Review: Max Factor Excess Shimmer 'Bronze'

I'll tell you now, that Lily Pebbles has a lot to answer for - yes, this is a Lily induced purchase but my god did that girl get it right with her recent review of Max Factor's Excess Shimmer in Bronze. She compared it to her favourite Estee Lauder shadow so of course, I was instantly tempted to try this drugstore option.

I believe Max Factor Excess Shimmer is a fairly new product this month and there were around 6 shades in my local Boots (which I will probably pick one or two more up of). Housed in a glass jar and a screw top plastic lid, it's reasonably weighty making it seem fairly high end but really, it's what's inside the jar that's the exciting part.

The texture of the Max Factor Excess Shimmer is almost mousse like, it feels light and airy but also creamy when applied to the lid. I used my fingers to pat it on, at which point it is so very pigmented and a little unnerving but once blended out it's a soft wash of rusty brown. The name Excess Shimmer suggests it'd be fairly shimmery but it's more of a subtle metallic finish that's not over the top. I used my favourite Real Techniques shadow brush to blend it as I would any other shadow. The light fluffy texture means it can be manipulated with ease but once it's set and dried, it's not budging. I blended it into the crease and a little above for a lived in, grungy effect that's wearable for every day. It took a matter of seconds to achieve a perfectly blended finish making it great for an early morning rush whilst still looking put together.

As I said, the pigment is very strong when first applied but softens as it's blended but this means you can really build the colour up. I'd rather have something I can build up, and have more versatility with, than something that gives me one variation with no other option. It's also make a great base if you wanted to up the ante with a heavy smoky brown look and I'm excited to try it with MAC's Club layered on top!

It wears fantastically - I've applied it at 4am and it's still been going strong by the time I take it off at 7pm with absolutely zero creasing or smudging. That's not to say it's tough to remove though, I've used various products including a cream cleanser, a cleansing balm and standard micellar water and all clear it off with ease. I'm super impressed with this new Max Factor release and don't think anyone could be disappointed by it.

Have you tried Max Factor's Excess Shimmer in Bronze?

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