Great coverage works older skins. It had come in this stick like packagine for years nd has a unique scent that is very old fashioned just thinking of it makes me heady I really cant bare the smell and it makes me dislike this product. Just who still buys and wear this the formula has been around for ages. This is super creamy and oily at the same time and the colour range is vrey limited and for organey skins not tanned or light skins becausde they all seem to have an orange hue. I love the packaing and the idea of a foundation stick but really this will be used up to conceal the odd spot but it will ned to be mixed with another founation to get the right colour and then topped with powder. This is so oily it melts in heat I really couldnt detest a foundation more. Perhaps it doesnt suit my dry skin.

You know those people that test a product and claim that it gave them a pimple THE VERY SAME DAY on the EXACT SPOT the make-up (I mean, Pan-Cake) was applied? I'm one of them.
Also, this isn't cheap in Australian pharmacies. A cake will sell for around $20AUD.

I just keep coming back to this foundation. There is no comparison to the finish you get with this and I can see why it was used in the movie industry for so many years. I do not need a separate concealer when I use this as it does the job perfectly. I use a sea sponge to apply it. I use the sea sponge quite moist, not dripping wet, but so that it holds some water. I do not wet the pancake first, I rub the sponge around the makeup and then rub and pat it on my face and eye area. You do not have to work quickly because you can blend it easily with your damp sponge. When I have applied enough product, I rinse my sponge so that it is just moist. I then blend the foundation until it looks smooth. The finish is absolutely flawless and amazing. They used to suggest only using a sea sponge with this product, but I don't know if that is still the case. I have tried other sponges and they just don't do the same job IMO. Another important thing to remember with pancake is not to apply moisturiser or primer underneath as it will competely ruin the effect. You must make sure that you evening routine is the important one. People have said that this is a hard product to work with. I find it really easy to apply and very hard to make mistakes with.

this is a tough one to review, i am very very pale skinned and was very pleased to find the pan cake that i had bought was a perfect match for my face. i had been expecting the same kind of coverage as max factors pan stick, but its a much much much lighter coverage. i am a sucker for all things old hollywood so that was my main reason for buying this product. i wasnt overally impressed though as i think its hard to get it right on your face, you can end up looking really caked in pale flaky makeup, but maybe i wasnt applying right! i would probably buy again out of curiosity to see if i could get it right, but i wouldnt use it as my favourite foundation.

I remember this!!! Awwww. So first of all you get a lot of product for your buck. If you can find a shade that fits you really good then youve scored with the DS foudation. I would suggest this to anyone with already good skin that wants to even out the color or wants a really made up look, like the old movie stars. Hence its over 40 something years old. If you have not so perfect skin, stay away from this because it WILL give you cake face and enhance everything thats wrong with your skin.

I went looking for an official website for Max Factor, and ended up on Cover Girl, where they were shilling their liquid foundation as a "substitute" for PanCake.
Pffffft!
I emailed them and said NOTHING was a good enough substitute for PanCake and that I would be boycotting Cover Girl until they brought Max Factor back.

Pros: controls oil, matte finish, affordable, a lot of product, makes an excellent eye shadow primer
Cons: brand discontinued, drying on face, cakes up
This never worked well for me as a foundation. However, this made a terrific primer for my eye shadow. I would just apply it on my lids using a damp sponge, let it dry, and then powder on top. It literally keeps my eye shadow in place all day and when using the lightest shade, it also brightens the color. This has worked so damn well for me, so I'm very disappointed that I will no longer be able to find this in stores.

devastated that this is being discontinued as there is nothing else quite like it. Gives you total control over the exact amount of coverage. Beautiful matte finish I've never been able to get with any other foundation with the possible exception of air brushing.
Pan-Cake was developed by Max Factor himself for use under the hot lights used in film production. It has not been improved upon since, nor does it need to be.
Have used this faithfully for 40 years (yes really) and will be buying up all I can get my hands on. When that's gone, I will have one major panic attack, and will face the awful prospect of sorting through the various foundations that are out there now and settling for less than perfect.
Thank God I'm 59 when this happened and not quite as obsessed with my looks; if they'd discontinued it when I was 25 it would've killed me. [update: all Max Factor was pulled from WalMart here in late February...and the price for a Pan-Cake on Ebay has skyrocketed.]

I wanted to try this product because of it's legendary reputation. I got it at Walmart because I knew it was being discontinued in the US. I was disappointed at the color selection. The colors seem very pink but I picked up True Beige which is warm toned in the pan.I didn't know that the color comes out two shades lighter or I would have tried to get a darker shade.
I had difficulty applying the product but I was determined to get it right! I read a lot of tips here and other places. I made several attempts using a sponge and dipping it a cup of warm water. The first couple of tries were pretty bad. I used too much then too little. The last time today I was pretty sucessful with small amounts of product over a tiny area. I also used very small strokes. The color was definitely too light for my skin but the finish was great. It was a matte, really smooth finish...very porcelain like. The coverage is not as opaque as I like but I think it's because I still gotta work on the application process. I know it is possible because I used to see the older women with it on and it was great! I fixed the color problem by putting Bare Escentuals Warmth and medium beige foundation over it.
I felt that this foundation helped my blush, bronzer and highligter stay much longer. It has a great finish for pictures. I definitely don't think this is an everyday foundation. It tookme awhile to apply it. I would definitely use this as a special events foundation. I'm sad it's gone from the US but hopefully this pan willasr me awhile as soon as I figure out the application process! If you see it on clearance I say give it a whirl and less is definitely more!

I have been wanting to rave about this product forever. I've been using it for 10 years, my mom for 40 and grandma since it came out. Take a look at the foundations in CVS or at MACY's. VIRTUALLY NOTHING that was out even 10 years ago is still available, but Max Factor continued making this forever because IT IS AMAZING. Recently I bought a few other foundations to try out the whole "normal" foundation thing and BOY was I SORRY. Honestly, this isn't even comparable to them because it is SO very far superior to them.
For everyone that gave it less that 4 lipsticks, unfortunately everyone is not cut out to have the skill to apply this stuff off the bat. It takes practice, you cannot buy it, try it, and write a review the next day unless you have some really good makeup experience.
If you give it the proper trial period and have someone who is familiar with it teach you the technique, you will be FLOORED at the result. FLAWLESS skin in any photograph, people even come up to me, touch my face, and say WOW your SKIN looks amazing. I cannot, in any way, describe how fantastic this product is and I'll be happy to take PMs from anyone who would like tips. There IS NOTHING you can buy, high-end or low, that you can compare to this. Yes, keep in mind the color you see dry actually turns out 1-2 shades lighter.
But if you find this in a store near you, TRY IT. If you love it already, BUY IT online before we can't get it anymore!
It leaves a PERFECT canvas for blush and makes your eyeshadow and lipstick stay on for ages as well.
I could go on forever about this stuff, once you get the hang of it you won't be sorry and if you've already given up on it, I feel sorry for you!! It is so gentle, never clogs pores, never streaks, 100% adjustable coverage, just have to practice your technique and its all worth it.

I wanted to like and use this makeup. I have acne scars and I based on all of the reviews, I thought this makeup would help to cover them. I tried multiple colors and could not find the right one. I wasn't very good at applying this makeup. I just couldn't get the hang of it. I will not buy this product again...

I tried and tried to get this to work. I never could. I wanted to love this.

I was recently browsing through old vintage ads and saw one featuring Judy Garland for Max Factor pan-cake make-up. I googled it and lo and behold, it was still being sold! I had never heard of it, so I read a few reviews and decided to give it a try. Something about wearing make-up that was once endorsed by someone so glamorous and ladylike as Judy really added that extra wow factor for me. The fact that this make-up has stood the test of time for 50 years was a major selling factor as well.
The only downfall I ran into was actually trying to find this product. Max Factor is apparently being discontinued in America in 2010, so most stores that used to carry them are now clearancing their remaining inventory, so selection was drastically limited once I finally found it at a local Walmart. Luckily, I chose the right shade on my first try, which is rare, and it was marked down to $5, which made it even better.
It's a strange foundation to apply, let me just tell you. It feels completely different than anything I've ever put on my face. I used a triangular foam make-up wedge, wet it under the faucet, got the make-up pretty damp and went to town. I had to work the make-up on a bit and here and there I'd see a little streaking, but I would just run the wedge over it again and it disappeared. It did look slightly pasty when it dried and felt a little strange on my face, but after a few minutes, once my natural oils started to work with it, it felt completely natural. I have very oily skin and I've had this product on now for 11 hours and it still feels wonderful. My face feels just slightly oily to the touch (which, no matter what product I put on it, that's going to happen), but it looks flawless. Most other foundations would be patchy and greasy looking right now, but I'm quite impressed with the fact that my skin still looks airbrushed and beautiful.
I don't know that I would recommend this product to someone with dry skin. I think that it may look to cakey on dry skin, but if you have normal/oily skin, I would absolutely urge you to give this one a try. I know that I'll definitely be using this product again and again.

Gave me pimples. Looked very powder-y and masky, no matter what method I used. Tossed like a can of smelly cheese .

This is another Max Factor product I decided to give a try before they stop being sold in america at the end of this year. The color selection is limited, and I really didn't think I'd be able to find a good match, but I actually found a near perfect match for my NC45 skin.
Applying this was much harder than I thought it would be, the packaging says to use a wet sponge. But I found a sponge to be much too small to cover my entire face and blend the foundation in, since it dries very fast. Next I tried using a damp 190 foundation brush, but this just left dry streaks on my face. Finally, I used the E.L.F. Studio flat top powder brush, wet it throughly and stippled the foundation on lightly and then blended. I got a perfect, flawless matte finish using this method and like the 2000 Calorie mascara, I'll be stocking up on this come december even though this pan seems like it will last me forever.
I also like that since you use a wet brush, I don't have to worry about the product drying out and needing to be replaced often.

Okay, I wrote a review for this before with a rating of 3 because I was just trying and hoping it would work out good for me. It seems like it would give excellent coverage, but I just could not figure out how to put this on the right way! I tried like 3 or 4 different ways, and it just never blended well or looked good for me. If I did a really sheer application it looked okay, whis is why my rating was a 3. BUT I need more than just sheer. I have a little redness, so sheer just doesnt cut it. I tried all the things everyone else tried on MUA for this, but none of them worked, and it just made my nose look dry and kind of flaky, even with a heavy cream moisturizer. I wished it would have worked, because I heard great things about it, but it didnt. I ended up tossing it in the trash after couple weeks of trying it off and on.

I haven't used this since high school but, after reading the reviews here, thought I'd give it a try for the summer. I used a brush and was able to get an even application but it left me looking powdered. So I buffed it down a little. It made my skin look dry, and...then I began to itch! When I checked the ingredients I saw lanolin, which I'm allergic to. It's going back to the store.

I want to say thanks to all who wrote about this product -- I knew I had it in my makeup stash but due to the ongoing quest for glowing airbrushed perfect complexion, I had totally forgotten how good this product was! I dug it out and tried some with my foundation brush -- it is PERFECT! no streaks, no glops, nothing but pure color and an even complexion. I had the Tan 1 and the Natural Beige 1, and the Natural Beige is better for me now since I am not tanned (I am an NC15 for reference)... I feel guilty about having spent so much on MUFE HD, Chanel, Dior.. lol. These give me good coverage but a lot of work with primers, powders etc. With the pancake, I was done except for blush -- I did use my Secret Brightening powder on top... it is perfect!! Thanks all!
p.s. I hope this doesn't get discontinued in the US as it is known that MF is discontinuing US operations:((

Here's the trick. It's been around forever because it works. The formula has changed, so you control the coverage. I will say women who have more they want to cover will find it useful. You do one section of your face at a time. You cannot dab it on all over and then expect to blend. The coverage is buildable. Women have been used to a liquid or cream foundation for so long, that cake foundation seems impossible to work. You can use a wet foundation brush or a sponge, but a brush gives more coverage. The brushes you use also effect the makeup, so try to find one that doesn't streak makeup across your skin and blends evenly. You want to cross every stroke, if you go in one direction you go back again to blend. Max Factor will be leaving the US by 2010, and sold in other parts of the world like Europe.

this is a good foundation. but I don't like it that much.
the coverage is pretty good but I think it is a little bit dry than I expected.
it can stay on my face (I am combinition skin) for whole day. But I can feel the foundation is on my face, it is kind of "heavy" one in all my collections.
and although it is a two-way foundation, I cannot believe there is anyone can apply it without using a wet sponge, it just likes a pancake made by iron.