Sad News and Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara Review

I'll begin this blog with some sad news. On Friday evening (12th December), my husband and I got home from work at about 6.20pm. Our neighbour was sat on the road just outside our driveway, with a bundle of towels by her side, with our eldest cat Zeus inside. Her boyfriend had run him over with his van. They called the RSPCA just before we got there. My hubby and I sat with Zeus for a few minutes, trying our best to comfort him, but he was in so much pain that he passed out. I thought he had died right there on the street, so I started to cry, but he came to after a minute. I decided that I couldn't wait for the RSPCA, so I rang my local vet and told them it was an emergency. We got Zeus into a box and we drove as fast (yet as gently) as we could (the vets is only a four minute drive). When the vet checked him over, he gently shook his head and told us that Zeus' pelvis had been crushed. Zeus had to be put down quickly, to minimise his suffering. My hubby stayed with Zeus whilst he was being injected, stroked his face and spoke to him as he passed away. I couldn't face watching him go, I was crying too much at that point. 

Zeus was just 7 years old, he was a lovely cat, friendly to strangers, loved to eat Pringles, cheese, even bananas. He was our first pet cat, and his untimely death has broken my heart. 

I knew that work this weekend just gone would be hard. I own just one waterproof mascara as I am not a huge fan of them, but as my tears didn't seem to stop flowing, I had no other choice. 

I like the wand, with the plastic bristles which separates the lashes quite well. The formula is quite wet, which normally spells disaster for anyone that really needs to curl their lashes like me. 

BUT! Keep looking, dear readers... 

After two lavish coats of mascara, my lashes stayed curled and set that way. I went to work, a snivelling, crying wreck, and I cried on and off, all day, for 10hrs. When I got home, I cried even harder. I thought my heart might break with the pain and loss that I felt. I looked in the mirror as I took off what remained of my makeup, and was astonished to see that despite my tear-stained face and red eyes, my mascara had remained exactly where it was and my lashes were just as perfect as they were 12hrs before. 

I decided that people should know just how wonderful this mascara is. And for anyone that has really watery eyes or has a funeral or wedding to go to, then please check out this mascara, as it was a life saver for me. 

This is for Zeus. August 2007 - December 2014. Rest In Peace xxx

Red Lip Month: Max Factor Lipfinity 120 Hot

Time for some super sheer, long lasting red lips...

These long lasting lip colours have been around for a long time with Max Factor, and I bought this one because I love how it looked in the tube, but what it looks like applied is so much different... 

Isn't the colour so much more sheer? At first I was disappointed - felt like I'd been led astray - but I soon saw the upside; it's so sheer it can be worn with plenty of different looks without overpowering them. Plus the benefit of it lasting for hours is another hidden bonus. 

Max Factor Excess Volume Extreme Impact Mascara

Yup. Yet another mascara purchase. Although I don't normally try to defend my mascara purchases, I must explain one thing. My eyes are partially hooded. When I hit my forties they will become hooded. I've known for many years that in my case, lashes are more important than eyeshadow, so I like to accentuate them more. Wearing false lashes is becoming a more common thing for me. Anyway! Back to the review! 

I bought it from Boots for £9.99. It's currently on offer; it's normal price will be £12.99. It's a double ended mascara and I bought this in the colour Black. 

It's a chunky mascara tube, not elegant or particularly good to look at, but I'm not here to judge this book by its cover.

So I thought I'd start you all off with a picture of my eye. I'm not wearing any makeup at all in these photo's, barring the mascara.

So this is side 1 Extreme Volume. It has a rubber wand with bristles that are good for separation.

After one coat my lashes are defined, but there's no real volume. Side 1 did state extreme volume, so I figured one more coat was necessary.

A second coat. There's a few small issues with fibres, but so far there's still a lack of volume. I decide at this point to stop layering mascara side 1 and switch to 2:

Which looks like the above photo; the wand looks very much like the typical mascara wand. Nothing special. Side 2 is Dark Lacquer, a shiny dark coat to make lashes look super dark and glossy. 

Let's do this! 

After one coat my lashes are definitely darker. Hooray, one side holds up to its promise! 

After two coats, my lashes are starting to look thicker...

After three coats my lashes have stuck together somewhat and are in danger of looking really spidery and clumpy. Not massively attractive. 

And here, zoomed out so you can see both of my eyes. Each eye has two coats of side 1 mascara and three coats of side 2 mascara on the top lashes, and one coat each of side 1 & 2 on the bottom lashes.

My thoughts: I think it's an ok mascara, it doesn't give me the volume I dream of, but my lashes are kind of sparse; people with more lashes than me might have more success at this. I would have liked side 1 to have more volume as it states on the tube, but never mind. Side 2 has a far more pleasing result, considering the brush/wand was "nothing special". 

Would I repurchase?: probably not. Seventeen's 'Super Lash' mascara pretty much does the same thing after 3 coats instead of Max Factor's 5, and it costs (full price vs full price) £5 less. 

Would I recommend?: To people with more lashes, yes, I think you'll get better results with less coats of mascara. To people with sparser lashes like mine, probably not. You'll have to keep layering until your lashes look spidery and clumpy. Or keep a really good lash comb handy...