Cant believe I actually like this foundation...

Pan Stik in Fair (25) by Max Factor

I remember trying this out on the back of my hand when I was a teenager and thinking it was the grossest foundation ever! It seemed so thick, cakey and unnatural that I couldn’t imagine anyone actually using it. 10 years on and my opinion has changed somewhat… I now absolutely love it

First things first: The texture. Lets not beat about the bush; the texture is more like a high-coverage concealer than a foundation which is one of the reasons I avoided trying this for so long. So I was amazed at how it melted and blended into my skin with minimal effort! I haven't tried this with a primer yet, I just use the stick to draw lines straight onto my face (the term war paint has never seemed so apt) and then I use my fingers to blend this in. It’s one of the few foundations I use that looks better when applied with my fingers instead of a makeup brush so it's great to use on the go if you don't wanna carry around foundation and/or stippling brushes
The coverage isn't thick and mask-like as I'd expected, if anything it's actually a lighter coverage than some of the liquid foundations I use such as Double Wear by Estee Lauder. The finish is surprisingly natural and leaves my skin looking dewy and even-toned but doesn’t cover every little imperfection so I still have to use a concealer for the worst offenders. The dewy/satiny finish definitely wouldn't be to everyones liking so I reckon most people would top this off with a powder but I kinda like the glow this gives me

As for staying power… although this isnt really advertised as a long wear product I've found it lasts really well and when it fades slightly throughout the day (particularly around my nose) the packaging comes into it's own as the stick design is perfect for top-ups
I kinda wish I could just rave about a product and not have anything negative to say but there always seems to be something that could be improved upon and in this case it's the range of shades available. Currently there is only 6 on sale and I found the numbering quite strange; I have ridiculously pale skin and had to use number 25 (fair) which was a bit, ahem, warmer looking (i.e orange) than I'd normally go for but it actually matched my skin tone fairly well once it had been applied

This gives the perfect coverage for this time of year but when we get into the summer months I reckon I'll just use this as a concealer for minor blemishes and dark circles instead of a foundation

Summary

Cost - £6.99
Size – 9g
Cons - Not nearly enough shades available
Bonus - Only costs £6.99, is really widely available and doesn't dry out