The twist pen (3 ml) is the one you carry: it fits a handbag or a desk, applies without mess and lasts about a month of daily use. The dropper (15 ml) is the one that stays home: one drop per nail at night, better value per millilitre, and easier on toenails. Many people end up with both.
- The pen (3 ml, A$16.95) is the one you carry. The dropper (15 ml, A$24.50) is the one that stays home.
- The dropper is better value per millilitre: about A$1.63 against about A$5.65 for the pen.
- The pen is mess free and handbag sized. The dropper suits a slow night routine and toenails.
- The pen and dropper bundle is A$33.75, which is A$7.70 less than buying both separately.
- Prices as at 16 October 2026.
Here's the whole comparison in one picture, and then I'll take the pen and the dropper in turn.
When is the nail serum pen the better choice?
The pen is the better choice whenever you are away from home, because it fits a handbag, applies without mess and is there the moment your hands need it.
It's about 13 cm long, roughly the length of your palm and as thick as a pencil. Click the base, brush the serum along your cuticles and over your nails, and you're done in about 20 seconds. A new pen can take 20 to 40 clicks to fill the first time, so don't panic if nothing turns up straight away. After that, one click a day covers ten nails. The Nail Growth and Strength Serum pen is the one I'd keep in my bag, and how to use a cuticle oil pen walks you through it step by step.
When is the nail serum dropper the better choice?
The dropper is the better choice at home, because 15 ml is better value per millilitre, a drop lands exactly where you put it, and a bottle by the bed suits a slow night routine.
The routine is one drop per nail, rubbed in, and the bottle holds five times as much serum as the pen. The 15 ml dropper is the one I'd leave by the bed.
Honestly? The best format is the one you'll actually reach for. If that's the pen in your bag, start there.
Which is better value, the pen or the dropper?
The dropper is better value per millilitre and the pen costs less to start, so which is cheaper for you depends on how long you want a bottle to last.
Here's how they line up, with a pink tick on the winner of each row:
| What you are comparing | Twist pen | Dropper |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 3 ml | 15 ml, five times the serum |
| Price to start | A$16.95 | A$24.50 |
| Price per millilitre | About A$5.65 | About A$1.63 |
| How you apply it | Click, then brush | One drop per nail |
| Handbag and travel | Fits a handbag, no mess | A bottle, best kept upright |
| Toenails | A brush is hard to reach with | A drop lands where you put it |
A pen lasts about a month of daily use, which works out at about 57 cents a day, and the dropper holds five times as much serum as the pen. Prices as at 16 October 2026.
Which is better for travel, mess and handbags?
For travel, take the pen and leave the dropper at home, because the pen is designed to fit in a handbag and applies without mess.
A dropper is a bottle, so it likes to stay upright, which is why mine lives on the bedside table and not at the bottom of a bag. Nobody wants loose serum in the handbag lining.
Which is better for toenails?
The dropper is the easier format for toenails, because a drop lands where you put it and a toenail is hard to reach with a brush.
By the end of the day your feet feel a long way off, and a bottle by the bed or the shower is easier to reach than a pen. One drop on each toenail and a quick rub is all it takes. And if a toenail is sore or changing, that's a different job altogether:
If it came on suddenly, hurts, is discoloured, thickened or lifting, see a GP, dermatologist or podiatrist.
Why is there a pen and dropper bundle?
The bundle exists because many people end up wanting both, and buying them together costs less.
I used my serum on my own clients for years before I offered it to anyone else, and the pattern I kept seeing was a pen for the day and a bottle for the night. The pen and dropper bundle is A$33.75. At today's prices the pen and the dropper bought separately come to A$41.45, so the bundle saves A$7.70.
If you'd like both, the bundle is right below.
Nail Growth & Strength Bundle | Pen & Dropper
A$33.75
The 3 ml pen for your bag and the 15 ml dropper for your bedside, hand blended on the Gold Coast, together in one bundle.
Add to cartSweet almond oil is a nut derived oil; people with nut allergies should talk to their doctor first.
Questions about pen or dropper
Is a cuticle oil pen or bottle better?
Neither is better for everyone. A pen is mess free and fits a handbag, so it suits the day. A bottle with a dropper is better value per millilitre and suits a slow night routine and toenails. Many people end up with both, and the bundle is there for them.
How long does a nail serum pen last?
About a month of daily use. A new pen can take 20 to 40 clicks to fill the first time, and after that one click a day covers ten nails. How long yours lasts depends on how often you use it, and results vary.
Which is better value, the pen or the dropper?
The dropper, per millilitre. At A$24.50 for 15 ml it works out at about A$1.63 a millilitre, against about A$5.65 for the A$16.95 pen at 3 ml. The pen costs less to start and is easier to carry. The bundle is A$33.75, A$7.70 less than buying both separately. Prices as at 16 October 2026.
