Review: Max Factor FaceFinity Primer and Smokey Eyeshadow Stick

Over the weekend, we tried and tested the Max Factor products we received at the OBlogger party and attempted an eye make up look with them that is subtle enough to wear during the day. Although we used other products to achieve this look, in this post we will be reviewing the two Max Factor products - Facefinity All Day Primer and Smokey Effect Eyeshadow stick.

• After moisturing the face, we we used the Max Factor Facefinity primer as a base

• Fixed blemishes and spots with Maybelline fit me concealer #25

• Topped it off with Loreal True Match foundation - N4 - Buff Beige

• For the eyes, we applied Step 1 of the Max Factor Smokey Eyeshadow stick in Bronze Haze all along the lid. To create a light bronze smoke for this everyday eye, we applied Step 2 from the middle of the crease to the outer corner of the eye and all along the lower lash line. To highlight the inner corners of the eye, we used Step 1 using a smudge brush.

• Sometimes contouring on a daily basis is not feasible so we stuck to a simple peach blush (MAC’s powder blush in Peachykeen) for glowy flushed cheeks

• For the eyebrows our staple is the Anastasia Beverly Hills dip brow pomade in Chocolate

• To add a bit of flirty drama, we used HudaBeauty lashes in 'Samantha'

THE REVIEW

MAX FACTOR FACEFINITY ALL DAY PRIMER

What it claims to do

It promises to extend the life of foundation with the Flexi-Hold technology, mattify skin and remove excess oil with Micro Correctors, and even includes SPF 20 to boot.

How to use it

Apply the primer following your moisturizer, using a flat foundation brush and sweeping it over the T-zone.

Price

AED 79

Where can you purchase this?

Lifestyle, Beauty Bay, Faces and online on Souq.com and Tejuri.com.

Our Experience

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer is the secret to Max Factor's Facefinity 3-in-1 Foundation long lasting coverage. It became a standalone product after receiving rave reviews from many makeup artists who demanded it to become a solo product.

The primer comes in a good size (30 ml the same size as the brand’s foundations) with an inbuilt pump which does not clog or leak. One pump of the product tends to be enough for a full face application so waste is not an issue.

The liquid is silky smooth when applying and really feels like you a giving your face a little piece of paradise. It is lightweight and absorbs into the skin really quickly meaning that you don’t have to stand around waiting to put your foundation on. The foundation really held all day and kept the skin soft and touchable.

Many primers contain heavy silicones which sometimes cause sensitive skin to break out not to mention flake throughout the day. Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer does contain silicone but it doesn't have the same texture or feel on the skin rather it is lightweight and almost feels like your wearing nothing at all on your skin. The best part was that it yielded a matte, dewy finish rather than a flat matte finish.

Personally we find this primer to be somewhat hydrating so those with dry skin can really benefit from usage. Nothing will budge with this underneath and having used this daily for close to a week we can say safely that our skin has not broken out. But we still suggest doing a patch test to those with sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Conclusion

We are really pleased with this product as we prefer to wear light products that don’t choke our skin. This works like a treat because it is pretty translucent and really extends the wear of foundation and doesn't affect their color payoff as well, provided that you apply no more than two layers. It spreads out so invisibly well that you instantly feel like you have a better complexion and a better canvas to put on your foundation or tinted moisturizer. We now understand why it was a backstage staple during the 2014 London Fashion Week.

We recommend this primer if your looking to achieve beautiful results on a smaller budget.

MAX FACTOR SMOKEY EYE STICK

What it claims to do

According to Max Factor’s official website - “A foolproof new tool that shades, blends and defines your eyes for this season’s sultriest, sexiest looks. Inspired by our international team of make-up artists its double-ended application system has 2 distinctive tips designed to make smoky eyes easier than ever.” - without the need of many tools and brushes.

How to use

The product has two ends which are labeled Step 1 & Step 2. Use the round blunt end (Step1) all over your lids and the tapered pointy end (Step 2) along the crease and on the lower lash line. You can use your fingers or a smudge brush to pat and smudge so it blends seamlessly.

Price

AED 55

Where can you purchase this?

Lifestyle, Beauty Bay, Faces and online on Souq and Tejuri.

Range

There are 6 sticks each containing two complimentary colours in sheeny textures. We got the following but decided to test only one of them:

• Bronze Haze: The beigy end is a shimmery neutral shade and the other is a bronze shimmery shade.

• Indigo Mist: One end is a bejeweled ocean blue and the other end is a plum toned shade. Again, both ends give a shimmery finish.

Our Experience

The eye shadow stick is compact and easy to carry around especially when you want to travel with minimal makeup. It reminded us a lot about cream eyeshadow sticks. The texture is smooth and creamy on application and is more or less like what you would apply as a base before using powder eyeshadows. It did give a good transition as if the color was blended with a brush.

However, we wanted to achieve more of a soft smoke so we tried using a brush while blending but it looked a bit muddy after so we switched to using our finger. It is quick to pat and apply using your ring finger, however, when you blend with your fingers, the colour payoff fades a lot which is understandable because they are cream based. A word of advice, avoid vigorously rubbing with your fingers as it does not blend well with this method instead try patting motions. If you used to applying at least two or three layers of eyeshadow then it might be hard with this product as it doesn’t blend well with too many layers. Overall the result was quite pretty although we wished the color was less sheer and more pigmented.

Conclusion

Honestly, these products work well on their own as bases to prep the eye for powder eyeshadows or to touch up when you have used similar colors from a different product to ensure the colour payoff to be more vivacious & long lasting. Blending doesn’t work well using a brush or your finger as the colors immensely tone down so don’t expect dramatic intense finishes. The eyeshadow tends to crease a bit below the brow bone so you might need to apply translucent powder over the eyes to ‘set’ the eye makeup in. Even with the primer it lasted for about 2 - 3 hours so the color doesn’t really stick.

We were quite excited when we received this but it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Overall it’s alright but we wouldnt consider it as a staple product so we recommend not putting your money on it.

#eyemakeup #makeupreview #maxfactor