Smashbox

Masquerade Eye Shadow Palette - $40 - the colours are matte soft peach, shimmering black plum, matte taupe, metallic khaki, shimmering gold, bronze, metallic cabernet, shimmering navy and matte bone - I have been seeing sneak peek pictures of this palette but a picture really doesn't it do it justice, it is one of the most versatile collection of colours that I have seen together in ages - if you want one, grab one, I suspect they will go fast!
Baked Fusion Soft Lights Cheek Palette - Illusion - $37 - - colours are champagne, soft gold and rosegold - such a beautiful highlighter, or if you are pale you can do a subtle blush with it.  It's not overly glittery too which is a big plus in my book!
Creamy Cheek Colour and Brush - Intrigue - $33 - a warm pink stick blush with a brush on the other end for blending.  The cream blush is made with Vitamin E to add moisture and I am so pleased to see a cream blush in the collection as I learned to love them this summer!
Liquid Liner & Lash Overlay - $22 -In Teal or Bronze, it's a liquid liner and a lash colour to go over your mascara - I especially heart the Teal!
O-Gloss Noir - $25 - too awesomely cool for words - it goes on black so you can feel all vampy and then turns into a custom bold berry hue tailored to your specific skin tone.  Contains Ginkgo Biloba Leaf and Goji Berry extracts, Vitamin C and moisturizing Pomegranate Seed and Avocado Oils.  Perfect for this season's berry trend without having to go to all the effort of finding the berry colour that's perfect for you - it will find it for you!

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 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 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 Lash Revival Treatment and Conditioner - $39 -treatment and conditioning duo for  for noticeably longer, thicker, fuller lashes in as little as 8 weeks.  Can also be used to thicken up sparse brows.  It's easy to use, once a day you glide the treatment along upper lash line only, once dry, generously apply conditioner to lashes.

Brow Tech Trio - $30 - a renovation of the classic Brow, now a trio instead of a duo - now containing a filling powder, defining powder and smoothing wax enabling customization to create the perfect shade.  In five shade combinations: taupe/soft brown, blonde, brunette, auburn and dark brown.  Apply the lighter shade of powder to fill in sparse areas and then use the darker shade to define.  Apply wax to groom brows and keep them in place all day.


göt2b Rockin' it line: Rockin' it Dry Shampoo - 122g - $7.99 - effectively removes oil from hair to instantly refresh your style without having to shampoo as well as offering hold and volume; Rockin' it Hairspray 258g - $7.99 - a flexible and weightless hairspray that is neither sticky or hard to achieve strong but flexible hold; and Rockin' it Gel - 175ml - $7.99 - for strong hold that is non-flaky to mold and shape all hair types.

Clarins Extra-Firming Body Lotion - 200ml - a melting lotion that delivers the ideal solution to loss of skin firmness due to changes in weight or pregnancy. The same benefits are also available as a Extra-Firming Body Cream - 200ml - $60 - in rich, comforting cream form.  Both work on density to boost the production of collagen fibres which help the skin to resist pressure and are responsible for skin density and tone.  Contain Centella and Bocoa extracts which boost the production of collagen fibres and Vu Sua which protects collagen and elastic fibres in skin from glycation, a natural process which results in fibres becoming stiff and rigid.  Skin is replenished and firm and body contours are streamlined and toned.

Clairol Natural Instincts Vibrant - $10.99 - the first Natural Instincts permanent hair colour range! Includes the Week 2 Colour Refresher - a treatment now included in every box of Natural Instincts that turns back the clock to give you the look of freshly coloured hair. - in 12 shades, the formula with antioxidants delivers healthy-looking hair colour and great colour results, providing 100% grey coverage for up to eight weeks. 
Maybelline Superstay 24 - $9.99 - this 2 step lip colour has a film forming technology and a solid structure that flexes with lips while being ultra-resistant that delivers 24 hour wear - in 4 colour families and 30 long-lasting shades to choose from.  I must admit that I'm not usually a big fan of long lasting lipsticks because I find them really drying and I end up applying the top coat a billion times a day just to counteract the effect.  This one feels a lot moister going on and doesn't dry and feel stiff like the other ones seemed to.  This one has great staying power, feels great on and it didn't take a brillo pad to get it off - just an oil based remover.  I'll be happy when they get this out of a display and into the regular products - it was impossible to see all the colours as it looked like a pack of rabid animals had ravaged the display!

GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick 145 Shocking Coral - a new colour in the core line, this was my absolute favourite!  It looks shockingly bright in the tube but goes on totally wearable!
Givenchy Rouge Interdit 50 Candid Tangerine - from the spring collection - this one is more full on orange than coral but as ORANGE as it looked in the tube - it calmed down quite a bit on my lips.
Revlon Colorburst Gloss 006 Strawberry - part of the new gloss line - it looked really coral in the tube but looks more pink on - still like this colour though!
Smashbox Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 Boundless - this looked really peachy in the tube but went on more pink - that's the thing I find with most glosses - you can expect the actual colour on your lips to look way sheerer than the tube colour!

A never to be missed part of my morning routine is an illuminator - even on days that I can't be bothered with foundation a little bit of brightening cream is a must for making me look alive!  Having tried multitudes of them, here are my faves for each price point - high, mid and low!

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat - $42 - in seven shades: 1 Luminous Radiance, 2 Luminous Ivory, 3 Light Peach, 4 Luminous Toffee, 5 Luminous Honey, 6 Luminous Amber or 8 Radiant Silk.  I love the look and feel of my YSL and really appreciate that it comes in different shades as well has choices for various undertones.  For an instant pick-me-up you just can't beat it!


Available at Holt Renfrew and Sephora.
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener - 7.1ml - $22 - infused with vitamins and peptides with a brush applicator.  Comes in one universal shade which seems to work on most people but not sure how well it would blend on dark skin - if you are light to medium it's a great choice though!
Avon Magix Illuminator - 1.5g - $14.99 - instantly brightens skin and banishes dark shadows and is available in three shades: light, medium and dark. Gives you the brush and click tube of my pricey pick but way more affordable.  Only downside would be if your skin tone doesn't mesh with any of the 3 choices. Available from your Avon Independent Sales Rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Do you have a favourite illuminator that we need to know about?  Please share!

In Bloom Eye Shadow Palette & Brush - $55 - contains 10 shadows: ballet pink, lavender grey, golden pink, warm taupe, bone, soft violet, marine blue, shimmering copper, moss and nude - in both shimmers and mattes and what looks like a good sized brush.
Cream Cheek Duo in Blushing/Peony - $30 - in two shades of pink (soft and bright) to add a sheer natural flush to cheeks and lips.  I fell in love with the cream blush duo from their Naked Beauty collection last summer so I am expecting this one will be just as good!
Soft Focus Powder Eye Liner - $25 - in matte heather grey and matte dark brown - these look like fun and might be just the thing to do an easy smoky look!
Artificial Light Luminizing Powder - $23 - in shimmering soft nude - inspired by Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion, this soft shimmering powder highlights and brightens for a radiant glow.  Apply to inner corners of eyes, down the bridge of nose, above brows and to the tops of cheekbones withe the targeted applicator.  It can also be mixed with body lotion and applied to the body for a subtle shimmer.

Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss with SPF 15 - $24 - Infinite - nude pink

On counters tomorrow!  I'm looking to get my hands on that blush, what about you?

Burlesque has opened - I'm hearing mixed reviews so I'm not sure if I'm going to see it or not but more intriguing to me then the movie is the Burlesque makeup set that Smashbox came out with -
Smashbox Burlesque Beauty Collection - $40
Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black
Shadow & Liner Quad in Risque - shimmering pink, deep eggplant, shimmering pink beige, cool grey
Loose Shimmer in Burlesque - golden pink
Double Ended Lip Gloss in Peep/Show - cotton candy/sparkling raspberry

I've been eying this at Shoppers every time I go in and I think it might be time to pull the trigger!

Stila Holiday Lip glaze Set - Limited Edition - $33 - contains the bestselling classics: Kitten, Grapefruit, Apricot and Guava, as well as four new shades: Blush - creamy rose, Majesty - deep berry, Merry Merry - sparkling red and Seashell - shimmering lilac - I have a soft spot for Stila lip glazes, the Grapefruit lip glaze is the first piece of high end makeup that my now husband ever gave me as a gift - I know, awwwwwwww... What I like about this years set is that they've included some brighter colours and still kept the best sheerer ones (kitten and grapefruit)!  Available at Sephora and select Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
Benefit All You Need Is Gloss - $30 - includes 3 double ended glosses in: I'm with the band - golden pink shimmer, Almost famous - copper penny, Life on the A list - bubble gum pink, Who are you wearing? - passion fruit pink, Back to the Fuchsia - sparkling fuchsia, 24K - sexy gold - I'm a big fan of double ended glosses for the whole saving space in the purse aspect!  Available at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques, Murale and select Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.
- 0.14 oz Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Tease
- 0.1 oz Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot
- 0.23 oz Sephora Collection Super Shimmer in Pink Ballerina
- 0.23 oz Sephora Collection Super Shimmer in Rusted Rose
- 0.09 oz Tarte Vitamin-Infused Lipgloss in 40 Winks
- 0.10 oz Cover FX Mint Glaze Lip Gloss
- 0.11 oz Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in Cliché
- 0.14 oz Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Radiant
- 0.1 oz/0.11 oz Tarte Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Cherry
- 0.15 oz Buxom Lips in Roxanne