Products I Can't Live Without #3 - Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Hello, my name is Christina and I am a mascara-holic.

*Phew* Glad I got that off my chest! I have anything up to 12 mascaras at any one time, though at the moment I have less because I'm trying to work through them instead of buying new ones during my spending ban. However, there is one mascara that I always rely on and continually return to...

Max Factor False Lash Effect (FLE) Mascara (in Black-Brown). I think it was around 18 months ago that I first tried it. And ever since then I have always had a tube, either of the classic FLE or of their new formulas that they bring out from time to time (Fusion, 24-hr and at the moment I'm using Clump Defy formula).

So why is it a main-stay in my make-up collection then? Quite simply, I'm blessed with long lashes but with squat volume. Max Factor FLE provides that volume. Wearing this, I've had people commenting on my eyelashes, saying they look long enough to be fake... never sure if that's a compliment or not, but it's clearly the desired effect Max Factor were after when they created this!

For me, I have eyes that are not hooded nor small, so the large rubberised wand is fine (read: fantastic) for me, although me being me I usually blob it everywhere because I'm so clumsy! However I know for some that the wand is too big and causes more mess than it helps. For most formulas, this is the standard type of wand. At the moment though, the Clump Defy FLE is different...

Hopefully you'll be able to see that the wand on this is smaller with a curved and a flat edge, in order to define the lashes more without making them clump into one big mess. Unfortunately you will have to take my word for it that this works brilliantly - at the moment my face is not fit for public consumption. However, rest assured that I would not be recommending Clump Defy FLE so highly if I didn't have every faith in it. My lashes look long, fluttery and well-defined using this, and you can build up as many layers as you like without lashes looking clumpy.

I will always have a Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara of some description in my make-up collection. If you wish to add one to your collection, the range is available from most Boots and Superdrug stores and online, averaging at £10.99.

Christina xo

The Mascara Maven

Yeah...

I said a while ago that I wouldn't get drawn into the world of beauty blogging. However, the more make-up I buy, the more I wanna talk about it. Normally, most folks would chat to their gal pals about make-up and their preferences, but I live at least 60 miles away from the rest of my close friends, which makes chatting and playing with make-up a bit tricky! So I figured I'd try blogging about it for a while and see how I go...

The first thing I've noticed is that I have rather a lot of mascara, 12 to be precise (I know that some more seasoned beauty bloggers might think "Is that all?" but it feels like a lot). One of my favourite things about my face is that I have naturally longish lashes, so I like to make a feature of them. So here they all are, in order of price:

L-R: MUA eXtreme Volume Mascara in Brown/Black (£2)
Collection Extreme Coloured Lengthening Mascara in Blue(£2.99)
17 Peep Show in Brown/Black (£4 on offer)
17 Photo Flawless in Black/Copper (£5.99)
No.7 Exceptional Definition in Brown/Black (£7.50 with £5 Voucher)
Max Factor False Lash Effect in Brown/Black (£7.99 with £3 voucher)
L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic in Brown/Black (£10.99)
Benefit They're Real in Black (£11.50 with £7 Debenhams gift card)
Beautee/Relian Mascara in black (with fibres) (around £20 at a Girls Day Out show)

And the samples at the bottom: Max Factor Masterpiece in Black, MAC Zoom Lashes in Black and Lancome Hypnose Drama in Black.

My go-to mascara is usually the Max Factor False Lash effect, but recently I've been trying to use more of my mascaras and I've found a few that work pretty well. The MUA mascara is bargainous at £2 but my only issue with it is that it doesn't put a lot of mascara onto the lashes, but it does create a fair bit of volume, so I tend to use this in conjunction with something else to build up the lashes.
The Beautee/Relian Mascara was something I picked up at a Girls Day out (kinda like a beauty, fashion, chocolate, booze paradise for women) and it's lasted me at least 18 months, which is pretty impressive. You basically paint on the "transplanting gel", i.e. the mascara, then paint on the fibres, then repeat if necessary. It really does give you a false-lash look, with very little fibre fallout. AWESOME!

I have no real major dislikes with any of these TBH. The only let-down I have is the Benefit. They're Real is apparently the No.1 mascara in the U.K., if not the World and it's supposed to give you these amazing falsie-like lashes. Well I may have been applying it wrong, but my lashes ended up looking like Clump-Central. Not cool considering it's normally £18.50. However, I have found that if I use it over another mascara, it does add some good length. 

What mascaras do you guys use? If you want to know my thoughts on any of the other mascaras, just comment and let me know :) Generally let me know what you think of this post, it's my first proper beauty post and I like to get feedback!

Christina xo