When a new Star Wars film is released you just know that the stores will be flooded with new and exciting merchandise. Blankets, figures, books and even make up products are brought out to hype the fans for the new trilogy. So it came as no real surprise when the Max Factor Star Wars collection was announced back in October.
The entire collection has (only) three products. You can get a mascara, a gold coloured lipstick or a dark berry coloured lipstick. Much to my surprise there would be no nail-polishes or other lip colours and the entire Max Factor Star Wars collection is a limited edition.

It took some hunting in stores and some  patience but I finally got my hands on all three products. So let’s take a look at them and see if the force is really strong with this collection.

Light Side Lip Stick – #40 Gold
First off are the Max Factor Star Wars lipsticks which come in two colours and represent the Dark and Light side of the force.
For the Light Side we get a lipstick which is named #40 Gold and seems to be inspired by the colour of C3P0. It was a very nice choice for a holiday collection and I can imagine it to be very popular.

The lipstick colour looks really beautiful in the package but it applies very sheer. As you can see on the swatches it gives off a subtle glimmer that you really need to build up to see it’s full effect. A simple swipe on the lips is not enough and it applies too patchy and sheer with the first application so you need to build it up.

While I think the colour is nice, I wouldn’t wear it in everyday life. I think this product is nice for parties, special events or to be combined with other lip-products. But on it’s own I think the pigmentation is a bit disappointing and more could have been done with it.

The lipstick last about 3 hours before it needs re-applying and while it survived a cup of tea, it won’t last very well through a lunch. At first after application you do feel a “layer”on the lips which might feel a bit weird. After 15 minutes this feeling fades and I noticed it does sit well on the lips and doesn’t give you a “dry” feeling.  Also it is prone to smudging and for the best effect I would use it with another lipstick and use a brush to apply it.

Dark Side Lipstick – #30 Dark Berry
For the Dark side we got a nice berry red colour with the name #30 Dark Berry. The colour is (I think) inspired by the red from the lightsaber crystals that are often used by the Sith. Colour-wise I think it is a really nice addition to the collection.

I really love this colour and it is perfect for both parties and an everyday look. While it has red shimmers in it they are not as big and noticeable as its light sided counterpart and remains subtle. The colour itself is nicely pigmented and applies very easily. My only complaint is that you do need to wear a lipliner with this one as it smudges easily and settles into the liplines making it look uneven. Best apply this with a lipbrush and it will look stunning.

This lipstick lasts about 4-5 hours before it needs re-applying and it can easily survive a cup of tea and a small snack. This colours sits well on the lips and doesn’t dry out or become uncomfortable. I found this colour to be easier to wear and also a bit more long lasting in comparison to the gold one.

Mascara
The last piece in the collection is the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara which is a standard product in their collection. For the Max Factor Star Wars release they decided to put the mascara in a matching package. The mascara only comes in black in this version while the normal version has more colours to choose from.
This is what the brand states about the product; “Looking for a false-lash look without the fuss? Our special formula doubles your volume from root to tip for false-lash impact.” Well let’s see for ourselves if they can live up to that promise.

Without any make up my lashes are barely visible since they are so light and which means for me mascara is a must. My lashes are naturally long so I mainly want a mascara that makes them look thicker and separates them.
I didn’t use a lash curler for this test as I wanted to see the effect of the mascara itself but I am quite pleased with the result. While the mascara doesn’t really separate the lashes it does give them a coating that makes them look fuller. And I didn’t notice an increase in length but instead you can see the lashes curl more upwards instead of forward which makes them look longer.

I needed 3 coatings of the mascara to get an even application but it was easy to use. I wouldn’t suggest to do more than 3 coatings as otherwise your lashes might end up looking like spiders. Once applied the mascara doesn’t smudge or smear and stays in place all day long. I like it! For an even better effect the use of a lash curler would be perfect.

Verdict
The Max Factor Star Wars lipsticks will cost you €13,99/ £8,99 per piece and will be available at most drugstores in the Netherlands and in the UK you can get them online at Boots. keep in mind a lot of stores often have deals on Max Factor products so keep an eye out for those as it can save you some money.
While I really like the idea of a dark side and light side lipstick I think I would only really re-buy the Dark Berry one. As much as I love the Gold version I think I would only really use it for cosplay or during the Christmas holidays. So if you can still get your hands on the Dark Berry lipstick, I would certainly go for it.

The Max Factor Star Wars mascara costs € 16,99/ £10.99  and does its job well. But to be honest I am not sure if I would buy it again. I bought it this time since there was a sale where you could buy two and get one free which is always a good deal. But there are many other brands that have wonderful mascaras at cheaper prices and I don’t think it is enough a of a stand out to warrant such a high price.

Disappointment
When the collection was announced I was rather excited  but that feeling changed a bit after I saw the promo pictures. The Max Factor Star Wars is just a quick repackaging of the original Star Wars Covergirl release and at a higher mark up. And while Covergirl brings out an amazing collection for Star Wars we only got a small 3 piece collection.
One of an existing Mascara in a very standard repackaging and two lipstick colours that are basically repackages of the Covergirl colours. And not only that, we have to pay a higher price While a Covergirl lipstick in Europe is around € 9,99 the Max Factor one, which is exactly the same in this collection, will cost you €13,99 – €14,99.
I am aware that both brands are owned by the same company but it still doesn’t explain the higher price or the fact that we get such a small limited collection.

Another thing was how the Max Factor Star Wars collection release was handled. We got commercials on TV in November while the products were nowhere to be found in stores. And when it finally arrived on the 2nd of December, most stores only received a few products and they had no idea if they would get a second shipment. So while you still can get the products you will probably need to visit a few stores before you find them.

All in all while I am glad there is a make up collection of Star Wars the Force Awakens, I am severely disappointed in the way this has been handled. We get only a fraction of the collection in a simple repackaging for a higher price. I do hope that this is not going to be that standard for all the upcoming releases.
And the quality/form of packaging doesn’t really make it stand out enough to actually “Wow” me.

PS: Sorry for the lower quality of pictures. I will actually be re-doing them but the battery of my actual camera has gone missing and I am waiting for a replacement.