I’ve Always Gotten Compliments on My Lashes—The Secret Is a £10 Mascara, Which I’ve Been Gatekeeping For 15 Years
It was one of the first make-up items I bought
As a beauty editor, my job involves testing dozens of products weekly. That often means that I can't be very loyal to my ride-or-dies— there is so much to try, and brands are seemingly releasing new products daily. But although I may not stick to the same tinted moisturiser, night cream, serum, blush, lipgloss… (the list goes on), there’s one product that I have used every day since I started wearing make-up, and that’s Max Factor’s iconic False Lash Effect mascara.
I test mascaras all the time, but nothing in my experience has ever lived up to this iconic formula, and accordingly, I’m never not wearing it. To unpack what makes it so special, I first have to explain that this gives you the cleanest-looking lashes, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deliver drama—no, you look like you're wearing falsies but without the bulk. Eyelashes are left perfectly separated, and when I'm having a particularly good day, they even touch the tips of my eyelids.
Of course, I have to shout out to my natural lashes; I’m pretty lucky that they are naturally curled and on the thicker side, but I have seen this mascara work wonders for those with straight eyelashes that struggle to hold a curl.
It effortlessly lengthens and volumises, and it’s all down to the brush. Plastic, with lots of teeny tiny spokes, it’s able to grab onto hairs and pull through with ease. In fact, it’s even easy to use on your bottom eyelashes, without creating a mess, which many brushes do.
Still, all this wouldn’t make it a holy grail for me. As someone who has always struggled to find a mascara that doesn’t transfer, this formula is a godsend—it doesn’t move, and it’s even held up decently after a few tears, and, when on holiday, dips in the sea. Plus, it's not too difficult to remove; it wipes off easily with micellar water, without tugging and damaging hairs. It's also a true back shade, which works well with my dark brown hair, and adds enough drama for those with lighter strands too.
It's worth mentioning, though, that when I really want to dial up the drama, I opt for DIY Lash Extension System by Lashify, which also gives me a "clean" lash look, but with extra oomph for a special event.
For every day though, it's always going to be Max Factor's False Lash Effect Mascara. It's the best all-rounder mascara I’ve ever used, and I know it will remain a staple in my make-up bag for another decade to come; easy.
