ProductWhores

Megatint!

Smashbox's new Megatint Long Wearing Lip Color sounds like a cosmetically-inclined incredibly-sexy superhero who can navigate complex make-up application in a single bound!   And oddly enough, the name (and superhero connection) actually fit the product extremely well!  I'm usually not a fan of long wearing anything (sounds like I have commitment issues as I type it) but really, it's because usually long wearing means incredibly drying.  Not the case with Megatint.  While it doesn't hydrate it definitely doesn't strip moisture and the color stays true for an incredibly long time.  I love the shades (I am especially obsessed with Mimosa which is a really pretty coral, perfect for summer) and love the thin applicator (no mess-ups when it comes to application).  I like that I can wear a lipgloss over it for extra shine, but the coral color sticks around through my many morning cups of coffee (yeah, so what, I have a caffeine addiction).  Retails for $20.00.

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox.

Love Me

You guys, I have a ridiculous amount of eye shadow palettes.  Like, the drawer I'm storing my favorites in keeps getting stuck shut because one of them gets wedged up and blocks it from opening.  You'd think me having to force open a drawer four times or so a week would convince me to store some of them elsewhere, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  What if I want to use one in the morning and it's downstairs?  That would just be tragic.  So instead, I rearrange them constantly, hoping that'll prevent the blockage, and hold my breath every time I go to open the drawer.  It's kind of sad.  But the real point is, I have a lot of eye shadow, so when I see a palette that makes look twice, it's kind of exciting.  Which is how I feel about Smashbox's new Love Me Eye Shadow Palettes.  How adorable is the one above, with its Love Me message?  So cute!  (And for those of you wondering, the overlay with the words lifts up and out of the way so you can use the shadows easily - you don't have to try and work around it, which is much better than I originally thought).  The Admire Me palette above is a great neutral palette and since it's not big, it's a lot easier to pack for a trip than a lot of my other favorite (but bulkier) nude palettes.  The other palette in the collection, Entice Me, is more colorful, with a mix of pinks, purples and blues, so they're both equally useful, but for different looks. I'm kind of obsessed with them right now.  How can anyone not adore a palette with the word "Love" IN IT?  Someone with a heart of stone, that's who!

Note:  A sample was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox  

Color Me Green

You know how every once in a while, you're putting on a product you use every day and think, "Damn, this thing is amazing.  How would I ever live without it?"  That's how I felt this morning about my Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer.  It's such a staple in my morning routine that I don't even really register that I'm using it anymore, but then I'll forget to put it on one day because I'm running late or something and I'll notice such a difference that I instantly make a mental note not to forget it ever again.  I've probably written about it here before, but I just kind of had to reiterate how fantastic it is.  I use the Color Adjust - Green shade because my skin is really sensitive and tends to get red when it's irritated (Or when it's cold.  Or windy.  Or just because it feels like it.  It's really annoying).  The green tint tones down a lot of that redness while the primer makes my skin perfectly smooth for the rest of my makeup and helps it last all day.  It really is a wonder product.  And it comes in a lot of different Color Adjust shades, as well as the original clear color, so there's one for you no matter what you're trying to fix.  If only the rest of life was that easy...  

HD Healthy FX Foundation

With Sephora's VIB weekend, of which I will never pass up indulging in the 20% off discount, I decided to try some products which get tons of great reviews online to see if they live up to the hype.  While I love Smashbox eyeshadows and liners I had yet to try a foundation until I picked up HD Healthy FX Foundation with SPF 15.  This foundation is spectacularly amazing - with killer coverage (which looks super natural), great staying power and is so soft on the skin - no stickiness at all!  This is definitely my new HG foundation and all of you who were raving about it were right on!  I tend to have dry skin and a lot of foundations with moderate coverage flake on the edges of my nose, but not this one!  It's actually rather hydrating and I am so impressed with how well it evens out my redness and makes my face look stunning. Love, love love it and I recommend everyone give it a try - you will not be disappointed!!

Sexy Smoky Eyes

Image Factory Waterproof Shadow Liner by Smashbox is ridiculously great.  Usually I hate thick liners because I end up looking ridiculous when I attempt to put it on, but this one goes on super-smooth and smudges brilliantly so I look like I know what I'm doing (shoking, I know).  I love how easy it is to apply, how well the color stays and that the smudge end is super soft (don't feel like I'm dragging sandpaper on my lid to smudge).  It's limited edition (comes in Charcoal and Metallic Brown) so you best by hurrying to find it.  I see it's sold out on Smashbox.com so it could be panic-time if you don't already own it...  Totally worth the 22 bucks!

Smashbox Fall 2012

Hey everyone it's almost fall (yay, my absolute favorite season) which means it's time to start talking about the new fall releases.  Smashbox has some killer items which I, for one, am super excited about!!  I am such a dedicated fanatic and will own everything for sure (especially the amazing palettes and those blushes, which look stunning).  Enjoy!

PHOTO OP EYE SHADOW PALETTE ($39): Create eye looks hot off our sets with this palette of ultra-blendable shadows in the season’s trendiest shades. The richly pigmented, velvety shadows are crease- and fade-resistant for flawless, iconic eye looks. Includes double-ended brush. Shades: Icon, Muse

AIRBRUSH WHIPPED CHEEK COLOR ($29): This luxe, lightweight blush gives cheeks a naturally radiant glow. With ultra-fine pigments for supreme blendability and silicone elastomers that diminish imperfections, this mousse-like formula delivers an instant airbrushed effect. Shades: Berry Bliss, Dusty Rose 

WATERPROOF SHADOW LINER ($22): Effortlessly line and define your eyes with this creamy, mistake-proof shadow liner. This versatile formula offers soft definition in one quick step—smudge as a liner or blend as a shadow for radiant, all-over color. Shades: Bronze, Charcoal 

LIP ENHANCING GLOSS DUO ($24): Gloss your pout to perfection with this luxe, longwearing formula with ultra-cushiony applicator. Shades: Fab/Snappy, Luxe/Chic

Shades of Fame

It's usually safe to assume that I will really like a new Smashbox palette.  Their newest one for Summer 2012 - Shades of Fame - has blown all their others out the water and I am putting it to "I love it" status.  First of all the colors are stunning and wear beautifully.  I love that it includes some great smokey eye browns and golds, but really brings it into summer with a beautiful sherbet and teal.  The tutorials on the site are pure brilliance and really helped me to achieve a bunch of different looks (many of which I was not creative enough to concoct on my own).  The bonus beauty in this is the lid primer which is a must-use.  I was amazed at how long my eye make-up lasted when I used the primer!  If you're looking for a new palette to bring you into summer (and who isn't, really), this is it.  Oh, and if you weren't already gonna spend enough money-  the High Shine Shades of Fame glosses are equally fantastic (Candy and Papaya are my faves in the set - especially to pair with the eye palette).  

Note:  Samples of the above were sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox.

Get Yourself Camera Ready

 

BB Creams are the hot new product in the makeup world, but Smashbox's new Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 is the first one I've tried.  Basically, they're sort of a hybrid of skin care and foundation, with Smashbox's version promising to "hydrate, prime, perfect, control oil and protect" skin.  What I like about is that it's an all in one formula, perfect for weekends or mornings when you only want to put one thing on your skin instead of going through all the steps of your routine.  I also like it as a primer - it definitely keeps my skin smooth and oil-free all day, which I kind of consider a bonus.  As far as a foundation, it leans more towards being lighter coverage - I would almost compare it to a tinted moisturizer - but it does get a little less sheer the more you put on, so you can build up more coverage.  I also love that it has an SPF 35 in it.  I'm militant about always wearing sunscreen and most makeup has (at best) an SPF of 15 or so in it, so to get one with more protection makes me very happy.  (Especially if I layer it over my actual sunscreen that has an SPF 50 - total overkill, but like I said, militant).  It's also fragrance-free, dermatologist tested and non-acnegenic, so anyone can use it and it's perfect for my sensitive skin.  Overall, I don't know if this'll replace my actual foundation every day, but it's awesome for the weekends and I'll definitely take it when I travel since it'll mean packing one tube instead of at least three or four.  More room for another pair of shoes!  I love beauty innovations!  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox 

Be Discovered

Smashbox's 2012 Spring collection is all about the pastels, baby, and it's stunning!  Honestly, whenever I see pastels I think 80's frosted overload so I usually shy away.  In this case, I'm glad I gave the collection a fair shot (really, as any PW should do) because it has become my go-to look.  The new Be Legendary lipsticks come in three lovely shades, are super moisturizing (contain shea butter) and feel great on (so smooth!)  I have fallen for Honey - a soft nude - which looks so great I got tons of compliments at a L'Oreal event I attended on Saturday (yes, yes, I will admit I wore a Smashbox lipcolor to a L'Oreal event!).  In addition to the fabulous lipsticks, I am head over heels for their Spring 2012 palette - Be Discovered.  Okay, when I first tried the palette, I actually thought it was a dud because the colors are not the usual-Smashbox high-pigmented ones.  I found I was applying layer after layer, and even with a primer, felt I wasn't getting much color.  I then watched the video on Smashbox.com which shows you how to achieve the pastel look for Spring and it helped me out a lot with shading (and using the lilac color which is essential in the look).  If you blend the light colors across the eye and use the opal in the corners and along the brow line, you will be so happy with the look.  Also, I found that lining the eye with a dark brown shadow, and slightly smudging, made a big difference, as well.  No, you're not going to have a deep smokey eye (duh) but you will have a lovely pastel eye and then can pair with a deeper lipstick and some killer mascara. Don't let the pastel palette scare you because you'll be missing out.  This collection is limited edition so it won't be around for long - yikes!

Note:  Samples of the above products were sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox

Holiday With Smashbox

I'm a big fan of Smashbox's holiday collections every year, especially their eye palettes.  So much goodness for so few dollars!  This year's shadow collection, the Click You're It Eye Palette, continues the tradition.  It has 15 eye shadows, 5 cream liners, and a mini Photo Finish Lid Primer.  (I can't even tell you how much I love the mini primers that are always in these palettes.  I use them every time I travel and get excited about how much space I'm saving every single time).  The shadows in the palette are a little sheer, but if you're willing to put some elbow grease into the application, they're worth the time (especially at $49 for the whole thing).  It would make a nice gift for someone who's trying to build up their shadow selection (I can already tell my sister is going to make a beeline for it the next time she comes to my place).  

I also tried out their new Life Is Your Set Eye Liners.  I literally cannot get enough eye liners lately.  I don't know if it's just because there's a lot of good colors out there right now or it's just a phase or what, but I swear, I literally cannot walk out of Sephora without buying two or three.  It's like a sickness (liner-itis?)  For only $22, you get five travel-sized liners in Black, Gold, Emerald, Espresso and Sapphire.  I am so all about the gold and emerald shades.  Love them!  (Plus, again, they're a great size to pack.  I can take even more liners with me when they're smaller!)  I'll definitely be hiding these when my sister comes over.  She can't take all the good stuff!

Note:  A sample of these items were sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox