Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick

I'd been eying up the Max Factor Lip Giant Pen Sticks for a good while before I took the plunge and picked up one when there was a free gift offer at boots.

I went for Subtle Coral but the shade pictured above is Foxy Amber which was in the gift set I received. No idea why it was named Foxy Amber as it isn't an orangey shade at all, just a pretty pink.

The formula is somewhere between a lipstick and a lipgloss - closer to a gloss. When sharpened, the product on the shavings feels like a really thick gloss (yep, I dipped my finger in and swatched the pencil shavings...). Personally I prefer a balm to a gloss, I don't like the sticky feeling.

While these aren't the most gloopy/sticky they certainly will grab hold of any stray hairs if they wander close enough. If you're happy with a sheerer colour but don't want a sticky feeling, maybe try blotting and then applying a balm on top.

In terms of colour these dish out a sheer wash of pigment, very pretty and sheeny. Perfect if you want to experiment with colour but don't want something too dramatic. These are buildable, and some of the swatches for other colours I've seen look very bright. I think these would be a good choice if you want something fun but subtle enough to wear to school.

A plus side of the glossy finish is that these aren't the least bit drying though I'm not sure that they do anything beneficial for your lips. They last probably 3-4 hours, less if you're eating or drinking. But these are super easy to apply on the go and really small to carry around.

The pen sticks are £6.99 at Boots, Superdrug and other cosmetic stores. Personally  while I do enjoy using them I don't think I'll repurchase them or pick anymore up. I'm just not a gloss fan.

(sidenote: the pens are currently on offer in Superdrug for £4.99 if you wanted to pick one up!)