The Hunt For The Perfect Lipstick -- MAX Factor Colour Perfection Lipstick #265 ("Rouge")

It's a hot afternoon here in Maryland, so naturally it's a great time to review another candidate for The Perfect Lipstick. This one's for MAX Factor's Colour Perfection Lipstick #265, "Rouge".

The short review: Great color from an old favorite, but the longterm wear leaves much to be desired.

Longer review follows the jump-cut...


Candidate: MAX Factor Colour Perfection Lipstick, #265, "Rouge" (MAX Factor Cosmetics)

Purchased: Drugstore.com


Cost: $6.19 per tube

Brand Info: The New MAX Factor
Founded in 1909 by Max Factor, Sr., former makeup artist for the Russian Royal Ballet who emigrated to America in 1904. Factor soon found work in Hollywood just as the moviemaking industry took off. He created the first makeup for on-screen use in panchromatic movies--Pan-Cake, a matte-finish solid foundation cake that allowed women's makeup on-screen to highlight the actresses' faces instead of being completely washed out by the heavy lighting used in movies. Factor also developed the mascara wand, combining the comb and brush of cake mascara into one tool. Most importantly, Factor developed the first concealer to provide extra coverage for facial flaws, giving the face an overall coloration balance. For years in Hollywood, the name "Max Factor" was synonymous with "performance makeup"; even today, MAX Factor TV commercials often feature highly recognizable movies where their makeups are used. Today, MAX Factor is a part of Procter & Gamble, along with its fellow drugstore/grocery store/discount department store brand, CoverGirl.

As a side note, two of Factor's grandsons, Davis and Dean, founded Smashbox Cosmetics in 1997.

The Tube: Pewter grey plastic cylinder, with larger ends that taper to a more traditionally shaped middle. The join is a polished aluminum band. The top is squared off with an elongated aluminum diamond at an approximately 50-degree angle with the letter "MF" stamped on the top. At the bottom of the tube is an acrylic piece beveled to a circular bottom roughly the same color as the product inside. A clear sticker on the bottom has the color number (265), while a UPS-coded sticker on the side of the bottom half of the tube has both the color number and the color name.

The Product: American Beauty Rose Red. The product itself is a cylindrical shape, with an oval-shaped flat edge delivery point carved at about a 50-degree angle.

The Application: Very smooth application. The fact that the product itself is not as thick as the traditional bullet shape is concerning regarding durability (the thick bullet shape does not crack as easily as a thinner cylinder), but as long as the product isn't advanced out of the tube too far, it shouldn't crack. The lack of a sharp pointed delivery point makes it difficult to sculp into the corners and Cupid's Bow. Shiny but not metallic or shimmery; it's almost, but not quite, a satiny-looking matte. Goes on much lighter than it appears in the tube.

The Taste: Slightly waxy/crayon-like.

The Blot: The first blot removes most of the shine, making the final product appear more matte. Nice, bold rubelite pink blot. Second blot produces a little color, but nothing to be concerned about.

The Wear: Comes off on the rim of a cup or on eating utensils, but won't badly stain fingers while eating finger foods. This is a good thing and a bad thing, since unfortunately it doesn't hang around on the lips very long, either. The color it leaves on the lips after the product fully comes off stays for a little longer, but in the three-plus hours I've been working on the computer today, I've had to reapply twice. Not good.

The Verdict: Great color from an old favorite, but the product just doesn't last. I recommend it for a quick-change lipstick--that is, the kind you put on when you're running out of the house for errands and you don't want to be completely sans makeup--but that's about all I'd recommend it for.