ProductWhores

Set My Heart Ablaze

I am super loving all of Smashbox's new Cover Shot Eye Palettes.  There are seven in total, with shades ranging from neon brights to soft neutrals, and at only $29 each and in a convenient, easy to travel with size, they're kind of the perfect palette to transition into spring makeup.  (Weird to think about spring makeup right now when it's cold and rainy in L.A., but here we are).  But out of all of them, OF COURSE the one I'm coveting the most is the Ablaze palette.  Why of course?  Because that's the one that's sold out everywhere. You cannot get your hands on it anywhere, which makes sense because the colors are so, so pretty.  (Even more frustrating is the fact that all the displays have slots for it, so you get tricked into thinking it's there when you walk up and then you're disappointed every time.  Life is hard, you guys).  I love that each of these palettes has eight shades because the variety lets you create a ton of different looks with each one, but really, my heart belongs to the Ablaze choice.  (Followed closely by the Smoky and then Metallic ones.  Smoky is also soooo pretty).  I'm basically stalking the Ablaze one on every makeup site online though and have notifications set up so I'll know the second it comes back in stock.  (What did we do without options like these for buying stuff?  Life before the internet was rough).  Make more quickly, Smashbox!  2017 demands it!    

Photo Finish Primer Water

I am a huge fan of Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer (it's my absolute go-to to ensure my foundation stays put and my skin looks flawless all day), so when Smashbox released the new Primer Water, I had to check it out.  Naturally, I was skeptical that this "water" would actually do what my HG primer does, but I was shockingly wrong.  In fact, this may even (gulp) be a regular in my routine (sorry, Photo Finish Primer, I still love you)  the Primer Water is super light and extremely hydrating - just a spritz on the face before you put on your foundation will really set your make-up.  Then, the best part, I use it after I've finished my face to give me a dewy complexion (that also keeps my make-up put).  This mist is so versatile I don't know how I lived without it for this long!  A definite keeper and the bottle will last you much longer than the Photo Finish Primer because you use so little every time you apply it.  Thank you, Smashbox, for creating a truly one-of-a-kind product that really works!  Yahoo!

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

Camera Ready Eyes

I am the worst sleeper lately.  I've just been sitting in bed every night praying for sleep and it barely ever happens.  It's a combination of factors (I'm guessing the caffeine from all the green tea I've been drinking isn't helping...) but it's making me very cranky and it's also giving me major dark circles under my eyes.  It is not good.  So needless to say, right now a great under eye concealer is an absolute must.  And for the past week or so, the one I've been turning to is Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes.  It's technically a 5-in-1 product that helps to hydrate, protect, perfect and correct WHILE concealing under eye circles, so it's kind of a like a super concealer that goes above and beyond the call of duty.  And I LOVE it as a concealer.  It's a little thick so you have to make sure to blend it enough or it's too obvious, but once you do that, it covers the worst dark circles amazingly well.  And I like the fact that it has other benefits as well so it isn't just a concealer.  I also like the twist-up brush applicator because I feel like it lets me waste less product (I have no actual proof of this, but I've used enough products in my life to get a pretty fair estimation of things like this.  Call it a makeup hunch).  At $25, it's mid-priced for concealers - maybe a little on the high end - but since you're only using it under your eyes, it should last a long time.  Definitely a great addition to my morning routine (although I'm counting the days until I can sleep more and don't need it as much!)  New moms especially should check this one out!            

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

Lazy Color

I'd like to pretend this isn't true, but the older I get, the lazier I get about certain things.  So anytime I can find a product that pulls double duty, I'm all about it.  (In fact, I jump for joy about it.  It's kinda sad).  So Smashbox's new L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color sticks are right up my alley. They're available in five shades, all of which are named after areas of Los Angeles, so that makes me love them even more. Here's the shades that you'll find:

• Hollywood & Highlight - Sheer pink pearl
• Beverly Hills Blush - Peachy pink with gold shimmer
• Silver Lake Sunset - Warm coral
• Venice Beach Bronze - Soft bronzy shimmer
• Malibu Berry - Rich berry

I tried Beverly Hills, Silver Lake and Venice Beach and they're all great.  The colors themselves come in a thick stick that swivels up and the other end houses a small sponge for blending the color into your cheeks (or, I guess, your lips if you wanted to).  They're sort of the perfect summer products to throw into your bag because you can just put them on over tanned skin (from bronzer, of course!) and they create a really pretty, uniform look.  My favorite of the three is Venice Beach because its bronze shade is just really pretty and gives me a natural glow.  They're not super long-lasting shades, but they're so easy to reapply, I don't mind traveling with them if I'm going out after work or know it's just going to be a long day.  I'd be down with Smashbox releasing a few more shades to round out the collection.  Who can I talk to about this?        

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

Spritz Me

Phew!  I've been killing myself on a crazy project at work and have had barely any time to even think about writing here, but I have a brief respite now and it feels REALLY good to be writing about products again.  Products are so fun!  Why can't all writing be as fun?

Anyway, right now, my new love is Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer Water.  I.  Am.  Obsessed.  One of the major reasons I don't use primer all the time is that it's just another added step in my morning routine and I'm already usually running late due to my excessive snooze button abuse, so a lot of times I skip it just because I'm lazy.  But let's face it, we all look better with primer, so I usually regret that, especially if I go out after work and my makeup isn't keeping up with my life. But the great thing about this product is that it takes no time at all - you just spritz it on and go.  Seriously, it's all of a ten second addition to your routine and even I can spare that much time in the morning.  It's not drying at all, which I was slightly worried about when I first started using it, and it definitely feels like a regular primer in the sense of how long it extends the wear of my makeup.  (I would say a good couple hours at least).  You can also use it after you put on your makeup as a setting spray, or you can spritz it on just to refresh your makeup at any point during the day.  (Although honestly, I love this stuff, but it's kinda pricey at $42 for 3.9 ounces, so maybe you just spritz on something a little cheaper instead.  I'm partial to those little portable Evian spritzers, although I've never broken down their price point so they could even be more expensive per ounce.  Something to investigate...)  All in all though, this product is rapidly becoming one of my must haves - other than the price, it's pretty much the easiest product you'll ever use and it extends the wear of my makeup, allowing me to be lazy in the morning AND during the day when I don't have to touch up.  It's a winner all around!

 Note:  A sample of the above item was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox

Doubly Exposed

Eyeshadow palettes with lots of different shade selections never stop being delightful to me.  There's something about the first time you open it up, when you're all excited to see the colors, that just makes me happy.  And I've been pretty obsessed with Smashbox's Full Exposure Palette since the day I got it, so if you don't think I did a little happy dance when I got my hands on their new Double Exposure Palette, you don't know me at all.  The Double Exposure Palette is a "sequel" of sorts to Full Exposure, but it has fourteen new shades that all transition into another version of themselves when you add water.  (So it's like getting a second palette for free!)  The cool thing is in the way they change too - one of four things happens - either they become more vibrant, get deeper, turn metallic, or create sparkle, so they really are different enough to give you tons of versatility.  (And it comes with a handy cheat sheet, so you know exactly what's going to happen to each shade before you wet it).  I also normally hate the cheap brushes that come with palettes, but the double-ended brush included in this one is great - I've used it every time I've opened the palette and that rarely happens.  Plus, it comes with a mini Full Exposure mascara that's the perfect size for tossing in your bag for after work touch-ups.  I really like the color range of the shades too - there's some light shades and neutrals, but also a sooty black and a dark blue perfect for creating a smoky eye.  This is one palette you shouldn't pass up!

Note:  A sample of the above item was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox

A Legend In Your Own Mind

If there's anything I have too many of, it's lip glosses.  I have enough to gloss an entire sorority for their entire college career, and yet, I somehow still keep acquiring more.  Which is only a good idea if the ones you're acquiring are good, so I'm very thankful that they are.  (Only because it makes me feel less guilty!)  Right now, one of my favorite glosses is Smashbox's Be Legendary Lip Gloss.  It's awesome in so many ways, including the fact that it's available in a wide range of shades (one of which is Black Tied - a shimmery sheer black with multi sparkle that I'm obsessed with), it's not sticky at all (my pet peeve in a gloss) and it's super, super shiny.  Like, so shiny you'll be amazed.  I also love the doe foot applicator (I'm not a big fan of glosses with brushes because I find it much harder to apply with them).  It's just pretty much across the board a perfect gloss.  I want every shade!

Note:  Samples of this item were sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox   

Be Even More Legendary

Smasbox's new Be Legendary Long Wear Lip Lacquer shades are, indeed, pretty legendary.  I need more lip colors like I need Ebola (topical!) but if money wasn't an issue, I would buy each and every one of the twenty shades.  The lacquers are described as "a long-wear, lip-hybrid formula with high-impact staining pigments for color that goes on as a lacquer and then adjusts to a stain for eight hours of color."  That... pretty much sums it up.  I find the texture of these to be sort of like a thick gloss, and it applies easily without clumping or drying out my lips.  (My pet peeve in other lip lacquers, so I'm happy that it isn't an issue here at all).  On me, the colors last about six hours before starting to fade, but I get a couple hours more of slightly less pigmented color, so I think their claims of eight hours of wear are pretty accurate.  I really, really like a lot of the shades as well.  My current favorite is Off Duty - a nude pink brown that looks amazing with smoky eyes, but if you're looking to duplicate the dark, dark lips that are going to be everywhere this fall, either Bordeaux (a dark plum) or After Dark (a black plum) will work perfectly.  Definitely worth checking these out if you're in the mood to pick up a new lip color.  (And when aren't we?)    

Note:  Samples of this product were sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox

BCA Beautiful

There's nothing better than when you can buy a great product while also helping a great cause, so if you're looking to do that (always!) this post is for you.  In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Smashbox has introduced a new limited-edition shade of their Be Legendary Lip Gloss called Promise.  The pink shade was inspired by the iconic BCA ribbon and gives your lips a gorgeous pink glow.  (So pretty, right?)  And for every gloss that's sold, Smashbox will be donating $5 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime through funding research worldwide.  Such a good cause, such a great color.  What're you waiting for?! 

Be Legendary

 

No matter how many lip glosses I have, I can always, always (always!) fall in love with another one.  Or, in this case, all the colors of another one.  My newest gloss obsession is Smashbox's Be Legendary Lip Gloss.  It comes in 16 different shades - each one prettier than the last.  There's even a shimmery sheer black with sparkles in it.  A black sparkly gloss!  How did I never know I needed that before?!  I saw them all in store and fell totally in love, but the one I tried out is Azalea, a bright pink fuchsia.  SO pretty.  It's a bright pink that has just the perfect amount of color to it - it's not a baby pink, but it's not so bright it's a blinding neon either. The glosses are all super shiny and moisturizing, but not sticky at all, which as I've said many times is my pet peeve in a gloss.  We've sent people to the moon - WHY ARE WE STILL MAKING STICKY GLOSSES?!  They also have this really pleasant scent to them - I can't tell exactly what it is - vanilla, honey, cake batter... something sweet - but it's really subtle and nice.  It's just an all around great gloss. I'm so obsessed with the one I have that now I want them all.  Forget paying off my credit card bill, I have priorities here, people!    

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