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Home » Lips » Lipstick » According to Max Factor Lip Art is all the rage and you’ll flip for their new Flipstick lipstick

According to Max Factor Lip Art is all the rage and you’ll flip for their new Flipstick lipstick

August 24, 2012 Paris B 24 Comments

Max Factor recently brought in their newest lipstick – Flipstick. The concept is a dual ended lipstick and seems to be something I recall from back in the mists of time. The texture too, as we will see, harkens back to the mists of time.

max factor flipstick lipstick

The idea behind the Flipstick, so we are told is to latch onto the interest generated by lip art in recent times. To be honest, I don’t get lip art – please see this lovely specimen from Makeup Morsels. Yes, its creative but I don’t get it. I like my lipstick to be lipstick i.e. enhancing my overall look. I guess I prefer that someone stares at my lips and think “Wow! Red lips look good!” instead of “Wow! Why does she have crystals on her lips? Will she choke?”

Happily (or maybe unhappily if you were hoping to do some lip art with these Flipsticks) the Max Factor version is just basically a dual ended lipstick with a light colour at one end and a deeper colour at the other. One side is frosty (urgh!) and the other side is creamy. In some of them, both ends are frosty. You can wear them separately or layer one over the other to create a different effect and maybe different colour. That’s the limit of the lip art I’m afraid. But you know what? I don’t like this. I love my lipsticks and these just do not live up to anything that I look for in a lipstick. I’ll tell you why and you can tell me I’m a grinch 🙂 *snap*

First, the packaging. The metallic band around the middle of the plastic case cheapens the look. Pair it with the clear plastic caps at both ends, and it just looks all round cheap. The problem is, these are not cheap. They retail at RM56 here. Not cheap, but they look cheap. It reminds me of the lipsticks you get in the bargain bin makeup sets that you see pop up around Christmas in the pharmacies, or the stuff you get to play with in kids makeup sets. Harsh but a fact.

The twist up bit at both ends feel a bit wobbly to me as you twist up the lipstick and the lipstick bullet is skinny. Skinnier than a normal bullet and feels about to snap if you twist up too far.

max factor salsa red flipstick

The colour I have is Salsa Red 25 which, at first glance suits me to a T! Here are the 2 ends of the lipstick to show you the different colour and texture. For Salsa Red, one end is a creamy warm red and the other is a lighter frosty cooler toned coral red. That frost factor really throws me because I really dislike frosty lipstick – it makes anyone look old and it enhances the lines in your lips. If you have dry lips, avoid frosty lipsticks at all costs or risk looking 20 years older 😛

I have another gripe about the lipstick packaging. The name is printed on a transparent label and stuck over the cap on one end, to hold the cap in place. When you twist it off, it snaps in two but if that label peels off, you’ve had it. There’s no other way to tell what colour it is. This was the embarrassing thing that happened during the product launch a while back.

There were all 8 shades on display before us but all the labels had fallen off so none of us could tell what was what, or if there were duplicates on the table! Some of the metallic bands are quite similar in tone too. We then asked one of the distributor’s reps if they could tell us the shades and no one could. It was quite embarrassing. So Max Factor should print the names on the body of the case, and not rely on the sticker that can easily fall off at any time.

max factor salsa red flipstick swatches

Left-Right: Frosty end (frosty metallic coral red) , Creamy end (matte warm rose red), Frosty end layered over creamy end (frosty rose red)

To be honest, the colours themselves aren’t too bad. If you consider that you get 2 or even 3 lip colours for the price of 1 tube, its practically a bargain. Salsa Red is a good one to get because I find that the colours are complementing and that rose red is flattering on the skin. There is a scent too which I do not find pleasant.

I will however warn you that I found these drying and it seems to enhance the lines on my lips. If you don’t mind layering some lip balm underneath before applying these, then that would be your best bet. Also, use the frosty end sparingly so it isn’t too aging.

flipstick fotd

In this swatch, I wore the creamy red end all over and then applied the frosty shade in the middle bit of the lips. You can’t quite tell from the close up shot, but you may notice that the middle bit of the lips is a little lighter and brighter in shade and colour. In the full face shot, you see it better. The frosty shade draws and reflects light and it does look quite pretty doesn’t it? 😛

So, colour wise I think its pretty. You could easily produce a similar effect using your own lipsticks separately – just pick a deep shade and a lighter or more shimmery one for contrast. The benefit of the Flipsticks is that they come in one handy tube. Some may like that. Some of the other shades are flattering too but the texture isn’t for me. I find it too aging and Heaven knows, I would prefer not to have anything that makes me look older! LOL!

In a nutshell

The Max Factor Flipstick is a dual ended lipstick with a lighter frosty shade at one end and a deeper creamier shade at the other. I dislike the packaging which I feel makes the product cheaper than it already looks. The texture of the lipsticks are a little drying to me, and can enhance lines on lips. You can wear each colour separately or blended together to create a new lip colour so you potentially end up with 3 or more lip colours. That makes it worth while if you like the texture. I however will pass on these till they improve on packaging and texture.

Pros: Potentially numerous lip colours to create by mixing and matching, Salsa Red is quite a fetching and complimentary colour, Frosty end used sparingly can make lips look more plump, Pricey for the quality

Cons: Packaging looks and feels cheap and flimsy, No way of telling the colour if the label peels off, Plastic cap feels brittle and potentially will crack and fall off easily, Texture is drying and enhances lip lines, Frosty shade is too frosty and aging

Who will like this: Anyone who would like to create a variety of lip colours with just 1 tube of lipstick

Have you seen these around and checked them out? What do you think of the concept of a dual ended lipstick for you to mix your own colours?

I think the concept is a good one but the execution could have been better. Maybe the texture could be made more emollient which would be more flattering. The colours too could be worked on so they don’t look so aging. For now, we get reds, berries and browns in various frosty textures which truth to tell, harken back to the 1970’s or 80’s when metallic plum, red and brown and frosty lips were all the rage. That went out with the Amazonian shoulder pads. Lets not bring them back.

Paris B

Max Factor Flipstick comes in 8 shades locally (Folky Pink 10, Swingy Brown 35, Boreal Mauve 15, Melody Brown 40, Mosaic Mauve 20, Salsa Red 25, Bloomy Pink 5 and Gipsy Red 30) Price: RM56 Availability: Max Factor counters

24 Insightful comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Disclosure: Featured colour is a press sample. For posting guidelines please read my disclaimer.

About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. When not blogging about beauty or life beyond 40 find her talking about feeding dogs real, wholesome food. Connect with us on social media at Instagram.

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24 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Jyoan says

    August 24, 2012 at 8:43 am

    I personally hate lip products that have the product sticking out of the tube. No matter how careful I am, I will smash the lipstick while putting the cap back on one day.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:54 am

      Ooh yes now that you mention it, it happens to me too!

      Reply
  2. Renee | Beauty Fool says

    August 24, 2012 at 9:47 am

    I love MF’s lip colors but the quality has also been a miss for me 🙁 Tried a lip product of theirs in Europe years ago and the color was PERFECT but the formula, eeks.

    xx Renee

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:55 am

      I know! The formula feels “old” 😛

      Reply
  3. Lily says

    August 24, 2012 at 11:40 am

    I still haven’t tried anything from Max Factor yet. But I remember my mom liking this brand, AGES ago when I was still a kid. I heard their mascara is pretty good. Have you tried it?

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:56 am

      When my mom spotted Max Factor in my stash she too told me about how it was all the rage during her time! LOL I have tried their mascara but I didn’t think it was anything great at all 😛

      Reply
  4. kahani says

    August 24, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    hahah I don’t think you’re their target market with this one PB!

    I’ve checked these out here too and am NOT tempted. If they want to do dual-ended lippies for adults why not do a:
    1. Day/Night lippies
    2. Sheer / Full colour lippies.
    3. Warm/Cool versions of the same shade lippies.

    Those would be awesome to tote around.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:57 am

      You’re right Kahani – that sort of combinations would make a heck lot more sense than these they came up with! Seems targeted at kids 😛

      Reply
  5. casey23 says

    August 24, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    I think the color looks very good on you, both red and rose red!!!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:58 am

      Thank you Casey 🙂 The colour does look nice, but a friend told me it looked old 🙁

      Reply
  6. gio says

    August 24, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    The colours look very pretty, but what a shame the formula is so disappointing.. I think I’ll pass..

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 10:59 am

      Haha sorry to be the bearer of bad news! 😉 I think you’re better off with another brand hehe

      Reply
  7. Becca says

    August 24, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Gorgeous on you, but not for me :/ I can’t do with drying formulas–big no-no for my perma-dry lips!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 11:00 am

      In real life I was told that it made me look old 🙁 So that’s a lipstick I’m not wearing again 😛

      Reply
  8. Sunny says

    August 24, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Salsa Red is one of my favorite out of the bunch, but overall I’m not a big fan of the formula and texture. I think if you’re young, have lips in perfect condition (not prone to dryness), or find frosty shades cool, you should go ahead. Otherwise for the price… you can probably do better.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Haha I personally think it takes too much trouble to make these look good on the majority without making everyone look older than they are. Pity really. The concept is a good one, the execution could be done so much better.

      Reply
      • Sunny says

        August 27, 2012 at 5:18 pm

        Sometimes I wonder if I am too harsh about most lipsticks because there are formulas that I fell head over heels with the first time I tried them on though (*coughs coughs* Rouge Automatique & Rouge G). It seems like most drugstore products are a bit disappointing after these, but one should really never compare them (even subconsciously)!

        Reply
        • Paris B says

          August 28, 2012 at 3:06 pm

          HAHA you, Sunny started too far up the lipstick ladder to go back down! 😉 But I will agree with you. Once you head into luxury lipstick territory, its hard to go find a drugstore formula that works as well. Its easy to “make do” with a drugstore lipstick but its hard to actually rave about them thereafter unless of course, they are exceptional 🙂

          Reply
  9. Ling says

    August 24, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    YOU DON’T LIKE LIP ART? YOU HAVE KILLED ME 🙁
    But it’s okay…I do it for vids and don’t actually wear it outside 😛

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 11:06 am

      Sorry m’dear, lip art doesn’t do it for me 😛 But I appreciate your vids! 😀

      Reply
  10. Kim West says

    August 24, 2012 at 9:52 pm

    I agree with Kahani! She has a point why dont they do a flipstick for day and night, for more subtle event or a rock on party. Why not one end for office wear while the other for night wear.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 11:07 am

      That would be a much better idea, Kim!

      Reply
  11. Callie says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Reading your entry on this made me almost give up on this until I see the last picture. I must say that the color looks good on you! ^^

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      August 27, 2012 at 11:29 am

      Thanks Callie 😀 The colour does look good in pictures but in real life I was told it looks old 🙁 Still, I guess its one of those things – we just never know till we try it for ourselves to see if it works for us 😀

      Reply

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My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. We now write for women of 40 and above because that's how old I am! What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. Settle in for a read. Read More about us

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