Let's be real — applying eye makeup can feel totally intimidating if you don't have a ton of skill or experience. From winged eyeliner to smoky eye shadow, there are so many gorgeous eye makeup techniques to try, but things can get complicated quickly. Luckily, putting on eye shadow doesn't have to be a test of your patience.
The E.l.f. No Budge Shadow Sticks are simple to use and hard to mess up, and somehow they're just $5 each.
Amazon
These creamy eye shadow sticks can be used alone or layered and can be applied as shadow or eyeliner.
Vegan and cruelty-free, these eye shadow sticks feature a creamy, highly pigmented formula that won't crease or fade as the day goes on. You can use the stick as an eyeliner or all-over shadow, it's up to you — the twist-up design has a built-in sharpener so you can get that perfect point. And since the colors blend seamlessly on the eye, the application is practically fool-proof.
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These sticks are a favorite of chof360's Shopping Director Jeanine Edwards who raves: "The beauty of an eye shadow stick is that it doesn't require any other tools to apply. Just twist the crayon up, and it's ready to swipe on your lids. The E.l.f. No Budge Shadow Stick is nice and smooth, and it glides easily across your eye with little to no effort at all. You don't even really have to be precise about it. I normally just do a few haphazard swipes in a foggy bathroom mirror in the morning, and shockingly, the eye shadow always looks great."
Layer a few colors on or use one as a wash of color on your lid, the options are endless (and so easy) with these sticks, so it's no surprise that more than 1,000 of them have been bought on Amazon in the past month alone. Colors seem to be disappearing, so if you see one you like, grab it.
A universally flattering eye crayon that's easy to use for $5? We're all in. (Amazon).
One happy shopper pointed out that these sticks are great for when you're traveling or doing a midday makeup refresh: "It's incredibly easy to apply, gliding smoothly over my lids without any fuss. The roll-up stick design is genius — no more worrying about eye shadow powders breaking or spilling in my makeup bag."
"I absolutely love this product. It goes on so easily and blends so well that my eye makeup routine is so much faster now. I first only bought it for sweatproof makeup while working in the field, but I use it as my regular eye shadow now because it looks so good. Minimal, but the shade is adjustable by how much you put on and blend," exclaimed another pleased reviewer.
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While most customers praised the formula's creamy consistency, some said they experienced some tugging when applying the shadow all over. One reported: "Fairly stiff, waxy texture but it did stay put as a liner for 12+ hours. I wouldn't try to use it as a lid color because it tugs at your skin too much. The Champagne color is quite pretty. Good value for such an inexpensive liner."
Amazon
Glow up your eyes in a flash with this simple-to-use shadow stick.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
