'Stick products are the next big trend in beauty, and I'll tell you why.'

The new trend in beauty is all about convenience for you, and kindness to the planet. Stick this on your face – literally – because stick beauty products are here to make your beauty routine easier and more sustainable.

Stick beauty products can come in wind-up applicators or may resemble a bar of soap. But they have one thing in common: they’re as solid as Kayla Itsines’ abs, and equally unbreakable. Which is great news for klutzes like me who have a tendency to smash or spill things (RIP to my wedding perfume and my new bottle of Go-To Face Hero).

And if they can replace a product that is usually oozy, messy, drippy, slimy or dusty – and no, these are not alternative Spice Girl names – then I’ll be rubbing these on my face faster than you can say “zig-a-zig-ah”.

So, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want…

Here’s my dilemma: I love masks, but hate how my bathroom gets covered in mud, clay and serum. And don’t get me started on masks that come with a paintbrush and scoopy thing. Enter the Yes To range of stick masks and cleansers. All you need to do is apply them directly onto your face. That’s right, you don’t even need to touch the mask goo until it’s dry and you’re washing it off.

The Energizing Coffee 2-in-1 Scrub & Cleanser Stick, $14.99, smells like a mocha frappe, and the overall effect is of smearing your face with crushed-up Tim Tams suspended in ice-cream. However, unlike this desserty dream, my skin emerged clean, smooth and bright. Next time I’m going on a weekend away or longer, I’ll pop this in my bag, because it’s gentle enough to use as an everyday cleanser.

I was thrilled by the Detoxifying Charcoal SnapMask Stick, $23.99, because while charcoal has wonderfully purifying effects on skin, it’s also messy AF to use. This mask stick is like the grown-up version of that fluoro zinc stick you used at swimming carnivals as a kid. Just pop the cap off, wind it up and smear it on your face. After 5 minutes, you can hop in the shower and wash it off. And there’s not a black smudge anywhere in my bathroom. I still managed to scare my husband when he saw me wearing it, though.

I’m also keen to check out Yes To’s other solid stick products: their Coconut Oil Stick, $13.99, and the Grapefruit Vitamin C Boosting Mask SnapStick, $24.

I’m obsessed with these innovative skincare products from Miranda Kerr’s brand, and can see myself using them every day. They’re little miracle sticks of your favourite oils and butters, such as coconut and shea, as well as Miranda Kerr’s favourite noni fruit extract. These balms nourish and revitalise the skin, while also leaving a healthy glow. They’ll look chic on your bathroom counter, but would also be brilliant for travel or a day at the beach. The bonus is that these products are organic, don’t contain nasties (sulfates, parabens, PEG’s, everything and anything you hate) and they are “energised with Rose Quartz”.

Thanks, Miranda! We feel the love!

The Noni Glow Face Balm, $29.95, can be used all over the face area, and here I’ve smeared it over my cheekbones, lips and collarbones. It glides on beautifully, smells like an organic flower garden in spring, and leaves a gold-flecked sheen wherever you want it. It’s a very Em Rata look, especially the glossy lips. If you love the skincare-as-makeup look, then you’ll be swiping this product on daily.

The Noni Glow Body Balm, $44.95 is a breeze to apply – just smooth it on, and rub it in if you feel like it. It’s a mess-free experience that differs from most body oil applications. The balm feels light on the skin and also smells delicious.

Speaking of futuristic, Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix resembles something that a glam astronaut would use, and when these makeup sticks click together (they’re magnetised) they look like a space-age honeycomb. The Match Stix range consists of multi-tasking solid cream makeup that can be used anywhere on the face.

The Match Stix Trio, $79, contains two Matte Skinsticks (one for concealing, one contouring) and a Shimmer Skinstick for highlighting. These neutral tones can be used all over the face to create a look that is totally current, flawless and highly flattering. Each stick distributes the perfect amount of buildable product, and are super easy to use. None of that “use the back of your hand as a palette” business that comes with liquid foundation, blergh. I used the “Light 100” trio.

One of the main reasons why I love solid beauty products is because they reduce packaging waste, and Lush’s Naked products excel in this – they are packaging-free and come in solid shapes. Instore, the staff may place them in recycled cardboard boxes for you, but you could even bring your own box if you are very conscious of avoiding packaging.

Don’t be fooled, the Naked Facial Oils and Serums, $19.95, are not soap, even though they may appear to be. These little bars are hardworking solid oils and serums, which soothe and hydrate the skin and also double as fragrances. I like to get a little of the product on my fingertips and then rub it gently into my skin. I personally love the scent of the blue Light Touch bar, which cleverly contains bonus toning properties.

The Glow Sticks, $22.95 (online exclusive) resemble sparkly crystals, and are creamy stick highlighters in beautiful pastel shades, from a peacock-green to a pearly white. Instead of coming in a plastic tube, these solid highlighters have a black wax “packaging” base – kind of like an old-school wax seal on an envelope – that you hold between your fingers.

The product can be smoothed directly onto the skin and then blended. If you’re fancy, you could sweep a makeup brush over the product and then apply it to your face. Packing a glittery, creamy punch, the Glow Sticks could be used for a festival look on cheeks, eyes and lips, as well as for subtle cheekbone highlights during the day.

Similarly packaging-free are the Solid Foundations, $26.95 (online exclusive) which come in a diverse 40 shades. The shape reminds me of half of a delicious Easter egg, and look just as edible. These products apply in thick, creamy swipes, and can be blended out to sheerness.

Would you try a solid stick beauty product? Do you have a favourite to recommend?

Carla Gee buys all the beauty products in Canberra and does NOT have a problem. You can find her on Instagram as @bycarlagee.