Doesn't Quite Have the Max Factor (Max Factor Minerals Foundation)

Member Name: Rose Pink

Product:	Max Factor Minerals Foundation
Date:	23/04/09 (301 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easily to apply, good for skin, leaves skin looking and feeling great

Disadvantages: Poor selection of shades

Being the lazy type I had been using powder-foundation combinations months before Max Factor launched their product. They are time saving and yield decent results considering the minimal amount of effort needed to apply them. When I first saw the powder advertised on television I was struck by the professional appearance portrayed and thought that it might be a step-up from the usual £4.99 rubbish I was originally buying. At first I was put off by the price. £12.99 at Boots seemed semi extortionate to me as I hate spending over £10 on a single product. However, finally I convinced myself that since it was technically two products combined it wasn't technically breaking any rules and since it was winter it was fair to spend more to look radiant.

The range of shades offered isn't fabulous. My Boots had only five on offer ranging from creamy ivory to bronze. The shades themselves are also a fit peculiar. They see to have been standardised and I doubt they would be the perfect match for any single person but instead a compromise for the majority. In the end I chose the creamy ivory and excitedly took it home to test it's abilities.

On the Boots website this product claims to be special due to it's mineral based formula. This is supposedly better for the skin. I'm unconvinced that this is the case and think that it is a bit of a beauty fad taken on by most of the big beauty brands, sort of like organic food in supermarkets. However for those with sensitive skin these products might be worth a try as they are supposed to be gentler and allow skin to breathe. As I said most companies now have their own mineral based variant and trying to choose one can be overwhelming. I narrowed the search down to those which included a decent looking brush in the package. Max Factor had such a brush, yet unfortunately it was a let down, being far too scratchy when brushed down the skin. My other deciding factor was the products promise of making my skin radiant. The cheap stuff I had originally been using did leave my skin looking chalky and quite flat and I was keen to experience the glow that Max Factor promised. I'm still undecided how I feel about this claim to radiance. The powder is blended with a slight shimmer and from a distance this does make skin appear healthy looking; luminous but not shiny. However up close and in good lighting it does look quite superficial and glittery. My recommendation is to use this predominantly at night when such effects are less obvious.

I did enjoy applying this product. Once I had found a decent brush it was a doddle to use. It can be built up to give as much or little coverage as you need and is therefore highly versatile. It is a lot lower maintenance than liquid foundation as it requires less blending and setting. It is great at hiding imperfections, especially the under-eye area and does not sit in creases in the skin like most powders. It successfully evens skin tone and provides a great base for eye shadow on the lids.

This powder is one of Max Factors triumphs in that it did make my skin look and feel lovely on application and in the long-term. My face felt fresh and not caked with make-up and I'm not sure if it was the minerals letting my skin breathe but my pores didn't end up clogged and it did not dry out my skin like most powders. Disappointingly though I don't think that I shall buy it again. In all respects it is fabulous except for the shade. It was far too orange for me and I'm not event hat pale. Anyone fairer than me and darker than bronze are not catered for and even those in between have to decide whether they value colour over effect. I decided that ultimately, for a foundation, colour is the ultimate selling point and so I've had to look elsewhere for a foundation. Luckily these mineral based foundations really do seem to be the beauty craze of the year and so there are plenty of fish left in the sea.

Summary: Great in all aspects except the most important