In the 10 years I’ve been a beauty writer my makeup preferences have shifted. I used to zero in on glitter eyeshadows and hyper-trendy red lipsticks. But now, as much as I still love playing with makeup when I’m feeling inspired, what gets my 31-year-old heart rate going is anything that promises to make my skin look really, really good. Better yet, if it can do so in one easy, instantaneous step. So as Dior's Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick became the internet’s latest and greatest favorite foundation, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
My face and I have lived through a full turn of the foundation trend cycle— from the late 2010s obsession with extra long-wearing mattes (usually paired with bone-dry liquid lipstick) to the early 2020s embrace of the super-dewy wet face. Ultimately, I’ve found that what I’m really looking for in a foundation these days is something in the middle—and that's exactly what Dior's foundation stick offers. Blessed are we in the year 2025 to see a heavily hyped foundation being praised for actually looking like real skin.
About the Dior Forever Skin Foundation Stick:
The Dior Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick comes in 18 shades, ranging from fair to deep and catering to cool, neutral, and warm undertones. The buildable-coverage formula is intended to be used as an all-over foundation or a spot concealer depending on how you apply it. The finish is described as natural and blurred with a soft focus luminous matte effect. The stick retails for $52 and touts 24 hours of humidity-proof wear and all-day hydration.
Beauty maven Hailey Bieber is a noted fan of the Dior foundation stick too, posting a TikTok showing her makeup routine featuring the Dior stick (mixed with drops of her Rhode Skin Glazing Milk, naturally). Her ability to anoint a product to instant virality spurred overwhelming interest and countless reviews on the app. All over the internet people are expressing their love for the Dior foundation stick’s natural, blurred finish, even on skin that isn’t already pretty perfect like Bieber’s.
How to use the Dior Forever Skin Foundation Stick:
Brand instructions say to apply the stick directly onto your face and then blend with your fingers or a brush, but it’s more choose-your-own-adventure in practice. Some influencers are coating their faces entirely with the stick for (probably unnecessary) fuller coverage. Others are inspired by the Hailey Bieber method and mixing a swipe of foundation with a milky toner or moisturizer on the back of their hand and then applying it with a makeup brush. Painterly!
My honest review of the Dior Forever Skin Foundation Stick:
How I used it:
As the methodical makeup lover I am, I started by shade matching. I tried shades 2N and 2.5N along my jawline to find the best match. Although both could potentially work, I chose 2.5N (the top swatch) to apply all over. I hardly do my makeup as daintily as Mrs. Bieber, so I went full stick-to-the-face. I drew some tiger stripes on my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead with the stick, and then took my Real Techniques Expert Face Makeup Brush and started blending and buffing away. Anywhere I wanted a little more coverage (i.e. around my nose and on breakouts), I dabbed on a bit more product and tapped it in with my finger for a more concentrated effect.
First impressions:
It smells like Dior skincare, which is to say that it is notably rose-scented. It was a surprise, but not necessarily a bad one. I was immediately impressed by how easily and evenly it blended out. I was expecting a bit more of a fight, considering that the texture is butter-thick creamy, but it had enough slip to distribute over larger areas. As I was putting it on, I had this weird sensation of using a Photoshop tool, disappearing imperfections with the wave of a brush across my face.
How it looked and felt on my skin:
The most pleasant discovery was how light-to-undetectable the Dior foundation stick felt once fully applied and blended. It easily camouflaged the redness on my chin and cheeks and lightened up under eye darkness—all without feeling overly makeup-y. Oddly, I’d describe the transformation as both amazing and not that dramatic. It gave the same effect as a blurring filter, making it seem like I had naturally luminous skin all along. As I continued testing, the formula also played well with cream bronzers, blushes, and highlighters and didn’t appear to smear away as other emollient products were layered on top.
How long it lasted:
My skin tends to skew dry, especially coming out of this long, cold winter, so sometimes when I wear foundation all day, it eventually dries down to reveal flaking skin. But with a full day of wear, I saw no such signs with this foundation stick. It seems there’s something to the 24 hours of hydration claims, if not for the skin, the product itself doesn’t dry out. It also doesn’t hurt that you can feel secure throwing it in your purse for touch-ups without risking spillage.
Is the Dior Forever Skin Foundation Stick worth it?
I have been using the Dior Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick exclusively as my foundation since I first tried it out. I love how it looks when I do a full face of makeup or just want to give my skin a zhuzh and put on mascara. I’m impressed by how well it holds up after a long day or night and even if there is inadvertent rub-off, it’s hard to tell where my skin ends and the foundation begins. If you have the $52 to spend on a luxury beauty treat, I would absolutely recommend it. You will use it a lot. On the positive, it’ll give you an instant good skin day; on the negative, you may not ever want to wear anything else. I have to say, I’m hooked. As they say, J’adore Dior.
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Sam Neibart is a freelance writer and editor who has been covering beauty over digital and print for nearly a decade. She reports on the ever-evolving landscape of trends, tastemakers, and technology in the industry and loves nothing more than helping friends and readers discover the beauty products that are best for them. Previously, she held editorial positions at NYLON and Harper’s BAZAAR. She currently lives in Manhattan and biannually experiences the strong urge to dye her hair a new color.
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"This is currently my go-to face makeup for any and all situations. The coverage is sheer (like a skin tint) but buildable so it effectively covers up my dark marks and redness, and the level of glow is unreal." —Lauren Balsamo, beauty director
"I can't believe how easily this blends with a dense brush. It's surprisingly thin, so you can layer for added coverage without it getting cakey or pilling—and it still feels like you have nothing on." —Olivia Truffaut-Wong, editor
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Eaze Drop Blur + Smooth Tint Stick
"This seriously smoothes the texture on my skin and doesn't look cakey or feel too greasy on my face after a few hours." —Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Sam Neibart is a freelance writer and editor who has been covering beauty over digital and print for nearly a decade. She reports on the ever-evolving landscape of trends, tastemakers, and technology in the industry and loves nothing more than helping friends and readers discover the beauty products that are best for them. Previously, she held editorial positions at NYLON and Harper’s BAZAAR. She currently lives in Manhattan and biannually experiences the strong urge to dye her hair a new color. Follow her on Instagram.
