This favourite high street make-up brand has just launched a refillable mascara, and we’ve been putting it to the test to see how it compares to our pricier favourites
I’ve been trying out a whole host of the best high street mascaras recently and have found some real gems that, I think, rival ones three times the price. The latest one to impress me is Max Factor’s smart new mascara – especially if you love voluminous lashes.
Max Factor has just launched the latest in its iconic False Lash Effect range of mascaras: False Lash Effect Supreme Recharge Mascara, which costs £14.99 at full price from retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and Amazon. However, there’s a nifty way for getting it for £5 less – it’s refillable, with refills costing £9.99.
Max Factor claims that this new mascara delivers seven times more volume, and a keratin-infused formula that has lashes looking healthier and stronger in four weeks. I put these claims to the test…
‘I’ve swapped my £31 mascara for this £9 alternative worn by Kendall Jenner at the Oscars’
‘This new LED mask rivals ones double the price and has made my skin calmer and clearer’
Pros
- Good price, especially when buying the refills
- Slightly more eco-friendly than buying a whole new tube every time
- Packaging looks very luxe
- Very volumising
- Doesn’t flake or smudge
Cons
- Goes a bit clumpy when you apply more than one layer
- Takes a while to dry
- The packaging is still made from plastic, and possibly tricky to recycle
I remember Max Factor’s False Lash Effect mascaras from my teenage years, and this it’s had a glam makeover since then; this rose gold tube of Supreme Recharge looks luxe and elegant, and much more expensive than it is.
The fact that it’s refillable is a clever idea, especially if you regularly re-buy it, and the cartridge slots easily in and out. Mascara tubes typically feature lots of different plastic components and are near impossible to recycle, but this at least cuts down on one plastic part, the outer tube (how eco-friendly it is overall, though, is up for debate, as it’s still made from plastic and tricky to recycle).
What I think the refills’ biggest advantage is, however, is saving you money; you’re saving £5 every time by buying the refill instead of a whole full tube – ideal if you really love this formula and want to regularly repurchase it.
As for the formula, if it’s va va voom lash volume you’re after from your mascara, this is the one for you. It has quite a wet formula that coats every millimetre of the lash hair and doubles it, for an effect that really does look like false lashes.
This isn’t a specifically curling or lifting formula but it does hold a curl well, and isn’t so heavy that they droop during the day. It also doesn’t smudge or flake on me once it’s set (although may require a quick swipe of the upper lid with a cotton bud at first, if you have long lashes).
It’s also very quick; one coat is enough, in my opinion, and lashes actually bunch together quite a bit when multiple coats are applied (fine if you like the spiky look though).
In short, if it’s all-put volume you’re after from a high street mascara – and a way to save money on it – this new Max Factor launch gets a big thumbs up from me.
If you prefer a slightly drier formula, L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Black Mascara, currently £9.90, has really impressed me – it’s similar to my £31 designer favourite.
Meanwhile this other L’Oréal one – also under £10 – was worn by Kendall Jenner at Sunday night’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
