Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener

My relationship with Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener started on the wrong foot, as the first sample squirted out uncontrollably, sending my silk dress straight to the cleaners. Several sample tubes later, I'm still not impressed. A very shimmery peach does nothing for me or for  my dark under-eye circles, except drawing even more attention where I want none.

You can clearly see the shimmery finish in the swatch and also that it's not a good match for olive skin. For some reason, Photo Op Under Eye Brightener doesn't come in any other shades, so what you see is what you get.

Bottom Line: Get YSL Touche Eclat or Guerlain Precious Light.

Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener ($18) is available from Sephora and smashbox.com.

Photos by me.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15

I picked Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 on a whim at Ulta because I was looking for a small domed brush for my travel brush roll to do detailed crease work and maybe also a little lash line smudging. I liked Smashbox #15 because it's quite dense and the shape is very well-defined. The brush is almost pencil-like while still soft and pleasant to use. It fits right where I need it- in the crease or right above my lashes, so I find myself using it very often, especially for really dark colors.

What the brush doesn't do: It's not the right tool for blending, at least the way I work- too small and tapered for the task. I'd also avoid using it with a cream shadow, despite what it says on Smashbox website. The brush is made of natural squirrel hair which I think is too porous for cream products. There are enough synthetic brushes better for this task.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 ($24) is available from Ulta and smashbox.com.

All photos are mine, models are Sophie and Giselle.

Smashbox Lip Tech (Sangria, Peony, Maple)

If I remember correctly, I ordered the three Lip Tech colors from Smashbox minutes after I saw them in an email newsletter. The shades, the packaging, the applicator and the new formula were too appealing to pass. I don't have too many matte lipsticks because  dry textures rarely look good on me. But the promise of Vitamin E, emollients and a cushiony feel captured my attention.

Now, matte is matte and will never be really balmy or cushiony, but these Lip Tech are definitely comfortable and not drying, and as a result my lips look good when wearing them and there's no flaking or pooling in the natural lip texture. You still need to make sure your lips are in great condition- exfoliate, moisturize- the works. But that's always true, right?

Every Lip Tech pan comes with a silicone applicator hidden in an inside compartment in the compact. I absolutely love them- these tiny applicators are grab the perfect amount of color, glide and coat easily and keep everything nice and clean. You know I'm not a fan of fingers in my lip products, so this is the perfect solution and saves on toting around a lip brush. Why don't other brands have silicone applicators for lip color?  Actually, I'd buy them in packets of ten at the drugstore if they were available.

I got three of the four colors Smashbox offered. Sangria is a rosy plum, Peony is a warm brownish pink and Maple is very similar withe extra brown. You can see how close the last two really are in the swatches, and I can tell you that on my lips they look practically the same. Actually, since my lips are quite pigmented, in natural indoors light Sangria looks like a slightly darker and a bit more purple version of the other two- they are much more sheer than you'd think. Strong light helps to show the difference, though, and if your lips are pale you'll get the full effect.

Bottom Line: I really really like it.

Smashbox Lip Tech lipsticks ($24 each) are available from smashbox.com.

All photos are mine.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer (Light and Medium)

I bought Smashbox High Definition Concealer because I liked the idea of a high-def liquid concealer and all the promises of a good for your skin formula and soft focus pearls (whatever those are). The theory was very appealing, but after a week of testing I was ready to write a grumpy review because of texture issue. For some reason I kept working with it, trying the concealer with different foundations, brushes and on various parts of my face until I had it all figured out:

1. The biggest issue is inconsistency. I have two tubes and the the liquid in Light keeps sweating and separating. Medium is thicker though not really dry. It might be a fluke or a faulty batch, but I bought the concealers directly from smashbox.com. I'd expect them to have the highest turnover and freshest products.

2. That said, the concealer is very easy to apply and blend. The liquid is feather light and doesn't cake or pool where you don't need it and doesn't settle into fine lines.

3. It's the first concealer I've come across that clearly works better with some foundations and not with others. My initial frustration was because lighter products like Chanel Vitalumier and the tinted moisturizer from Le Metier de Beaute don't blend well with this concealer, unless you apply them over it and work it with your brushes. My preference is to start with foundation to get and even basic coverage and then use as little concealer as possible.In any case, Smashbox foundation works best with this concealer.

4. The best brush to use with the High Definition concealer is Smashbox no. 4. It's quite thick, soft and spreads the concealer over areas that need it. Thinner brushes and especially pointed ones don't grab the liquid well enough.

5. Which leads us to this concealer's strength and weakness. It's best for covering dark circles and patches of discoloration. It's not the right product for blemishes or tiny imperfections that call for precise work and brushes.

6. I got the concealer in two shades (there are five available), Light and Medium. Both have the yellow/beige undertone I need. I blend them according to the area I'm covering: lighter under the eyes, darker on the cheeks or chin.

There you have it. Bottom line: Not perfect but a pretty good product after all.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer ($18 each) is available from Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta and smashbox.com.

Photos by me.

Smashbox Iconic Eyes Kit

There's some major beauty news today about Smashbox being bought by Estee Lauder. Acquisitions of this sort are usually only good for the ones pocketing the money (the Factor brothers, in this case). But since Lauder isn't necessarily known for cheapening products or artistically assimilating the companies it purchases, I'm not freaking out yet. Though I would most certainly will if I see signs of MACification.

Smashbox is well-known for creating kits and sets that are not only good value, but also carefully edited. That makes them a very appealing gift, because it's not just a bunch of random items. These kits also simplify things for travel, unless you're me and go nuts when packing.

The  Iconic Eyes Kit is exclusive to Ulta and Smashbox.com. I was so keen on getting it because of the eyeliner duo, the two full size brushes and the beautiful indigo eye shadow. The opportunity to test a new (to me) eye lid primer also didn't hurt. The set also includes a full size Bionic Mascara, and the eye shadow is actually part of a four color palette. And there's an insert with a step by step instruction for two different looks.

I absolutely love the cream eye liner duo. I have several blue eyeliners, but this navy with a touch of violet is quite unique. The texture is softer and more smudgeable  than similar Bobbi Brown or Lancome products, so take this into account. It's perfect for creating a smoky eye, not so perfect when you need an eyeliner that would stay put under any and every condition. Setting it with a powder eye shadow helps, but it still can't make it utterly firm.

The primer is thicker than the Urban Decay but not quite as creamy as the top product in this category, the Sensai by Kanebo Eye Base. Still, it does the job quite well. I haven't had the chance to test the performance on a rainy day, but I don't foresee any issues.

Smashbox eye shadows are not all equally created. I've had better success with the ones that come in the trio pan than with last season's Heartbreaker palette. I'm happy to report that I really like the quality of the four shadows here. They are all silky smooth, blendable and reasonably pigmented- even the lightest ones in the bunch.There is some fine crumbling, but not the at the chunk level of the previous palette.

Bottom line: Irresistible.

I bought this Smashbox Iconic Eyes Kit ($47) at my local Ulta. It's also available online.

Photos by me with the help of Giselle. In our house the cat with the most iconic eyes is actually Betty (named after Bette Davis and her eyes):
 

Smashbox Soft Lights (Prism)

Smashbox Soft Lights is one of those hard to classify products. It's not exactly a blush and not really a bronzer. It's labeled as "luminizer", but if you're expecting one of those Chanel-style highlighting powders, this isn't it, either. A few years ago I bought Soft Lights in Lens, a warm light peach color. I've been using it since, but realized I much prefer it in the summer. It probably has something to do with my successful efforts to stay pale- heavy sun protection, no self tanners and fake tanners. The problem for someone with my skin color (light olive with the undertone of a malnourished frog) is how often we look sick.

Pinkification was required. Already familiar with the effect of this Smashbox product, I decided to find a more suitable color than Lens. Prism was a surprising choice, because it looks like a very cool toned pink and I hear it's quite popular amongst the fair skinned. But Prism is actually a medium natural rose and not plastic pink. It adds the right amount of healthy flush I need and can be worn light (use a fan brush) or heavy, alone or over a blush for some added depth. I especially like it over a cream blush both because of texture and added longevity.

The shimmer is very subtle and practically invisible under the lightest dusting of setting powder, so the look is very natural. Just like in my original review, Soft Lights needs a little time to settle on the skin (quicker on humid days), so take it into account when planning your activities. Other than that it's a fabulous little helper.

I bought my Smashbox Soft Lights ($28) online from smashbox.com. It's also available at Sephora.

All photos are mine.

Smashbox Heartbreaker Liquid Liner Pen

Liquid liners in a felt pen format have been among my favorite makeup items for over 20 years. I have them in many colors and have found that while some can be quite useless (Nars Stylo), most brands that offer them have done an excellent job both in design and in formula, from the classic Lancome Artliner to my current holy grail Le Metier de Beaute.

Smashbox is now offering a liquid liner pen as part of their just launched Heartbreaker range (Spring 2010). At the moment it only comes in black and Sephora has labeled it as a limited edition (why?), but I hope to see other colors, because this pen is absolutely great. The eyeliner's tip glides smoothly and effortlessly, no pressure is needed. It produces a very exact fine line even for someone like me, whose hand isn't very stable. The line can be winged or thickened, it dries quickly and doesn't smudge and has a rich, glossy finish.

While Smasbox liner pen isn't quite as long lasting as the Bobbi Brown gel that stays on forever, it still keeps in place in good form for 10-12 hours easily. I've found that the quality of the primer I use really matters in this case (more in my next post later today). Urban Decay Primer Potion extends the eyeliner's life from morning to night with very little fading.

Smashbox Heartbreaker Liquid Liner Pen ($24) is available from Sephora, Nordsrom and the company's website. I ordered it from QVC at the pre-launch.

Photos by me.

Smashbox Heartbreaker Eye Shadow Palette Hot Date- Spring 2010

It's 28 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, but we're going to try and feel all excited about spring, since the new color collections are pouring in. Teal, turquoise, baby blue- they are everywhere. Used right and in moderation- as accents and little pops of color- they work on just about anyone. I love to use them as liners or just above the top lashes and blend carefully with neutrals, so when I first saw Smashbox Heartbreaker eye shadow palette in Hot Date it was exactly what I had in mind for such a look.

The good news is the colors- very pretty. The four beige-browns are neutral with a mostly warm cast and you can't go wrong with them. The teal (Azure) is absolutely gorgeous, as is the mint green. The latter is cool and tends towards blue; it brings out brown eyes beautifully and you only need a hint of it. Most of the colors have a delicate sheen/shimmer (the lightest and the darkest shades are matte), Azure has some silver particles that don't really transfer to skin (a good thing, if you ask me), at least in modest application. The very soft texture lends itself to blending, which is extra important with these colors.

Which brings us to the not so good news. The texture isn't just soft, it's also very (VERY) crumbly, as you can see in the swatch photos. I've tried them with several brushes in various thickness and softness levels, but there's always a lot of fallout which requires careful cleanup of face and counter top. I didn't have a big problem with the staying power, as I used a primer and a super light dusting of setting powder, but you'd have to agree that it's a bit much in the maintenance department. The crumbling and fallout are also annoying when you consider how small the palette actually is. This isn't one of the Bobbi Brown generous size compacts. The whole Heartbreaker palette is a little longer than a credit card, so considering it hosts 6 pans you understand how little you get of each color. Normally I wouldn't mind- I'm all for undersizing. But too much product goes to waste because of the texture.

Bottom line: Pretty, but we deserve better.

Smashbox Heartbreaker palttes ($34. Other than Hot Date there's also Kiss n'Tell in pink and violet) are available from Sephora and smashbox.com. It was first launched several weeks ago on QVC and I ordered it then.

All photos (above) are mine.

P.S. I absolutely hate the Heartbreaker look in the promotional photo. It's bordering on vulgar:

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer, Adjust (Green)

I had a feeling I might need such a product sooner rather than later. It's November, which means the first of the seasonal colds. While I've managed to keep my skin well-hydrated (more on that in the next post) and flake-free, there's still that telling redness that doesn't exactly spell "gorgeous".

A few weeks ago I picked a bottle of the green Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer at Sephora, after testing it on my husband's hand. His skin has quite a bit of redness and even he was impressed with the way this green stuff evened it out.

Used on one's face it performes just like Smashbox regular Photo Finish Primer- it smooths, fills and creates a silky canvas that allows for perfect foundation application and helps the makeup stay in place from morning till night. It prevents bleeding, migrating, sinking into pores and the general melty face one might experience in less than ideal weather.

The green Color Correcting primer balances out low-to-moderate redness and allows you to use much less foundation and concealer to cover up, which is always a good thing. I doubt it would make much difference in serious cases of scarring or blemishes, but when your skin requires a subtle attitude adjustment, this Smashbox primer is excellent.

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer ($38) is available from Beauty.com and Sephora. I bought it in store.

Photos by me.

Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara

Smashbox makes a bunch of my several makeup products, but mascara was never one of them. Lash DNS might not change this significantly, but it's still a pretty decent mascara. Its main advantage is in the length/curling arena (it doesn't add volume, though). I can't say if it's a result of the formula or the spiral brush, but using Lash DNA certainly makes enough of a difference that I can often skip my quality time with the lash curler.


I followed Smashbox's instructions and applied the second coat while holding the brush vertically. It really gives that curled and open effect and was quite neat (once I got the hang of it and stopped painting my face with the wand. What can I say? I'm a klutz). The other suggestion from Smashbox was to use translucent powder on the lashes for volume. Yes, seriously. I thought this little trick hasn't been practiced since 1980 or something. What's next? Using a pin or a needle to separate lashes? I hear that's what they did in the 60s.

Smashbox Lash DNA mascara ($19, currently on sale at Sephora for $9) is available online and in every Sephora store. I got a couple of mini tubes as a gift with purchase.

Mascara photos are mine, Yardley Twiggy lashes ad from Seventeen magazine, October 1967, myvintagevogue.com.

Smashbox Lip Gloss: Untamed and Endless

A few weeks ago I found myself on the go without (enough) suitable lip gloss in my purse. That's what happens when one cleans up and rearranges the content of various handbags. A quick stop at Sephora yielded an impulse purchase of two Smashbox glosses: the limited edition Untamed in Raw (a brown-based red) and Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss in Endless (sheer light plum with shimmer).




Both are nice, easy to wear and feel moisturizing with minimum stickiness (my hair is thankful). While the swatches on my wrist clearly show the difference in color, texture and performance (notice how the Untamed gloss sinks into the skin and loses its shine the longer it's on), on pigmented lips the shades are sheer enough to look almost identical, except for the shimmer in Limitless. The latter lasts significantly longer, as promised, and the SPF 15 is another advantage, but I'm not too crazy about the slanted applicator. Its angle is a bit odd. Untamed comes in an extra long tube that might not fit into tiny makeup bags.

Smashbox Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss ($21) and Untamed ($18) are available from smashbox.com and Sephora. I bought mine at the Union Square store.

All photos are mine

Smashbox Bionic Mascara

It sometimes seems like mascara is the most dramatic makeup item one can have. The names, the brushes, the promises... In reality, mascara is paint for eyelashes, usually with added tiny particles. Not exactly the stuff of dreams, despite what the ads are trying to tell you. Still, some of the new mascaras are trying a bit harder, even if they aren't nearly as revolutionary as they'd like us to think.

The Bionic Mascara from Smashbox is certainly nothing new. It's not the great lash deliverance. A regular brush, a regular formula (beeswax, silk protein, wheat protein) and a black color that is not too glossy.It's decent enough, even though when it comes to length I needed several coats before it came close to my everyday staple, Clinique High Impact. It doesn't curl and doesn't hold a curl very well, which for me is a big flaw. It also made my lash feel too crisp for comfort.

What I do like is the minimal clumping (none, really, as long as I wipe the brush) and absolutely no smearing and cooning. Every bit of paint remains on the lashes until I come after it with Bi-Facil (the Almay pads also work, but require more work).

Bottom line: In the category of under $20 this is a decent option, but not as good as the $14 High Impact mascara from Clinique.

Smashbox Bionic Mascara ($19) is available from Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Beauty.com and the company's web site. I got a sample as a GWP.
Images: The original Bionic Woman from somewhere on the web, the mascara from Smashbox.com.

Smashbox Wicked Lovely Gloss in Sultry: Making It Work

Smashbox Wicked Lovely series has beautiful, goth-inspired packaging. The whole look is intriguing in theory as long as we all remember that if you overdo it, it can get very Elvira very fast. But I'm sure we can all show the required restraint. I chose to focus on the lips.

The sexy dark look can be difficult to achieve, as I discovered the hard way. From lip gloss on my teeth to uneven color that looks like I just bled all over myself. Not pretty. Even when done perfectly, like in the promotional photo on the Smashbox site, it can scare children and small animals. I made it work, eventually, but I can't say I fully endorse this specific product, Smashbox Wicked Lovely lip gloss in Sultry.

It's not that there's anything wrong with it: the texture is pleasant and feels nice and moisturizing on my lips. Despite the glittery appearance of the tube, there are no gritty particles and the look is shiny but not disco ball. The color is very dark grape, which is theoretically pretty and does not make teeth look yellow.

The problem starts with application. Just like when using a dark red lipstick, you need a perfect canvas (exfoliated and well-moisturized lips), otherwise every imperfection would show and the pigment clings exactly where you don't want it. I have a tiny scar on my bottom lip, but regular glosses actually cover it up. Not this one. It became more noticeable. The gloss also tends to bleed if not applied just right and you need to have exactly the right amount on: too little and you get patches, too much and it comes to visit your teeth.

The secrets for perfect application are, again, taken from the red lips technique: you need to use a matching lip liner (I didn't buy the one from Smashbox, but instead used something I already had, a Lancome pencil in Raisin). Also, after you're done, use a concealer brush (and your concealer, of course) to carefully define your lips on the outside and blend it outwards. It's not just a double protection to keep the color where it belongs, but also gives a more polished look.

Now, personally, I prefer my lips to not be so dark. It's just too much and I doubt it flatters me. Since I use a healthy dose of lip balm to keep things smooth and manageable, the result is what you see in the picture below (the flash made it a shade or two lighter, but that's the general idea).

Bottom line is that this is a gloss that takes work and I'm not certain the end result is worth the hassle.

Smashbox Wicked Lovely line is available from most department stores, the Smashbox website and Sephora, where I bought mine. The lip glosses retail for $18.

Top image Smashbox.com, all the others are mine.