The Multistick That Replaced My Lipstick, Blush, & Eyeshadow This Spring
At a masterclass a few months ago, I asked a makeup artist how to streamline my routine as much as possible. “Well, what kind of vibe are you going for?” she asked. I turned my phone around and showed her a photo of Emma Stone at the Oscars: soft, monochromatic makeup that looked harmonious and seamlessly blended. She looked me in the eye and laughed. That’s when I learned that the most natural makeup looks often take the most work — dozens of products and, sometimes, hours to perfect.
I eventually gave up on the idea of truly low-maintenance beauty, mostly because the product I actually wanted — something creamy and blendable with punchy pigment and impressive staying power, that I could swipe across lips, cheeks, and eyelids — didn’t exist yet. Until now, with the Kosas Impressionist Multistick.
Don’t get me wrong: the beauty world isn’t exactly lacking in multipurpose makeup sticks — and over the years, I’ve tried almost all of them. But if you ask me, Kosas Impressionist Multistick is built differently. (In the few short weeks since adding it to my routine, I’ve had compliments from brand founders, makeup artists, and fellow beauty directors alike.) That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Kosas Impressionist Multistick Cream Blush + Lip Color, $34
What is Impressionist Multistick, and what are the benefits?
If it hasn’t already made its way to your FYP, Kosas Multistick Impressionist is a blush, lipstick, and eyeshadow in one. Unlike other sticks, its domed shape makes it easy to swipe onto the skin and blend out in seconds.
The “Impressionist” name nods to a more painterly approach to beauty — soft washes of color, diffused edges, and tones that melt seamlessly together. There are seven shades in total, from Nuance (a rosy taupe) to Ripe (like crushed raspberries). My go-to is Muse, which is what I’m wearing here, but my second favorite is Surreal, which Kosas describes as a “chocolate berry”. To me, it’s very similar to Rhode Pocket Blush Toasted Teddy, arguably one of the most worn — and sought-after — shades out there.
What makes Impressionist Multistick special?
The effect is fresh and dimensional — color that moves naturally with the face rather than sitting heavily on top of it, and I think that’s down to the blend of plant-based waxes suspended in the formula. They give the formula a silky, balm-like texture, but the pigment still packs a punch. With that in mind, you’re probably wondering whether it’s suitable for oily skin. I’ve been using Kosas Impressionist Multistick ever since it landed on my desk a few weeks ago, and it doesn’t slip or slide around on the face. There’s enough play time to blend it into the skin, but once it sets, it doesn’t budge.
I have all seven shades, but I love that just one is enough to create an entire — and most importantly cohesive — makeup look in next to no time. I dab the product onto the high points of my cheeks, my temples, and down the center of my nose (where I’d usually catch the sun), then onto my eyelids before using a brush to blend everything out.
With a product like this, I tend to skip lip liner and lipstick altogether and instead use a lip brush to paint and buff it into my lips, making sure to extend slightly outside the lip line for a more blurred, diffused effect. Nina Park, eat your heart out.
Lastly, the ingredients are pretty special. Most multisticks prioritize color first and skin benefits second, but Kosas Multistick Impressionist gives both equal weight. Alongside a handful of moisturizing ingredients like octyldodecanol — an emollient that softens and smooths the skin — there’s also coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that helps protect against environmental aggressors like pollution and supports the skin barrier, the outermost layer that helps lock in moisture and keep bacteria out. On the lips, it feels so hydrating that I use it as a tinted lip balm.
What to know about Impressionist Multistick
• A multipurpose stick available in seven shades to suit a range of skin tones, designed for use on the cheeks, lips, and eyelids.
• Contains a handful of skincare ingredients for hydration and moisture, including Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that helps defend against pollution and supports a healthy skin barrier.
• Buildable pigment lets you control the intensity, from a sheer wash of color to a more saturated finish.
How do you use Impressionist Multistick?
I usually swipe multisticks straight onto my cheeks and blend them out with my fingers or a brush, but makeup artist Ngozi Edeme — aka Painted by Esther — recently shared a far more professional technique on Instagram. For cheeks, Edeme recommends “underpainting” the blush by swiping the stick onto the back of your hand first before what makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes famously calls “priming the brush” — swirling the brush into the melted product, making sure all the bristles are coated. Using a large powder brush with dense but soft bristles, Edeme pats the color onto the high points of the cheeks before blending it across the apples and upwards, stopping just short of the tail of the brow.
If you go a little overboard, a touch of concealer under the eyes and around the nose quickly sharpens everything up. To lock it in place, Edeme applies a light veil of loose setting powder over the blush before going back in with a brighter shade of multistick to add dimension and bring some dewiness back to the skin. Personally, I just use the same shade — Muse — throughout.
Even on days when I swipe it straight from the bullet and blend everything out with my hands, the staying power is second to none. I’m convinced that’s down to the blend of plant-based waxes in the formula, which helps the pigment disperse evenly across lips, cheeks, and lids — and keep it in place for hours on end. Honestly, I’ve never received so many compliments on my makeup, and it’s not lost on me that it takes five minutes instead of thirty.
With the weather heating up, the last thing I want is to be standing in my tiny bathroom sweating over a full routine, which is exactly why this has become my ultimate spring and summer product.
Where can you get Impressionist Multistick?
Kosas’ Impressionist Multistick is $34 and available at Sephora.com and Kosas.com.
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