Max Factor, I Love

Like every teenage girl I love to experiment with make up. And like every teenage girl I'm on a budget. How to get the perfect face, for a little cash? Let me help.

At first I began to experiment with the brand I Love My Eyes/Face/Lips/Nails, my local off brand at Wal-Mart. After those proved to be of the worst quality I moved on to Wet N' Wild, and N.Y.C. While these brands are perfect for trying out new trends like, turquoise eye liner or ruby red lipstick they weren't what I was looking for in a basic everyday wear make up. So then I really jumped the gun and went to the department store. After paying thirty dollars for a compact of powder and not really seeing that much of a difference in Clinique versus Wet N' Wild, I decided to go back to the drug store. I worked at Walgreen's as a beauty adviser so when week we were told to remove and clearance price an entire unit of Max Factor make up, because they were coming out with new packaging. I figured why not try it now when it's on sale? I bought myself a PanStik, in natural, PanCake in natural, and a Max Factor Stretch and Separate mascara in black.

Now I have light, ruddy complexion with an occasional break out. I have an oily t-zone and dry cheeks. I like a lot of coverage. At less than $10 a tube, PanStik is perfect! I use a cosmetic wedge, swiped across the top and stippled all over my face. The result? A gorgeous flaw less complexion. It doesn't look fake or cakey at all. It's not harsh or matte either, but gives you a soft dewy look. I thought it would be too heavy, and in moments of high heat slide right off my face. But to date it hasn't! It always holds up, stays on and never lets me down.

As for PanCake, it gives more of a matte finish, and take a tad longer to apply. But I love it because on those days when I'm feeling fabulous and don't need as much coverage, I can use PanCake with a light hand, and for those days when my face needs a lot of help I can apply it a little more heavily. The key is blending with this product. Its water activated, meaning you use a wet sponge to apply it to your face. But if your sponge is too saturated you'll end up with a huge streak down your face. So blend, blend, blend! But it's light, like PanStik, not too heavy and lasts me all day long! I even apply a little with a big fluffy blush over my PanStik sometimes to "set" it. And at under $8, what a steal!

And now, on to my favorite-- my life, my love, the Max Factor mascaras. The first mascara I tried was the Stretch and Separate line, in black. It comes in a pretty basic package, blue tube, silver top, silver lettering. Straight wand, fluffy brush. I don't know what it is that makes it so great! Hold the wand at the base of lashes and slowly wiggle back and forth horizontally into your lashes as you move the wand up to the tips of lashes. Usually I just need one coat! No clumps and each lash stands alone, giving me full luscious lashes. After my tube dried up, I went back for more only to discover the many varieties Max Factor had to offer! (Remember I bought my first products on clearance, limited selection.) I decided to try the 2000 Calorie Hydrofuge mascara in rich black. I get chills just thinking about it now! This is by far the one beauty product I could not live with out. Take the rest, but leave me my mascara! Applied the same way as before, and add an extra swipe or two to the tips of lashes if you're going someplace that calls for a little more drama. It gave me thick full, dark lashes that I get so many compliments on! One blink and its on lower lashes too, no need to awkwardly try to figure out the correct application technique to make those lower lashes look done but not Twiggy like. Even though I did not buy the waterproof version (its out there) this mascara stays put, all day, all night. I can rub my eyes and I'm still good to go! I've slept with it on, and come out looking like a star in the morning! It's easy to remove if you use a make up remover. Plain water isn't going to do much, and I don't recommend taking a bar of soap to your eyes, ever. At only about $5, I can afford to get them in as many shades as they can make! I can almost guarantee that once you try it you'll love it, and never go back!

So put down that Covergirl, drop that Maybelline, ditch those department stores, head out to your local drug store and grab up some Max Factor. Satisfaction, guaranteed.