Le Jardin de Max Factor (Vintage Perfume)

It's always interesting to note how the idea of a youthful perfume changes with time. Of course, it's very different to test and comment on the fragrances of yore when you weren't part of that era, and a bit alarming when the dinosaur in question is yourself.

1982. Junior high. You couldn't pay me enough to go back there even for one day, and yet I willingly bought a small bottle of vintage Le Jardin de Max Factor parfum extrait, the first fragrance I officially owned and was allowed to wear out of the house. One drop was enough to take me right back. Michael Jackson, The Eye Of The Tiger, Fame, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, my seventh grade teacher, my old cat Mad Max, having the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong everything, really. All the parties I wasn't invited to attend, insults and injuries. It was like smelling teen angst in a bottle of super frilly floral juice that has never suited me but was the idea of what an innocent twelve year old should be like.

Le Jardin de Max Factor has no edge and no sense of humor. It just sits there being pretty and pastel-colored, daydreaming who knows what about. It had a sort of romantic image (and ad campaign starring Jane Seymour), but only in a clean, hypothetical way- no men were allowed into that floral fantasy. It was completely safe.

And suffocating.

I can't help it. I'm not into pink floral scents (and apparently have never been. The first perfume I bought myself was Paloma Picasso). Things improve when Le Jardin moves to the drydown. It becomes smooth and a more cream-to-powder, which feels almost grown up. The sweetness helps, and I remember actually enjoying the perfume once it settled, though I was happy to graduate towards something more interesting.

Searching online I found two sets of notes:
1. Top notes are mint, green notes, tarragon, fruity notes and bergamot; middle notes are cyclamen, magnolia, tuberose, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, civet, oakmoss and cedar.
2. Top notes of neroli, honeysuckle, peach and bergamot, heart notes of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, geranium and ylang-ylang, on base notes of amber, cedar, myrrh and musk.
I lean towards the second one, as I definitely smell honeysuckle, and lots of it (probably the reason I'm uncomfortable wearing it). Orris root? Civet? Oakmoss? I highly doubt it.

Growing up isn't so bad, after all.

The Max Factor perfumes license has changed hands several times (as did the company itself, now owned by P&G). Le Jardinis still on the market (there were even a couple of flankers. Obviously it was a success) as a super cheap drugstore scent (not that it was ever a luxury product), but it was obviously been reformulated and cheapened even more. It's recommended to seek out the older bottles that were actually made by Max Factor.

vintage ads: couleurparfum.com

Le Jardin de Max Factor (Vintage Perfume)

It's always interesting to note how the idea of a youthful perfume changes with time. Of course, it's very different to test and comment on the fragrances of yore when you weren't part of that era, and a bit alarming when the dinosaur in question is yourself.

1982. Junior high. You couldn't pay me enough to go back there even for one day, and yet I willingly bought a small bottle of vintage Le Jardin de Max Factor parfum extrait, the first fragrance I officially owned and was allowed to wear out of the house. One drop was enough to take me right back. Michael Jackson, The Eye Of The Tiger, Fame, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, my seventh grade teacher, my old cat Mad Max, having the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong everything, really. All the parties I wasn't invited to attend, insults and injuries. It was like smelling teen angst in a bottle of super frilly floral juice that has never suited me but was the idea of what an innocent twelve year old should be like.

Le Jardin de Max Factor has no edge and no sense of humor. It just sits there being pretty and pastel-colored, daydreaming who knows what about. It had a sort of romantic image (and ad campaign starring Jane Seymour), but only in a clean, hypothetical way- no men were allowed into that floral fantasy. It was completely safe.

And suffocating.

I can't help it. I'm not into pink floral scents (and apparently have never been. The first perfume I bought myself was Paloma Picasso). Things improve when Le Jardin moves to the drydown. It becomes smooth and a more cream-to-powder, which feels almost grown up. The sweetness helps, and I remember actually enjoying the perfume once it settled, though I was happy to graduate towards something more interesting.

Searching online I found two sets of notes:
1. Top notes are mint, green notes, tarragon, fruity notes and bergamot; middle notes are cyclamen, magnolia, tuberose, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, civet, oakmoss and cedar.
2. Top notes of neroli, honeysuckle, peach and bergamot, heart notes of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, geranium and ylang-ylang, on base notes of amber, cedar, myrrh and musk.
I lean towards the second one, as I definitely smell honeysuckle, and lots of it (probably the reason I'm uncomfortable wearing it). Orris root? Civet? Oakmoss? I highly doubt it.

Growing up isn't so bad, after all.

The Max Factor perfumes license has changed hands several times (as did the company itself, now owned by P&G). Le Jardinis still on the market (there were even a couple of flankers. Obviously it was a success) as a super cheap drugstore scent (not that it was ever a luxury product), but it was obviously been reformulated and cheapened even more. It's recommended to seek out the older bottles that were actually made by Max Factor.

vintage ads: couleurparfum.com

Le Jardin de Max Factor (Vintage Perfume)

It's always interesting to note how the idea of a youthful perfume changes with time. Of course, it's very different to test and comment on the fragrances of yore when you weren't part of that era, and a bit alarming when the dinosaur in question is yourself.

1982. Junior high. You couldn't pay me enough to go back there even for one day, and yet I willingly bought a small bottle of vintage Le Jardin de Max Factor parfum extrait, the first fragrance I officially owned and was allowed to wear out of the house. One drop was enough to take me right back. Michael Jackson, The Eye Of The Tiger, Fame, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, my seventh grade teacher, my old cat Mad Max, having the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong everything, really. All the parties I wasn't invited to attend, insults and injuries. It was like smelling teen angst in a bottle of super frilly floral juice that has never suited me but was the idea of what an innocent twelve year old should be like.

Le Jardin de Max Factor has no edge and no sense of humor. It just sits there being pretty and pastel-colored, daydreaming who knows what about. It had a sort of romantic image (and ad campaign starring Jane Seymour), but only in a clean, hypothetical way- no men were allowed into that floral fantasy. It was completely safe.

And suffocating.

I can't help it. I'm not into pink floral scents (and apparently have never been. The first perfume I bought myself was Paloma Picasso). Things improve when Le Jardin moves to the drydown. It becomes smooth and a more cream-to-powder, which feels almost grown up. The sweetness helps, and I remember actually enjoying the perfume once it settled, though I was happy to graduate towards something more interesting.

Searching online I found two sets of notes:
1. Top notes are mint, green notes, tarragon, fruity notes and bergamot; middle notes are cyclamen, magnolia, tuberose, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, civet, oakmoss and cedar.
2. Top notes of neroli, honeysuckle, peach and bergamot, heart notes of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, geranium and ylang-ylang, on base notes of amber, cedar, myrrh and musk.
I lean towards the second one, as I definitely smell honeysuckle, and lots of it (probably the reason I'm uncomfortable wearing it). Orris root? Civet? Oakmoss? I highly doubt it.

Growing up isn't so bad, after all.

The Max Factor perfumes license has changed hands several times (as did the company itself, now owned by P&G). Le Jardinis still on the market (there were even a couple of flankers. Obviously it was a success) as a super cheap drugstore scent (not that it was ever a luxury product), but it was obviously been reformulated and cheapened even more. It's recommended to seek out the older bottles that were actually made by Max Factor.

vintage ads: couleurparfum.com

Transformed

With liquid liner being one of the hottest trends of the season, Paula Dorf's Transformer is 0.5 oz of sheer genious. I've been using wet eye shadows as liners for a long time, but they don't hold all day and the effect is softer and lacks the sharp and sexy look of the liquid liner.

Enter this little bottle. What it does is simply make your eye shadow look and act like a liquid liner. It's easy to use: Put a drop of the liquid anywhere (just not directly into the compact)- I use the back of my hand. Dip a brush (I like using a thin angled brush, but Paula Dorf also sells a Transformer brush for this purpose, and any eyeliner brush that you feel comfortable using, would work just as well) carefully into the liquid and swipe a little color from the edges of the eye shadow. Use it above the lash line just as you would any regular liner.

It takes very little practice to get the hang of it and learn excatly how much liquid you need. It's easy, and the result is great. A smudgeproof, vibrant liquid liner in every color you want and have in your collection. I've been playing and testing it with many shadows, and it works great. Even shadows that weren't all that great when it comes to staying power (like the MAXeye- today I'm wearing one of their bluish shadows as a liner) get a new use and new life and can look very beautiful.

A few weeks ago I was considering buying a liquid liner palette, like the one from Smashbox. But the Transformer made it unnecessary- I already have all the colors I could ever want and more.

The Transformer, like the rest of the Paula Dorf line, can also be bought through beauty.com.

Transformed

With liquid liner being one of the hottest trends of the season, Paula Dorf's Transformer is 0.5 oz of sheer genious. I've been using wet eye shadows as liners for a long time, but they don't hold all day and the effect is softer and lacks the sharp and sexy look of the liquid liner.

Enter this little bottle. What it does is simply make your eye shadow look and act like a liquid liner. It's easy to use: Put a drop of the liquid anywhere (just not directly into the compact)- I use the back of my hand. Dip a brush (I like using a thin angled brush, but Paula Dorf also sells a Transformer brush for this purpose, and any eyeliner brush that you feel comfortable using, would work just as well) carefully into the liquid and swipe a little color from the edges of the eye shadow. Use it above the lash line just as you would any regular liner.

It takes very little practice to get the hang of it and learn excatly how much liquid you need. It's easy, and the result is great. A smudgeproof, vibrant liquid liner in every color you want and have in your collection. I've been playing and testing it with many shadows, and it works great. Even shadows that weren't all that great when it comes to staying power (like the MAXeye- today I'm wearing one of their bluish shadows as a liner) get a new use and new life and can look very beautiful.

A few weeks ago I was considering buying a liquid liner palette, like the one from Smashbox. But the Transformer made it unnecessary- I already have all the colors I could ever want and more.

The Transformer, like the rest of the Paula Dorf line, can also be bought through beauty.com.

Transformed

With liquid liner being one of the hottest trends of the season, Paula Dorf's Transformer is 0.5 oz of sheer genious. I've been using wet eye shadows as liners for a long time, but they don't hold all day and the effect is softer and lacks the sharp and sexy look of the liquid liner.

Enter this little bottle. What it does is simply make your eye shadow look and act like a liquid liner. It's easy to use: Put a drop of the liquid anywhere (just not directly into the compact)- I use the back of my hand. Dip a brush (I like using a thin angled brush, but Paula Dorf also sells a Transformer brush for this purpose, and any eyeliner brush that you feel comfortable using, would work just as well) carefully into the liquid and swipe a little color from the edges of the eye shadow. Use it above the lash line just as you would any regular liner.

It takes very little practice to get the hang of it and learn excatly how much liquid you need. It's easy, and the result is great. A smudgeproof, vibrant liquid liner in every color you want and have in your collection. I've been playing and testing it with many shadows, and it works great. Even shadows that weren't all that great when it comes to staying power (like the MAXeye- today I'm wearing one of their bluish shadows as a liner) get a new use and new life and can look very beautiful.

A few weeks ago I was considering buying a liquid liner palette, like the one from Smashbox. But the Transformer made it unnecessary- I already have all the colors I could ever want and more.

The Transformer, like the rest of the Paula Dorf line, can also be bought through beauty.com.

Brown

Is there a beauty blog that didn't mention Bobbi Brown's chocolate palette lately? I almost missed my chance of getting one, because I was taking my time deciding that I really need some new brown eyeshadows, while these slick things were selling out like crazy.

There's something weird about a new line for fall that is becoming sold out by mid-July, and I wonder what was the beauty blogs' contribution to the Bobbi Rush (or for the Azuree oil craze, for that matter). Are we the ones creating the hype? Bobbi Brown's chocolate cherry nail polish is no longer to be found. It disappeared even faster than the palette. But I've already seen some great alternatives elsewhere. One of the magazines had Christy Turlingtom wearing something similar by Maybelline. I might check it eventually, but right now I'm actually on a light color kick. It's still summer, after all.

But back to the brown shadow issue. We all have them in the depths of our makeup drawers. I have a cognac color from Elizabeth Arden, an earthy brown from Clinique, a Chanel bronze and probably another one or two. None of them were part of a full palette, as brown seems to have gone out of favor in the last few seasons. I preferred shimmery golds and sexy khakis. So, all of a sudden brown looked fresh and new.

I started playing with a sample of Max Factor's MAXeye shadows in Connoisseur. The highlighter part of it, like just about any cream, beige or light mocha shadow I've ever tried, did nothing for me. It just looked dusty. The two darker browns were nice, though. The darkest isn't dark enough to also double as a liner on me, but the colors are blendable and the result was pretty. However, the shadow's quality leaves a lot to be desired. They don't stay put for very long, and depending on the amount of color I applied, they creased and/or faded within a few hours. They don't come with an applicator, which is fine with me. I prefer to use brushes, and the shadows did yield nicely to my brushes and went on well both dry and wet. But, as I said, they fall apart way too quickly.

While this experiment's results were decidedly underwhelming, it did make me decide that I need to invest in a good brown palette. Thanks to Annie from Blogdorf Goodman I learned that Nordstrom.com still had them (though my local store was out of the Bobbis, as were all the other department stores in Paramus) and I managed to score one. Once it arrived, I was really happy that I did.

Again, the lightest color, bone, is completely useless to me. This is the only color from the palette that can be purchased separately. So, if you are somewhat olive-skinned, you don't need to bother with this one. It's invisible. What does work as a nice highlighter is the lightest shimmery shadow. It's very light and has more shimmer than pigment (not in an over-the-top way), but it doesn't need to be more than that, especially for daytime. The darker colors are all very pretty, can be blended and layered to your heart's desire, and the darkest one is just perfect as a daytime liner.

I'm not crazy about the double-ended brush that comes with the shadows. It's too thin for my liking, so I'm not using it.

It's amazing how beautiful this look can be. I seem to have forgotten how well these colors work for me, especially with black liner (I've been working my Artliner ever since I started using this palette) and darker lips (see my new Holy Grail). By the time fall is actually here there'll have to be some new sensation, because I'm already wearing this look every day.

Brown

Is there a beauty blog that didn't mention Bobbi Brown's chocolate palette lately? I almost missed my chance of getting one, because I was taking my time deciding that I really need some new brown eyeshadows, while these slick things were selling out like crazy.

There's something weird about a new line for fall that is becoming sold out by mid-July, and I wonder what was the beauty blogs' contribution to the Bobbi Rush (or for the Azuree oil craze, for that matter). Are we the ones creating the hype? Bobbi Brown's chocolate cherry nail polish is no longer to be found. It disappeared even faster than the palette. But I've already seen some great alternatives elsewhere. One of the magazines had Christy Turlingtom wearing something similar by Maybelline. I might check it eventually, but right now I'm actually on a light color kick. It's still summer, after all.

But back to the brown shadow issue. We all have them in the depths of our makeup drawers. I have a cognac color from Elizabeth Arden, an earthy brown from Clinique, a Chanel bronze and probably another one or two. None of them were part of a full palette, as brown seems to have gone out of favor in the last few seasons. I preferred shimmery golds and sexy khakis. So, all of a sudden brown looked fresh and new.

I started playing with a sample of Max Factor's MAXeye shadows in Connoisseur. The highlighter part of it, like just about any cream, beige or light mocha shadow I've ever tried, did nothing for me. It just looked dusty. The two darker browns were nice, though. The darkest isn't dark enough to also double as a liner on me, but the colors are blendable and the result was pretty. However, the shadow's quality leaves a lot to be desired. They don't stay put for very long, and depending on the amount of color I applied, they creased and/or faded within a few hours. They don't come with an applicator, which is fine with me. I prefer to use brushes, and the shadows did yield nicely to my brushes and went on well both dry and wet. But, as I said, they fall apart way too quickly.

While this experiment's results were decidedly underwhelming, it did make me decide that I need to invest in a good brown palette. Thanks to Annie from Blogdorf Goodman I learned that Nordstrom.com still had them (though my local store was out of the Bobbis, as were all the other department stores in Paramus) and I managed to score one. Once it arrived, I was really happy that I did.

Again, the lightest color, bone, is completely useless to me. This is the only color from the palette that can be purchased separately. So, if you are somewhat olive-skinned, you don't need to bother with this one. It's invisible. What does work as a nice highlighter is the lightest shimmery shadow. It's very light and has more shimmer than pigment (not in an over-the-top way), but it doesn't need to be more than that, especially for daytime. The darker colors are all very pretty, can be blended and layered to your heart's desire, and the darkest one is just perfect as a daytime liner.

I'm not crazy about the double-ended brush that comes with the shadows. It's too thin for my liking, so I'm not using it.

It's amazing how beautiful this look can be. I seem to have forgotten how well these colors work for me, especially with black liner (I've been working my Artliner ever since I started using this palette) and darker lips (see my new Holy Grail). By the time fall is actually here there'll have to be some new sensation, because I'm already wearing this look every day.

Brown

Is there a beauty blog that didn't mention Bobbi Brown's chocolate palette lately? I almost missed my chance of getting one, because I was taking my time deciding that I really need some new brown eyeshadows, while these slick things were selling out like crazy.

There's something weird about a new line for fall that is becoming sold out by mid-July, and I wonder what was the beauty blogs' contribution to the Bobbi Rush (or for the Azuree oil craze, for that matter). Are we the ones creating the hype? Bobbi Brown's chocolate cherry nail polish is no longer to be found. It disappeared even faster than the palette. But I've already seen some great alternatives elsewhere. One of the magazines had Christy Turlingtom wearing something similar by Maybelline. I might check it eventually, but right now I'm actually on a light color kick. It's still summer, after all.

But back to the brown shadow issue. We all have them in the depths of our makeup drawers. I have a cognac color from Elizabeth Arden, an earthy brown from Clinique, a Chanel bronze and probably another one or two. None of them were part of a full palette, as brown seems to have gone out of favor in the last few seasons. I preferred shimmery golds and sexy khakis. So, all of a sudden brown looked fresh and new.

I started playing with a sample of Max Factor's MAXeye shadows in Connoisseur. The highlighter part of it, like just about any cream, beige or light mocha shadow I've ever tried, did nothing for me. It just looked dusty. The two darker browns were nice, though. The darkest isn't dark enough to also double as a liner on me, but the colors are blendable and the result was pretty. However, the shadow's quality leaves a lot to be desired. They don't stay put for very long, and depending on the amount of color I applied, they creased and/or faded within a few hours. They don't come with an applicator, which is fine with me. I prefer to use brushes, and the shadows did yield nicely to my brushes and went on well both dry and wet. But, as I said, they fall apart way too quickly.

While this experiment's results were decidedly underwhelming, it did make me decide that I need to invest in a good brown palette. Thanks to Annie from Blogdorf Goodman I learned that Nordstrom.com still had them (though my local store was out of the Bobbis, as were all the other department stores in Paramus) and I managed to score one. Once it arrived, I was really happy that I did.

Again, the lightest color, bone, is completely useless to me. This is the only color from the palette that can be purchased separately. So, if you are somewhat olive-skinned, you don't need to bother with this one. It's invisible. What does work as a nice highlighter is the lightest shimmery shadow. It's very light and has more shimmer than pigment (not in an over-the-top way), but it doesn't need to be more than that, especially for daytime. The darker colors are all very pretty, can be blended and layered to your heart's desire, and the darkest one is just perfect as a daytime liner.

I'm not crazy about the double-ended brush that comes with the shadows. It's too thin for my liking, so I'm not using it.

It's amazing how beautiful this look can be. I seem to have forgotten how well these colors work for me, especially with black liner (I've been working my Artliner ever since I started using this palette) and darker lips (see my new Holy Grail). By the time fall is actually here there'll have to be some new sensation, because I'm already wearing this look every day.

NYC Proof

I have quite a few ideas, products and fragrances to write about, and also some commentary on the August magazines. But before I get to any of it, here's a burning issue: Weather. It's been really hot in the Tri-State area lately, and on some days the humidity is also pretty bad, especially in the city. I've been in Manhattan almost every day lately, which meant going for a minimal but very weather-resistant makeup.

I've been using the new waterproof version of Max Factor's Lash Perfection mascara. The regular LP (the one in the picture, the waterproof's pacaging has silver trim, not gold) earned many raves during the May Mascara Hunt. Many said that the best one is the deep blue. I have yet to test that color, but the rich black that I've been using is great. The color isn't too glossy and the mascara's performance is very good. It adds both volume and length without looking fake, no clumping and hardly any dotting (only happened when I was in a hurry and wasn't careful enough).
The mascara holds all day even in the most horrendous weather. No melting, flaking and smudging, which is perfect for our HHH weather (hot, humid and hazy).

NYC Proof

I have quite a few ideas, products and fragrances to write about, and also some commentary on the August magazines. But before I get to any of it, here's a burning issue: Weather. It's been really hot in the Tri-State area lately, and on some days the humidity is also pretty bad, especially in the city. I've been in Manhattan almost every day lately, which meant going for a minimal but very weather-resistant makeup.

I've been using the new waterproof version of Max Factor's Lash Perfection mascara. The regular LP (the one in the picture, the waterproof's pacaging has silver trim, not gold) earned many raves during the May Mascara Hunt. Many said that the best one is the deep blue. I have yet to test that color, but the rich black that I've been using is great. The color isn't too glossy and the mascara's performance is very good. It adds both volume and length without looking fake, no clumping and hardly any dotting (only happened when I was in a hurry and wasn't careful enough).
The mascara holds all day even in the most horrendous weather. No melting, flaking and smudging, which is perfect for our HHH weather (hot, humid and hazy).

NYC Proof

I have quite a few ideas, products and fragrances to write about, and also some commentary on the August magazines. But before I get to any of it, here's a burning issue: Weather. It's been really hot in the Tri-State area lately, and on some days the humidity is also pretty bad, especially in the city. I've been in Manhattan almost every day lately, which meant going for a minimal but very weather-resistant makeup.

I've been using the new waterproof version of Max Factor's Lash Perfection mascara. The regular LP (the one in the picture, the waterproof's pacaging has silver trim, not gold) earned many raves during the May Mascara Hunt. Many said that the best one is the deep blue. I have yet to test that color, but the rich black that I've been using is great. The color isn't too glossy and the mascara's performance is very good. It adds both volume and length without looking fake, no clumping and hardly any dotting (only happened when I was in a hurry and wasn't careful enough).
The mascara holds all day even in the most horrendous weather. No melting, flaking and smudging, which is perfect for our HHH weather (hot, humid and hazy).

More Eye Liners

My quest for not-black liners continues. I got to test two MAXeye liners from Max Factor. One of them was a winner, the other-not so much. MAXeye is a self-sharpening pencil and it comes both in classic and metallic shades. The ones I tried on were Gilt Complex (metallic bronze) and Smoke Alarm (dark charcoal).

Gilt Complex was a dud as far as I'm concerned. The color was way too light for me and didn't glide on too well. I could barely see it on my lid, and what I did see wasn't impressive. It might work for someone with very fare skin and light lashes, who wouldn't need more than a light touch of the pencil to see results.


On the other hand, Smoke Alarm was great. It might be one of my favorite colors. It's a very dark charcoal, almost a light black. It's pigmented enough to show up nicely and not require heavy application, so even though it's less creamy than the L'Oreal equivalent it did glide on smoothly and did the work.

The line was easy to draw, looked precise and didn't smudge. It has a good staying power (less than Lancome, but still held on nicely for many hours) and was easy to remove with my regular Lancome Bi-Facil.

It might not be my Holy Grail when it comes to replace my beloved charcoal brown, but it's a good addition to my collection, nonetheless.

More Eye Liners

My quest for not-black liners continues. I got to test two MAXeye liners from Max Factor. One of them was a winner, the other-not so much. MAXeye is a self-sharpening pencil and it comes both in classic and metallic shades. The ones I tried on were Gilt Complex (metallic bronze) and Smoke Alarm (dark charcoal).

Gilt Complex was a dud as far as I'm concerned. The color was way too light for me and didn't glide on too well. I could barely see it on my lid, and what I did see wasn't impressive. It might work for someone with very fare skin and light lashes, who wouldn't need more than a light touch of the pencil to see results.


On the other hand, Smoke Alarm was great. It might be one of my favorite colors. It's a very dark charcoal, almost a light black. It's pigmented enough to show up nicely and not require heavy application, so even though it's less creamy than the L'Oreal equivalent it did glide on smoothly and did the work.

The line was easy to draw, looked precise and didn't smudge. It has a good staying power (less than Lancome, but still held on nicely for many hours) and was easy to remove with my regular Lancome Bi-Facil.

It might not be my Holy Grail when it comes to replace my beloved charcoal brown, but it's a good addition to my collection, nonetheless.

More Eye Liners

My quest for not-black liners continues. I got to test two MAXeye liners from Max Factor. One of them was a winner, the other-not so much. MAXeye is a self-sharpening pencil and it comes both in classic and metallic shades. The ones I tried on were Gilt Complex (metallic bronze) and Smoke Alarm (dark charcoal).

Gilt Complex was a dud as far as I'm concerned. The color was way too light for me and didn't glide on too well. I could barely see it on my lid, and what I did see wasn't impressive. It might work for someone with very fare skin and light lashes, who wouldn't need more than a light touch of the pencil to see results.


On the other hand, Smoke Alarm was great. It might be one of my favorite colors. It's a very dark charcoal, almost a light black. It's pigmented enough to show up nicely and not require heavy application, so even though it's less creamy than the L'Oreal equivalent it did glide on smoothly and did the work.

The line was easy to draw, looked precise and didn't smudge. It has a good staying power (less than Lancome, but still held on nicely for many hours) and was easy to remove with my regular Lancome Bi-Facil.

It might not be my Holy Grail when it comes to replace my beloved charcoal brown, but it's a good addition to my collection, nonetheless.

To the Max

Long wearing lip color is a very nice idea. The problem with most formulas I've tried so far is that they tend to make my lips feel very dry. Also, there's something about the pigment in many lip stains that doesn't work for me. I remember trying on several high-end ones at Sephora, only to end up looking like the victim of a very violent beet.

These colors always remind me the special lipstick that my best friend from high school bought when we were in our junior year. It was green in the tube and when applied it reacted with your lips to create the color. It had something to do with skin pH level. The problem was that when it touched my friends' lips it became a really ugly and unflattering beet color, and it was so long-wearing that it didn't fade or go away for days. It's no surprise that this beauty wonder never became a huge hit.

When I received samples of the new Max Factor MAXwear lipcolor I didn't have high hopes. I usually stay away from drugstore lip products, and the lip color layer of this two-step product seemed suspiciously like those ultra-dry tints and stains. But I was in for a very nice surprise.

First you apply the lipcolor and wait for it to dry (about 30 seconds). Then you apply the gloss that's on the other end. Both have a standard sponge applicator. Once the color part is set, it stays on for hours. It didn't fade much through eating a meal and didn't transfer to my cats' fur after I kissed them (I'm guilty of often making them sport lipstick on their fuzzy foreheads).

The dry feeling was pretty minimal. It's not uncomfortable, though it definitely doesn't feel rich or luxurious. Applying a rich cream a few minutes before putting this on made a huge difference in the way my lips felt, and I would recommend doing so if you are prone to dryness.

The gloss part was somewhat disappointing. I didn't like the cheap vanilla smell and overall it's not the best quality. The texture is thin, the pigment almost non existent and it has no staying power whatsoever. Had I liked the gloss, I'd be unhappy with the fact that there's actually very little of it in the tube. And since you need to re-apply it frequently, it'd be gone long before you used half of the lip color. I wouldn't recommend not using a gloss over the tint, because of the dryness and the look. But I'd combine it with any clear or semi-clear Lancome Juicy Tubes.

As for the colors, here's where I had my most pleasant surprise. Two of the colors I tried were absolutely perfect. Split Personality is exactly one shade darker than my natural lip color, so it is very wearable and I enjoyed pairing it with some of my favorite glosses. I also loved Grape Ape (though whoever came up with this awful name should be severely punished. Maybe by being sprayed with Zagorsk every day. You should never put the word 'ape' when trying to sell a beauty product. Ever). It perfectly matches my beloved Chanel Summer Plum glossimer- it's practically the same color, and the combination of them together was pretty enough to make my husband comment on it. He usually doesn't really notice lipcolor.

There's quite a selection of colors, though some of them are really not my thing and anyone with my coloring would do best to stay away from Red & White Zin or Midori Glam. But if you manage to find a color or two that you really like (ignore the gloss part when testing), this is a very good product to have on hand.

To the Max

Long wearing lip color is a very nice idea. The problem with most formulas I've tried so far is that they tend to make my lips feel very dry. Also, there's something about the pigment in many lip stains that doesn't work for me. I remember trying on several high-end ones at Sephora, only to end up looking like the victim of a very violent beet.

These colors always remind me the special lipstick that my best friend from high school bought when we were in our junior year. It was green in the tube and when applied it reacted with your lips to create the color. It had something to do with skin pH level. The problem was that when it touched my friends' lips it became a really ugly and unflattering beet color, and it was so long-wearing that it didn't fade or go away for days. It's no surprise that this beauty wonder never became a huge hit.

When I received samples of the new Max Factor MAXwear lipcolor I didn't have high hopes. I usually stay away from drugstore lip products, and the lip color layer of this two-step product seemed suspiciously like those ultra-dry tints and stains. But I was in for a very nice surprise.

First you apply the lipcolor and wait for it to dry (about 30 seconds). Then you apply the gloss that's on the other end. Both have a standard sponge applicator. Once the color part is set, it stays on for hours. It didn't fade much through eating a meal and didn't transfer to my cats' fur after I kissed them (I'm guilty of often making them sport lipstick on their fuzzy foreheads).

The dry feeling was pretty minimal. It's not uncomfortable, though it definitely doesn't feel rich or luxurious. Applying a rich cream a few minutes before putting this on made a huge difference in the way my lips felt, and I would recommend doing so if you are prone to dryness.

The gloss part was somewhat disappointing. I didn't like the cheap vanilla smell and overall it's not the best quality. The texture is thin, the pigment almost non existent and it has no staying power whatsoever. Had I liked the gloss, I'd be unhappy with the fact that there's actually very little of it in the tube. And since you need to re-apply it frequently, it'd be gone long before you used half of the lip color. I wouldn't recommend not using a gloss over the tint, because of the dryness and the look. But I'd combine it with any clear or semi-clear Lancome Juicy Tubes.

As for the colors, here's where I had my most pleasant surprise. Two of the colors I tried were absolutely perfect. Split Personality is exactly one shade darker than my natural lip color, so it is very wearable and I enjoyed pairing it with some of my favorite glosses. I also loved Grape Ape (though whoever came up with this awful name should be severely punished. Maybe by being sprayed with Zagorsk every day. You should never put the word 'ape' when trying to sell a beauty product. Ever). It perfectly matches my beloved Chanel Summer Plum glossimer- it's practically the same color, and the combination of them together was pretty enough to make my husband comment on it. He usually doesn't really notice lipcolor.

There's quite a selection of colors, though some of them are really not my thing and anyone with my coloring would do best to stay away from Red & White Zin or Midori Glam. But if you manage to find a color or two that you really like (ignore the gloss part when testing), this is a very good product to have on hand.

To the Max

Long wearing lip color is a very nice idea. The problem with most formulas I've tried so far is that they tend to make my lips feel very dry. Also, there's something about the pigment in many lip stains that doesn't work for me. I remember trying on several high-end ones at Sephora, only to end up looking like the victim of a very violent beet.

These colors always remind me the special lipstick that my best friend from high school bought when we were in our junior year. It was green in the tube and when applied it reacted with your lips to create the color. It had something to do with skin pH level. The problem was that when it touched my friends' lips it became a really ugly and unflattering beet color, and it was so long-wearing that it didn't fade or go away for days. It's no surprise that this beauty wonder never became a huge hit.

When I received samples of the new Max Factor MAXwear lipcolor I didn't have high hopes. I usually stay away from drugstore lip products, and the lip color layer of this two-step product seemed suspiciously like those ultra-dry tints and stains. But I was in for a very nice surprise.

First you apply the lipcolor and wait for it to dry (about 30 seconds). Then you apply the gloss that's on the other end. Both have a standard sponge applicator. Once the color part is set, it stays on for hours. It didn't fade much through eating a meal and didn't transfer to my cats' fur after I kissed them (I'm guilty of often making them sport lipstick on their fuzzy foreheads).

The dry feeling was pretty minimal. It's not uncomfortable, though it definitely doesn't feel rich or luxurious. Applying a rich cream a few minutes before putting this on made a huge difference in the way my lips felt, and I would recommend doing so if you are prone to dryness.

The gloss part was somewhat disappointing. I didn't like the cheap vanilla smell and overall it's not the best quality. The texture is thin, the pigment almost non existent and it has no staying power whatsoever. Had I liked the gloss, I'd be unhappy with the fact that there's actually very little of it in the tube. And since you need to re-apply it frequently, it'd be gone long before you used half of the lip color. I wouldn't recommend not using a gloss over the tint, because of the dryness and the look. But I'd combine it with any clear or semi-clear Lancome Juicy Tubes.

As for the colors, here's where I had my most pleasant surprise. Two of the colors I tried were absolutely perfect. Split Personality is exactly one shade darker than my natural lip color, so it is very wearable and I enjoyed pairing it with some of my favorite glosses. I also loved Grape Ape (though whoever came up with this awful name should be severely punished. Maybe by being sprayed with Zagorsk every day. You should never put the word 'ape' when trying to sell a beauty product. Ever). It perfectly matches my beloved Chanel Summer Plum glossimer- it's practically the same color, and the combination of them together was pretty enough to make my husband comment on it. He usually doesn't really notice lipcolor.

There's quite a selection of colors, though some of them are really not my thing and anyone with my coloring would do best to stay away from Red & White Zin or Midori Glam. But if you manage to find a color or two that you really like (ignore the gloss part when testing), this is a very good product to have on hand.