Review: Topshop Lip Marker in Hot Shot

I put a lot of Topshop clothing on my birthday list this year and, when a lovely lady on Twitter passed me a code for a free lip marker, I sent it on to Rich. Just in case. Turns out, he got the hint. I got a fair few clothes from Topshop and a new lip product too. Woohoo!

I was insanely excited to try this. When I sampled it on my hand, I got a real surprise. It really is just like a felt tip. It was a cute colour and lasted forever too, so I couldn't wait to try it out for real.

The packaging, like all Topshop packaging, is super cute. It's the exact size and shape of a pen, so it's really convenient and it has the bottom is completely coloured in the shade. Just in case you buy loads of them and need to know which is which straight away. Not that I'll ever do that... Ahem...

The nib makes it so easy to shape your lips. I have absolutely no definition in my top lip (It actually resembles a castle turret!) so I rely very heavily on lip liners. This makes it an absolute doddle. I shaped my lips and then coloured them in. It really is like using a colouring book. Just more three-dimensional. And on your face.

The shade is gorgeous- A subtle coral-red. It reminded me of a Chubby Stick in terms of the sheer subtlety, only with a matte finish. It applies evenly and I managed to build it up a little, although not a huge amount. I'll be keeping this for low-key looks. 

I noticed an odd smell. It smells almost like the play make up that children are given- Very sweet  and synthetic but not at all unpleasant. If anything, it's very nostalgic and I liked that. 

As it wears on, it fades evenly. The durability isn't fantastic- it was at its peak for about 3 hours before starting to fade- but it does leave a faint stain for hours after and doesn't rub off on glasses or food! 

All in all, I'm pretty impressed. It's perfect for a casual look and, since it's so easy to apply, top-ups are easy peasy. It's ideal for slipping into a handbag! Plus, it's only £8 (although not actually available on the Topshop website, for some reason. It's sold in other places though, such as John Lewis and Selfridges). I think I'm going to have to buy another!