Being a woman that has tried many brands for feminine care, THIS is the top notch tier of tampons. The applicator is Plastic; super easy to use & does Not hurt during application unlike other brands. Tampax ALSO sincerely cares about feminine care, because they made the tampons free of bleach or dyes SO you aren't just putting any type of tampon inside of your body. Secondly, as a woman that is diagnosed with endometriosis I JUST want to state that it may seem cheesy/corny/tacky to review a WHOLE tampon, However THIS may help a woman that's ACTUALLY having pain during her cycles due to cysts/endometriosis & if I didn't have Tampax pearl, there'd be days that I wouldn't have been able to work or do other activities due to my cycle. Tampax pearl is ALSO created VERY thoughtfully for women, down to the string, THAT will absorb any extra fluid until your next change, ESPECIALLY during your heavier flow days. Tampax ALSO created variety pack boxes with light, regular,super,super plus, to fit your personal needs, so THAT you're not being destructed by your cycle. Where's with pads,or even other brands I've had disastrous embarrassing leaks, & I will say hands down that this tampon is the ONLY one I would trust if I'm going somewhere or it's important,& I need reliability. I can rely on these every single time. & Without pain or discomfort,or how my other half purchased a generic type of THESE for cheaper,& they smelled strongly of bleach..which cannot be healthy at ALL. I KNOW everyone's has their own personal preference; I'm In the beauty industry with many females & some use cups or strictly pads etc.. However THIS is what works for me,& is my go to,& no other brand compares. None. I've tried them ALL.& Cutting corners to save a dollar because they can be a tad bit more expensive than say other brands or similar looking generic brands, however you're risking your health with the WHOLE dyes and bleach, you absolutely Will have leaking if you have heavy cycles; the way the Tampax string is designed is to prevent that issue..& you won't have pain/discomfort/10 mins in bathroom trying to get yourself together. It makes things so MUCH simpler and again, it's JUST reliable. I can count that it'll get me through, AND it does. & It doesn't inflame or cause any extra pain. There's no malfunctions with applicator like other brands when using..& you're not going to lose the string,& you're not going to need to wear a pad and a tampon if you're wearing the correct type for your cycle(it explains on side of the box). Which is great for someone like me that lost my mother at a young age, so I had to figure THESE things out by trial and error on my own. I'll never have to use pads with it again like when I was younger with other brands. As long as you pay attention to changing times etc... THESE are game changers. & I'm not a VERY open person about things like THIS, However maybe it'll help a teenage girl at lacrosse practice that has to run laps and the other brands aren't completely stopping the flow from leaking; the ultimate embarrassment. & The way they're designed you can be discreet with them by putting them in the Palm of your hand,or I believe they do make travel size ones/compact ones as well. Tampax nailed it with the pearl.