Like most brands, Smashbox offers a set of their bestselling
cosmetics in miniature sizes. This provides a great introduction to the brand,
if you’ve never tried their products before. It also allows you to road test a
handful of products before splashing out on the full sizes, at a higher cost.
The 'Try It Kit' includes a face primer, eye primer, mascara, eye liner and lip gloss
and costs £19, available at any Smashbox counter.
*Missing Mascara*
The first sample in this set is the ‘Photo Finish Foundation
Primer.’ This is a great base for foundation as it fills the pores and really
smoothes out the skin, leaving it feeling like velvet. I found it enhanced the
wear time of my makeup by a couple of hours, but still did require touch-ups
later in the day. I use this product when I’m going to be wearing my makeup for
a particularly long time, instead of on a daily basis, purely because it is
filling the pores, so could cause blocked pores and blemishes if used on a
daily basis, if you are prone to breakouts. I did like this product but would
try a few others on the market before repurchasing it, as a full size 30ml tube
is £25.
My least favourite sample in this set was the ‘Full Exposure
Mascara.’ I really don’t like large mascara wands, I prefer the smaller plastic
ones. This mascara had a large brush, which made application very hard, as the
product not only went on my lashes, but all over my eye lids as well! I found
it hard to control where I was putting the product, which resulted in smudges
and smears, meaning I had to use a cotton bud to clean up my eye area after.
The formulation was also very dry, this could have been down to the small tube
and large brush, but I felt this made my lashes feel dry. I would not
repurchase this mascara as it is £19 for the full size and I feel the Benefit
‘They’re Real’ or Clinique’s ‘High Impact’ is a better buy for a similar price
point.
The ‘Photo Finish Lid Primer’ was my favourite product in
this set. I struggle with eye shadows creasing due to having oily eyelids. I
applied this under my eye makeup and really saw a difference from the first
use. Instead of the makeup creasing and going patchy, it stayed in place and
also enhanced the colours I was wearing, making them pop. The doe foot
applicator also made it very easy to apply and hassle free. A full size tube
costs £15 and I will definitely be picking this up in the next few weeks, as it
is the best eye primer I have tried.
The product I was intrigued most with was the ‘Lip Enhancing
Gloss’ in the shade Illume. The iridescent nude gloss enhances any lip colour
or can be worn alone for a more natural look. The texture is smooth and the
formulation isn’t sticky or gritty. The wear time is pretty short, like any lip
gloss, so I don’t think I would pay the £15 for a full size tube, just because
it is nice, but nothing special. There are 13 shades in the range.
The final product in the set is the ‘Limitless Eyeliner’ in
Onyx. This is a pigmented eyeliner, so
you really get a jet black line from it. Unfortunately, there is nothing too
special about this product, so I wouldn’t repurchase it, instead I would opt
for a drugstore alternative at a much cheaper cost. The full size is £14, which
includes a built in sharpener.
Have you tried anything from Smashbox?
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