Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara

I have never been hugely into Max Factor as a brand, but I do remember really liking their Masterpiece Mascara (£9.99) a few years ago. I had been using Benefit They're Real, and still have a mini on the go, but I'm not enjoying it as much as the full size. I thought I'd revisit the Max Factor mascara, and see how it compares with They're Real, the product that changed mascara for me. 

This is more of a first impressions post than a full review, and I know sometimes opinions can change after a few uses. I used the Masterpiece mascara for the first time today, and found that the longer length bristles of the Benefit mascara really made the difference. It took a lot longer to achieve the desired results with the Max Factor, and the end look wasn't quite as dramatic. However, the product went on a lot nicer than the mini They're Real that I have, which has the tendency to go a bit clumpy.

As you can see from the above photo, the brushes are very similar, except for the length of the Benefit bristles. I think makes all the difference compared to the actual product. Whereas Masterpiece is very much a bog standard mascara, the Benefit is a showstopper, really coating each lash with a slightly shiny finish, producing a curl and volume to each lash.

So on first impressions, I wouldn't say the Max Factor Masterpiece mascara is better than Benefit They're Real. However, I will try to use it over the coming weeks, and see whether my opinions change. I appreciate that it is very difficult to get a mascara right, and this seems like a good all-rounder. It doesn't have the wow-factor of They're real, but it does the job and does it well. 

What is your favourite drugstore mascara?