Best Eyeshadow Stick? 777 Reviews of Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and ILIA

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Review-analysis guide: 777 customer reviews read on Ulta (October 29, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 29, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 29, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

No eyeshadow stick here won on everything. The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick (paid link) drew the most rebuy mentions (42 of 123 usable reviews, 34%) and the most reaction reports (7%), the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow (paid link) drew pigment praise from 51% of a small sample of 84 but the most breakage or packaging complaints (21%), and the ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick (paid link) drew easy-to-apply praise from 59% of 237, on a page with almost no low ratings.

Best eyeshadow stick: what 777 reviews say

An eyeshadow stick is meant to be the quick option: swipe it on, blend with a finger and go. We read 777 Ulta reviews of three popular cream eyeshadow stick picks to see how often reviewers said each one lasts, blends and gives the color they wanted, and how often it broke or caused a reaction: the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow and the ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI] [A1] [A2] [A3]

All-day wear praise was close: 38% of 123 usable Bobbi Brown reviews, 39% of 84 Laura Mercier and 35% of 237 ILIA. Bobbi Brown drew the most rebuy mentions (34%) and reaction reports from 7%; 15% gave one or two stars. Laura Mercier drew pigment praise from 51%, while 21% said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem; 14% gave one or two stars. ILIA drew easy-to-apply praise from 59% and pigment praise from 53%, but only 3 of its 237 usable reviews gave one or two stars, which is a caution more than a strength. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Which reviews we read, and the 333 we set aside

Ulta's review pages stop after about the newest 300, and many shades share each page. They served 242 distinct reviews of 1,317 shown for Bobbi Brown (April 2024 to October 2026), 240 of 2,482 for Laura Mercier (January to October 2026) and 295 of 776 for ILIA (March 2025 to July 2026). We kept 444 and set aside 333. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Bobbi Brown: we set aside 103 reviews from months where more than half said the product was free: July and August 2025 (80 reviews, 69 free), March 2026 (8, 5 free) and July 2026 (15, 9 free). 3 of those 103 gave one or two stars (3%), against 15% of the Bobbi Brown reviews we kept. [R-ULT-BOB]

Laura Mercier: we set aside March and April 2026 as a sampling wave, 144 of its 240 reviews. March brought 94 reviews, 23 of them saying the product was free (76 were posted from March 14 to 25, 24 on March 23 alone), and April 50, 7 free; no other month we read had more than 43. Only 3 of the 144 gave one or two stars (2%), against 14% of the 84 we kept. ILIA: we set aside March 2025, the first month of reviews we could read: 54 reviews holding 24 of ILIA's 25 free ones, none with one or two stars. [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

We also set aside 16 more reviews that said the product was free, 6 repeated on the same page, 7 mostly about another product, 2 about shipping or the store and 1 not in English. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Some cautions. Laura Mercier has only 84 usable reviews, and 57 of them are from August and September 2026, when 3 of 57 gave one or two stars, against 9 of the other 27. ILIA's page showed almost no low ratings: 3 of 237 kept, none among the 214 from September to December 2025. Bobbi Brown's 2026 reviews were harsher: 9 of 40 (23%) gave one or two stars, against 9 of 83 (11%) before 2026. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, the one reviewers rebuy

Bobbi Brown's Amazon listing describes a waterproof cream shadow stick with 24-hour non-creasing, non-smudging wear in matte and shimmer shades, to use as a primer for powder shadow, on its own, as an inner-corner highlight or as a smudged liner, blended with fingertips and no brush. We link shade 18 Taupe, a warm mid-tone matte, 0.05 oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Ulta's page calls it the Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick, so the names differ. [A1]

Of 123 usable Ulta reviews, 52 (42%) said it was easy or quick to apply, 47 (38%) that it lasts all day or does not fade, 42 (34%) liked the pigment or color and 42 (34%) said they rebuy it, call it a staple or own several shades, the highest rebuy share of the three. 19 (15%) said it blends easily before it sets. Complaints: 13 (11%) said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem; 8 (7%) reported a reaction such as itching, burning, watery or red eyes; 9 (7%) said the color differed from the photo or swatch; and 8 (7%) said it faded, wore off or transferred. [R-ULT-BOB]

Recent reviews read differently. Of 40 usable reviews from 2026, 10 said it lasts all day and 7 said it broke or had a packaging problem, against 37 and 6 of 83 before 2026. We cannot tell the cause. [R-ULT-BOB]

See Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, 18 Taupe on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens shade 18 Taupe (matte), 0.05 oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other shades are on the same page.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick review: color that blends, more breakage

Laura Mercier's Amazon listing describes a 24-hour formula that blends easily and glides onto dry, delicate or sensitive lids without tugging, with hyaluronic acid and raspberry stem cells, in matte, metallic and shimmer finishes, applied straight to the lid and blended with fingers or a brush. It calls the formula fragrance-free and ophthalmologist tested, and says it is designed for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers. We link Matte Au Natural, a nude, full size, sold by Laura Mercier and shipped by Amazon. The Amazon title adds 'with Hyaluronic Acid'. [A2]

Of 84 usable reviews, a small sample, 43 (51%) liked the pigment or color, 41 (49%) said it was easy or quick to apply, 33 (39%) that it lasts all day, 19 (23%) that it blends easily before it sets and 11 (13%) that it does not crease. 17 (20%) said they rebuy it or own several shades. The main complaint: 18 (21%) said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem, the highest share of the three. 6 (7%) said price or size was a real drawback. [R-ULT-LMC]

See Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow, Matte Au Natural on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens Matte Au Natural, a nude matte, full size, sold by Laura Mercier and shipped by Amazon; other shades are on the same page.

ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick review, with a low-rating caution

ILIA's Amazon listing describes a waterproof shadow stick that blends easily and lasts up to 12 hours, with a slanted tip: the flat side for an all-over wash of color and the edge to line. It lists 20 matte and shimmer shades and calls it ophthalmologist-tested, safe for sensitive eyes and formulated without fragrance. We link Bisque, a matte pale cream, 0.05 oz, sold by ILIA Beauty and shipped by Amazon. Ulta's page calls it the Eye Stylus Shadow Stick Long-Lasting Cream Eyeshadow, so the names differ slightly. [A3]

Of 237 usable reviews, 140 (59%) said it was easy or quick to apply, the highest share of the three, 125 (53%) liked the pigment or color, about the same as Laura Mercier, 83 (35%) said it lasts all day and 43 (18%) said they rebuy it. Complaints were few: 14 (6%) said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem, 11 (5%) that it dries too fast to blend or tugs, drags or skips, and 9 (4%) that it faded, wore off or transferred. [R-ULT-ILI]

Read those shares with care. Only 3 of the 237 gave one or two stars, and 214 came from September to December 2025, none of them with one or two stars. Of the 12 from 2026, 3 gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-ILI]

See ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick, Bisque on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens Bisque, a matte pale cream, 0.05 oz, sold by ILIA Beauty and shipped by Amazon; other shades are on the same page.

How each eyeshadow stick feels and wears

On feel, easy-to-apply praise ran 59% for ILIA, 49% for Laura Mercier and 42% for Bobbi Brown, and blends-before-it-sets praise 23%, 15% and 11% for Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and ILIA. Complaints that it dries too fast to blend, tugs, drags or skips stayed at 5% or less for all three. Wear was close: complaints that it faded, wore off, transferred or creased ran 4% to 7%. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Eyeshadow stick for mature eyes: 18 reviewers said they have mature eyes or are 40 or older (6 Bobbi Brown, 2 Laura Mercier, 10 ILIA). 3 of the 6 Bobbi Brown, both Laura Mercier and 2 of the 10 ILIA reviewers said it lasts all day, and 6 of the 10 ILIA reviewers called it easy to apply. These groups are too small to rank. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Sensitive eyes or contact lenses: 7 of 7 ILIA and 3 of 4 Bobbi Brown reviewers who said so called it gentle on their eyes, and 1 of those 4 Bobbi Brown reviewers reported a reaction. No Laura Mercier reviewer in our count said so. 6 Bobbi Brown, 5 Laura Mercier and 8 ILIA reviewers said it works as an eyeliner too. [R-ULT-BOB] [R-ULT-LMC] [R-ULT-ILI]

Keep reading

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• Foundation stick: Milani, Charlotte Tilbury and bareMinerals
• Peel-off lip stain: SACHEU, Wonderskin and Maybelline

Frequently asked questions

Bobbi Brown cream shadow stick vs Laura Mercier Caviar Stick: which eyeshadow stick lasts?

About the same in our count: 38% of 123 usable Bobbi Brown and 39% of 84 Laura Mercier reviews said it lasts all day. Laura Mercier drew more pigment praise (51% vs 34%) and more no-crease mentions (13% vs 7%), though Laura Mercier's 84 usable reviews are a small sample. Bobbi Brown drew more rebuy mentions (34% vs 20%) and more reaction reports (7% vs 1%); Laura Mercier more breakage or packaging complaints (21% vs 11%).

Are Bobbi Brown eyeshadow sticks worth it?

Many reviewers think so: 42 of 123 usable reviews (34%) said they rebuy it, call it a staple or own several shades, the highest share of the three, and 6% said price or size was a real drawback. Against it, 7% reported a reaction such as itching, burning, watery or red eyes, and 11% said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem.

Are Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks worth it?

For color, reviewers leaned yes: 51% of 84 usable reviews liked the pigment or color and 23% said it blends easily before it sets; 7% said price or size was a real drawback. Durability drew the complaints: 21% said it broke, crumbled or dried out, or had a cap, twist-up or sharpening problem, the highest share of the three, and 84 usable reviews is a small sample.

How long does Bobbi Brown eyeshadow stick last on the lid?

Its Amazon listing claims 24-hour non-creasing, non-smudging wear. Our count does not record hours, so we cannot confirm a number of hours. In our count, 47 of 123 usable reviews (38%) said it lasts all day or does not fade, close to Laura Mercier and ILIA, while 7% said it faded, wore off or transferred and 2% said it creased.

Are Bobbi Brown eyeshadow sticks waterproof?

Its Amazon listing calls the formula waterproof. Reviews can barely test that claim: only 1 of 123 usable reviews said it held up to water or sweat, too few to confirm, while 8 said it faded, wore off or transferred. ILIA's listing also says waterproof; Laura Mercier's describes a 24-hour formula without the word waterproof.

How to use eyeshadow stick on hooded eyes?

No listing gives steps for hooded eyes. Bobbi Brown says swipe across the lid and blend with fingertips, Laura Mercier apply to the lid and blend with fingers or a brush, and ILIA use the flat side of its tip for all-over color or the edge to line. Only 7 reviewers said they have hooded eyes (5 ILIA, 1 Bobbi Brown, 1 Laura Mercier); 5 said it lasted or did not crease, and 1 said it creased.