Founded by Max Factor's great grand-kids, Smashbox have an amazing beauty back-story, some real standout products (Sue was just raving about their Photo Finish primer) and are humungously popular in the States - but they've never been quite as successful in the UK and Ireland. Oh they have their fans here - tons of you guys among them - but they're not a brand you read a huge amount about, and this post on the Guardian's fashion blog sheds a lot of light on why that might be.
BUT all that could be set to change as the brand has relaunched following a change in ownership; it's now part of the Estee Lauder family, but founders Dean and Davis Factor are still very much involved. We should see wider availability soon as the brand is rolling out in Boots stores, so keep your eyes out for that and let us know if you've spotted it already.
I don't have a huge amount of experience with Smashbox so I was really interested when the brand sent me these two products to try out. Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder promises to instantly smooth and perfect the skin - it comes in six shades and the one I have, medium/dark, isn't right for me at all. Still, I can appreciate the nifty packaging (read more here) and how smooth and silky it feels - it's packed with all sorts of skin friendly goodies included goji berries, minerals, amino acids, peptides and REAL GOLD, for glow. Ooh, fancy! I'm guessing that last ingredient has something to do with the €49 price tag, too.
Advertised
I had better luck with the Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Riches, one of 12 available shades. These are very similar to MAC's Paint Pots and at €19 they're priced at the same point, too. I really like this one; it's perfect for a quick and easy one second eye look, looks gorgeous under a bronzey shadow and gives warmth to a neutral eye. I've been using it with my Naked Palette and loving the finish and added depth. It has a bit of slip to it and applies and blends really easily - then sets on the skin, so it stays put all day with no creasing. It promises to hold up against water and humidity too, claims I'll be testing when I head off to Spain next week.
So far I like what I've seen from Smashbox - do you rate them as a brand, and are there any products you'd recommend I try?
