Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick Review

After seeing the amount of views my post on the Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner got (unfortunately no comments :( ), I have decided to write another makeup review, this time on the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick.  

So Max Factor advertises the Lipstick  as; 

"For instant fabulous colour and smoother, softer* lips over time look no further than Max Factor’s new Colour Elixir Lipstick. The Elixir formula contains a 60% blend of skin emollients, conditioners and antioxidants including vitamin E, for a visible transformation in the look and feel of your lips. As you apply the Colour Elixir Lipstick, it actively moisturises and smoothes lips. Enjoy rich and gorgeous looking colour on smooth, beautiful lips!
*vs bare lips "

About the Product in General;

It is in a normal squared gold lipstick tube, which gives it a very classic look.  The lipstick inside comes in the normal lipstick shape, i.e. the teardrop shape.  At the bottom of the tube it indicates the shade of the lipstick, however do not trust that when it comes to buying these lipsticks; always test it as colour varies and sometimes even its finish varies from one lipstick shade to another, such as it may be more shimmery or is matte.  The product comes in various shades, which vary from country to country as one can note in for example the British Max Factor site and the Australian Max Factor Site.  

So does it live up to what Max Factor claims? 

The lipsticks do offer an 'instant fabulous colour' and come in a great variety of colours at that.  Not all are of the same consistency, some are more shimmery/frosty than others (e.g. Secret Cerise) while others do not have any shimmer at all (e.g. Pink Brandy).  When I use these lipsticks the shades really light up my face and give me a more fresher look.  It is important to point out that the colour of these lipsticks is very intense and not as transparent/sheer as the Revlon Lip Butters I have seen (although to be honest I haven't tried them yet, but I saw loads of pictures and videos on other blogs), even though they have a moisturising formula.

According to Max Factor, the lipsticks have a particular moisturising formula and yes it is true.  The instant I tried on one of these lipsticks my lips felt really moisturised and in my opinion I found them even more moisturising then my normal lip balms.  I have tried other lipsticks which didn't have such an instant moisturising effect as this one.  Usually after a couple of hours wearing my old lipsticks my lips would crack, which ended up ruining my whole look.  Luckily, these Max Factor Lipsticks do not chap my lips at all, which is why I have thrown away my old lipsticks and bought 4 of these babies.  

Max Factor also claims that this lipstick smoothes lips, which from personal experience I also agree with this statement as it isn't the first time that I didn't exfoliate my lips and went straight to putting on this lipstick even when I had a slight crack - the result my lips still looked smooth and not icky like when you would apply lipstick on slightly chapped lips with other brands.  

However, I would like to point out that these lipsticks do not have such a moisturising effect when one dabs a little on the lips for a very very slight pop of colour.  So to get the full moisturising effect you have to apply it as you would normally do with a lipstick.  

Now as one can note, Max Factor doesn't advertise these as long-lasting and in fact they aren't, they are pretty average when it comes to lasting power.  The colour doesn't last long, but if one applies a lip liner base before applying this lipstick then it will definitely last. 

Would I buy this again?

Of course, I have bought four in total - Secret Cerise, Pink Brandy, Chili & Sunbronze.  I always loved lipsticks, but my lips always chapped after 2-hours or so but with these my lips never get chapped and the colours are just amazing.  Also after a day wearing one of these lipsticks, the next day my lips would still feel moisturised even when the product has come off completely!

They are a bit pricey here in Malta as they are about 12Euros, but in my opinion I think they are worth every cent.  

Now below you will find a picture of me trying Secret Cerise, as I noticed it is not a very common colour to come-by.  As one can note it is a plum-pinkish colour and has a sort of frosty finish, which makes the lipstick very fun to wear.  (Note I am not wearing any lip liner)

Natural Lips

Wearing Secret Cerise

I hope you enjoyed this review and if you want me to provide you with more swatches of the shades I have I would be glad to oblige, just leave a comment ;D

Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner Review

Apart from fashion I also have a love for makeup.  I am not a makeup artist, I am just your average 20 year old girl who loves makeup ;D

So I decided to review the Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner.  Max Factor claims that the product does the following;

"For liquid-like intensity and long lasting colour try Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner and get expert precision in an easy to apply pencil. The intense finish and depth of colour of this new eye pencil gives the dramatic framing and definition you would expect from a liquid liner. Use the smart smudging tip on the end of the pencil to blend the liner slightly and take your look from day to night in one simple stroke! "

About the Product in General;

It is a pencil eyeliner and so it requires an eye-pencil sharpener.  It comes with a smudging tip on one end and can be found in 6 shades; Black Fire, Brown Blaze, Silver Spark, Lilac Flame, Violet Voltage & Green Glow.

So does it live up to Max Factor's claims?

The product doesn't offer as much intensity when applied on the eyelid.  Like many eyeliners, when testing it on your hand a lot of colour comes out, but when it is applied on the eye area it is much more difficult to get the same colour intensity as when applied on the hand.  However, decent product amount is transferred on the eye which makes it satisfactory to a certain extent, but it is not as intense as it is advertised.

Max Factor claims that it is long-lasting.  Unfortunately this isn't the case.  After 3 hours or so the colour fades and it is barely visible anymore. Probably using eye-primer will help in its longevity.

However, Max Factor is right on something it is very easy to apply unlike other eyeliners on the market.  I, who is always in a rush and not the best person out there when it comes to applying eyeliner in general, found this extremely easy to use and apply.  With a quick flick I get decent colour amount (but not as intense as claimed) and I am ready to go.  It's consistency is very soft, which makes it more fun to use unlike other eyeliners out there which I find them not so creamy to apply and sometimes I even find them too hard to be used as eye-pencils to begin with.  And although it is creamy, it doesn't smudge easily either, it just doesn't last so long.

Does it compare to a liquid eyeliner?  Well, I cannot comment on that as I haven't used liquid eyeliners for ages, but from what I recall and from what I have seen on other people, a liquid eyeliner is still better for definition rather than these pencils.

The smudging tip is quiet good, as I have tried other eyeliner smudging tips which ended up removing the eyeliner rather than smudging it.  This does the job nicely, but requires patience and very soft strokes to get the desired effect.

Would I buy this again? 

Although it isn't long-lasting and very intense; it is very easy to use, which makes me like the product and for the problem of the product it can easily be solved by reapplying.  However, I hate the price.  For lacking staying power and colour intensity and it cost me 7.80 Euros; I found it to be very pricey. 

Since I haven't come across another pencil eyeliner which offers such ease of application and also such a lovely purple colour, I would still buy it again.  I bought the Violet Voltage and I love the colour so much, that regardless of the cons I would still buy it again as I haven't found such a lovely purple shade from other brands.

Finally, here is a picture of how the product looks when applied;

Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner in Violet Voltage

I hope you have enjoyed this review and feel free to comment and share your preferred eyeliners ;D  I'd love to know more about other products.  Also note I wasn't offered any money or products to do this review, so this is my honest opinion ;D