Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balms

Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balms are my new favourites.

These gorgeous little sticks are the answer to the prayers of women everywhere who find the intensity of a lipstick too extreme but still want a product that can give them a great colour. 

Better still, a colour whose intensity they are in control of.

This lipstick/balm is the most impressive hybrid I’ve come across. Many similar products either offer great moisturisation OR great colour, one at the expense of the other, but not these balms.

These contain 70% occlusives and emollients, with occlusives being a substance that forms a natural barrier on the lips and helps to retain moisture. Mango, cocoa and shea butters also ensure that the balm has a rich, thick and creamy texture and helps to smooth and soften your lips.

But we’re not just after a lip balm, we want some colour, and decent colour at that.

Each colour Intensifying Balm contains micro fine mica particles which deliver a gradual transformative colour, meaning you can build the colour intensity to your desired shade.

Thin platelets of mica mean the balm can be applied in very thin layers, enabling it to be built upon smoothing and effectively with each subsequent layer. This also increases the light reflection in the pigment maximising the colour intensity.

Using these balms is simply a pleasure. They glide across your lips beautifully, leaving behind a subtle layer of moisturising colour.

Apply again and again until you’ve achieved the colour intensity you’re after. It’s as simple as that!

I tried three very different shades to see how well they would all work.

 30 Refined Rose was my favourite, a gorgeous dusky pink that suited my pale skin and provided the perfect amount of colour with just one application.

 40 Exquisite Caramel worried me a bit as I didn’t expect it to provide me with much colour as it is a nude, but I was impressed. It went from being a very subtle nude to a pretty decent caramel shade after a few applications.

Again, 35 Classy Cherry concerned me as one of my pet peeves is a red balm or tint that ends up streaky and weak looking. I needn’t have worried as just like the other two, it was gorgeous. Personally, I felt this one needed a few coats to ensure it looked like it has been applied properly, but it was a pleasure to be able to wear a decent red lip without suffering from the drying effect of wearing a lipstick.

I actually don’t have a bad thing to say about these little gems and at £8.99 each I’d say they’re worth every penny

Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balms are available now in 9 gorgeous shades.