Beauty Product Reviews

This BB cream is so light and creamy smooth. It does not necessarily offer coverage; it is more translucent, like a tinted moisturizer. Other BBs I've tried have felt cakey, or I can practically feel the SPF. If you aren't interest in any sort of CC, and want just a bit of smoothing, I'd definitely recommend you try this. This is very sheer. I rarely break out and have skin that is neither oily nor dry, so I really use BB for the moisturizer and just to blur uneven skin coloration. I use this everyday underneath my powder, and it's great alone during the summer or at the beach; even in the heat in doesn't clog my pores. A little goes a long way, and lasts all day. Each tube usually lasts me 6-7 months. This is my BB staple.

While I generally really enough Smashbox's face products, I was disappointed with the BB Cream. I tried this during the summer when I had a tan, so like other reviewers have said, I was pretty interested in the color-matching options. The BB cream felt smooth on my fingers, but once I applied it to my face, it felt thick and cakey. It smelled lightly like sunscreen and felt the same. Compared to other Smashbox products, I needed to use more of this for coverage; with their primers, I just use a dab, so I'm not satisfied with how long the product lasts. However, I didn't even use the whole container because after a few hours, it kinda oxidized and really set into my pores. I would recommend this product in place of sunscreen and if you want coverage, but it was too thick for me. It also felt thicker than other BB creams (I worked through this one, one by Stila, Too Faced, and ultimately settled on UD Naked because it is light enough that I don't feel it clogs my pores).

EVERYDAY TREAT YO'SELF

I received this as a gift from my future mother-in-law, and it is a literal morning pick-me-up every day. The colors in this palette are versatile and lush. The consistency of the shadows are creamy and highly-pigmented. I've used these to match funky lipsticks for bold, going-out looks. The three vertical pairs in the middle of the palette are great color combos for black lipstick: Lucky and Reign with black lipstick are great for fall, and Alchemy, Bondage, and Alien make it soft enough for a daytime look. I've matched green, blues, purples, copper, and gold lipstick with this palette. I used Last Sin, Angel, and Defy in the top right for a job interview (which I got), and every time I use DTF, my bf asks if I'm on that Beyoncé tip. This palette features colors bold enough for when you want to use makeup to create art rather than just look "pretty", but also has colors for functional, calmer styles. Last Sin and Alien are my go-to my-face-but-better that are light enough for grad. school, but still make me feel like I'm treating myself every day. Many of these shades are rich enough for people of color. The only colors I've not had a chance to use are Truth, Undone (in the top left corner), and Bobby Dazzle, but I think that would be excellent for an ice queen or doe-y look. I won't say I recommend this palette for every makeup user because frankly, these pigments often draw attention, so some people might not get any use out of such bold shadows. This palette definitely enabled me to make my look more colorful on a daily basis, so it is absolutely a lot of fun. I would recommend it for those that think they want to try something new, or have a lot of disparate colors in their collection already, and need a palette to unify it. If you get asked, "What's with the x-color makeup?" and you're, like, "I feel like," then this is definitely that palette.

I used Bondage, Alchemy, Angel and Last Sin in the picture I've attached.

Little bit of love goes a long way.

I received this product off my wishlist as a Christmas gift and it's been a blessing. As the 16 oz. bottle is just a twist off cap, not a spout or spray nozzle, it's easy to accidentally overuse. If you don't get one of the smaller jars with a mesh net, be sure to be thorough in rinsing out extra brush cleaner. I poured mine into a shallow lid, and swirled my brushes, then pressed them against the side to get out any extra cleaner. I then used a paper towel, as the company suggests, and then repeated the whole process again. My brushes were like new. The amount of make-up I was able to get out of my brushes was incredible--how many unintentional colors have I accidentally been putting on my face?! There was absolutely no product on my brushes after cleaning. Bristles on my Urban Decay brushes were fresh white, and my IT brushes were super flouncy after drying. The fresh citrus scent is pleasant but strong and nothing chemical or alcohol. The consistency is smooth and silky, like linseed oil, and any extra product is easy to rinse or dry off. Really, this product is so much bang for your buck. I anticipate that my bottle will last all year, if not longer. I would actually recommend this product for just about all makeup brush users, as it's a great investment and will definitely extend the life of the rest of your products.