A love/hate relationship: Max Factor Smokey Eye Effect eyeshadow in Silver Storm

As promised on my last entry, the talk of this post is going to be a product that I love to hate and hate to love: Max Factor eyeshadow duo in Silver Storm (pls excuse that it's one word on the photos, it was late when I edited them).

Perhaps that rings a bell to some of you and allow me to remind you why: it was one of the (most popular) shades in their Smokey Eye Effect eyeshadow range, released last autumn. Those crayon eyeshadow duos claimed to make the smoky eye a fuss-free process that wouldn't require any brushes or major expert skills.

Now, obviously that's not why I bought this, I'm aware that a decent smoky eye requires makeup tools and frequent practice, I'm not delusional. What I am is a...sucker for a new product that comes in pretty shades, an experiment that, let me just say, doesn't always end in a success!



But more on that in a second. So, Silver Storm is a cool toned eyeshadow duo, consisting of a shimmery grey silver and a dusty purple grey colour. The silver end is rounded and it's meant to be used all over the lid, while the purple end is tapered at the tip for more precise work.
The colour combination is beautiful in my opinion, even though it's probably a little too much "inspired" by NARS Habanera duo (which I sadly do not own and cannot compare side by side). But ideal, nonetheless for those with a lighter complexion like myself!



And that's all well and good until the ultimate moment of truth that we call application!
You see, it's a task (and a half) to make this product sorta work: the shadow refuses to apply smoothly and evenly - what you're left with is an uneven film of colour that has a tendency to go patchy at places. Not sure if that's noticeable on the pictures, but it's there in real life and it makes layering (the purple over the grey for creasework for example) an absolute nightmare! Safe to say, no smoky eye can be achieved with this product! Which is why I just used the darker colour as a top-and-bottom liner shade.
The pigmentation is a let-down as well, you can see the huge difference from my hand swatch.
And, to make matters even worse, the shadow doesn't last more than a couple of hours without creasing. Over eyeshadow primer, that is, and my eyelids don't even go that oily during the day!

All in all, quite a dissapointment!
Too bad, because it could have been an amazing product!


Have you tried any of those eyeshadow duos and what did you think?
And I'm curious, have there been any makeup products that you've tried recently that didn't deliver?

What's your opinion?

  1. Hey Hun! Aw that's too bad this didn't work out....sounds more like a dislike than there is something to like. Have you tried like warming up the stick in your hands for a few minutes before applying to help it apply better? I heard one youtube guru saying that once about the MAC shadesticks which I guess are sort of similar in concept (although I haven't tried/owned any shadesticks). They stopped selling Max Factor products here many years ago - we only have their higher end Smashbox line which I'm not too crazy about.
    Hmmm...lots of things that haven't really delivered lately. Um, one is this L'oreal Hair Spa conditioner which my girlfriend gave to me. She stocks up on this stuff like nuts and swears by it (she gets it when she travels to Asia) and I honestly don't find anything special about it...although the L'oreal Professionel conditioners are very good so far IMO. Also not a huge fan of my MAC conditioner in a tube form....going to be doing a review on that shortly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Is Max Factor like Covergirl? Because Covergirl has a product just like that and I've heard very similar, disappointing reviews. The swatch looks gorgeous, though, but if the application and staying power aren't equally as good, that's an automatic pass for me. Great review! x

    ReplyDelete
  3. This looks exactly like the covergirl one! And yes the covergirl one lacks in staying power too =(

    ReplyDelete
  4. The colours look gorgeous, too bad for the creasing :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Blargh. Just bought one of these to try through a cheapy blog sale. I already knew it had received very bad reviews, but figured a shadow over it would make it last quite a bit better. I also have monolids, so it seems like the terrible creasing issue these things have wouldn't be as severe for me.

    And might I add that I love your blog. I found it through Talita of "The Gloss Goss." Anyway, I very much appreciate these thorough reviews with nice quality pictures and swatches- just ace.

    Sasha (^_^)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember seeing all the ads for this in both UK and Greek mags... what a shame it doesn't live upto expectations. You seemed to have made it work to you though and it does look good despite the hard work and the not perfect result... creating a smoky eye look just shouldn't be this hard right?

    Have a good weekend gorgeous!
    x.o.x.o

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooooh, that's bad! Naughty Max Factor, you can easily be fooled by the product's hand swatch...

    I got my Elf haul last month and I have an odd feeling that the products are over-estimated, because of their low price tag. And I'm kinda dissapointed :(

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. hhmm. den eimai fan max factor. i product i tried and I was disappointed by the hype was Chaenl's taupe grise eyeshadow. a dark purple eyeshadow. nothing special, u can find propably at a vanity case near you...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thats so bad for the creasing and the non colour pay off!!It certainly tho looks beautiful on your eyes doll!!
    But thank you so much for your honest review cs havent try it and I wont I guess!!!
    Hugs&kisses

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey again Hun - I posted pictures on my blog of that Forever21 boho top that you wanted to see :) I look gigantic LOL but you get the point...the link is here
    Let me know if you ever have other requests. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Karen: Well, I love the colour combination, but hate the way it performs.. so, it's just pretty colours that don't really work...! I guess I could heat it with my hair dryer for a few seconds, to be completely honest I doubt it would perform any better! :S It's not a hardened cream product, it's just crap, lol!
    I'd love to try the L'oreal Professionel conditioners at some point. Right now I'm waiting for a shampoo to come my way (regular purple shampoo nth fancy). And I've never tried the Hair Spa range and I doubt I will be doing so! ;) xxx


    @Tiffany: We don't get Covergirl here, so cannot tell... I think it's just a "sister" company though, so probably many of their products get released in europe under a different name!
    Yeah, it's a shame that it doesn't perform well...!
    xxxx


    @makeupbykatie: Well, we don't need dupes of products that don't really work, that's excess crappy makeup being produced! Lol! Not good! x


    @EllysMakeupbag: Yes, isn't it too bad? :( Shame really, cos it had potential!!! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. @therunwaykitty: Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!
    As for the eyeshadow duo, does adding a powder shadow on top help at all? Because I doubt it would do anything for me, except probably make the shadow separate even worse! :( x


    @A BRIT GREEK: Ah, believe me, that's just the camera's fault, it falsely appears fairly even on the photos, but in reality, it's far from!!!
    I wish there was such a thing as a quick and tool-free smoky eye technique!!! Sadly, most of us need a fair bit of practice as well as all the right products!!! :) xxx


    @cbsg5861: Hmm, what you describe is exactly what happened to me when I first got me some Sleek products, I felt they were overrated. Yes, it's nice having cheaper alternatives, but if you've tried sth of better quality, it's impossible to disregard the difference!!! ;) xoxo


    @λειντι ντι: So, the popular Chanel eyeshadow you say didn't live up to the hype? Can't say I'm that surprised, sometimes (or most times probably) there's similar eyeshadows out there to the Chanel singles, or even better ones!!! x

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Blushingloves Irene Greece: Well, I try to make it look presentable, but it requires a lot of effort to look half-decent! Nothing like the simple application that the brand promises!!!
    Glad I spared you the time and money! ;)
    xxx


    @Karen: Thank you SO much, will check it out asap! ;) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Argh...It is such a pitty...the colors look really nice!great review hun!thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Athina: Yep, it's a pitty alright! :(
    Glad you found this helpful honey! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think I'll get one of these. The result looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  17. @Brandy Shaloo: Well, it did take some effort and it didn't last long, sadly... so, you know what to expect! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really love the eye makeup you created here! I really also love the sheen of these shades!

    ReplyDelete
  19. @Blusherine: Thank you dear, I did my best with a not so great product!!!
    I can see you love some metallic sheen, I couldn't agree more! ;) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  20. very bad product , irritated my eyes ,awful application ,doesn;t last

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by!