start getting your cosplay, clown makeup, and your drag togetha hunny!!

• Vegan and cruelty-free
• Great for dry skin has an oiler base than most.
• Comes in fun bold colors as well as complexion colors
• 40 shades

Pro Tip: When using colored paints it’s always best to apply a barrier cream, foam, or spray. This will protect the makeup from the skin and also stop the skin from getting stained by the makeup!

Cozzette Infinite Makeup Stick

Roque Cozzette is a talented makeup artist and photographer. You just know he created his stick foundations with makeup artists and photography in mind.

Color Theory is the basis for these full-coverage stick foundations. This is where high-definition technology meets natural skin-enhancing ingredients like jojoba, coconut oil, vitamin E, and lavender oil. With his “color target system” all formulas have Warm, Golden, and Cool shades that are numerically coded for easy color matching.

• Foundations are heat-resistant and waterproof
• Long-lasting.
• Full of antioxidants that calm acne on your skin which is great for all skin types.
• Great as a concealer
• Have color-neutralizing properties.

Pro Tip: To maximize durability and wearability, mix a few drops of the Matrix Mixing Liquid into your shade and create a long-wear foundation!

Get into these stick foundations children!!! We have the answer to your makeup questions and can help you live your fantasy!