Smashbox

One of several different brands' primer samples I received which gave me a chance to compare them all and see which worked best. I used this some years back, long before I had any idea about silicones and how they were almost always the culprit behind my breakouts. I used Smashbox on a Friday evening just before applying makeup and heading out for the night. Repeated this on Saturday too. By Monday my skin was a mess - flaky, bumpy and some downright painful pimples. I had no idea what caused it until I used the other samples and found the same reaction with more or less all of them. Now I only use a primer no more than once weekly which is about all my skin can tolerate.

The pros: makeup did glide on very well and stayed put for the rest of the night. You also don't need to apply much which makes it quite economical to use.

To be on the safe side it's worth investing in a sample size first. Most people don't have a problem with silicones but it's always worth checking.


Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(I've sampled 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I love trying out new stuff all the time - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: Jack Black - Intense Therapy
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Aveda' - Purifying Gel Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

SO GOOD! I love it. Excellent length, volume, AND definition. Makes my eyes look really wide open and provides a beautiful, fluttery look for my lashes. Applies smoothly and it doesn't flake or smudge either.

Smashbox Superfan goes on super-glossy with a nice inky black color. It has a wet formula but not too much so.

I am very picky about mascara and this one impressed me a lot! I would definitely buy this again. Highly Recommended!!

Pink Crush is a rosy medium pink with some shimmer. Medium pigmentation. Fat tube with very fat doe foot. Texture of the gloss reminds me of BB wanded glosses, a little sticky and thick (which is fine for a gloss but not exactly great if you have strands of hair that fall near the lips). It's called "Mega" because you get enough gloss in one pull, and don't need to keep dipping back into the tube. Personally, I wasn't finding my lipglosses deficient in this respect, plus I appreciate slim tubes that can be tucked easily into a pocket. I like the formula, but not how big the thing is :)

I had a very different experience with this palette from the other reviewer. This palette is SMALL but has a mirror and is densely populated with the minimum number of basic matte shades for travel. Both warm- and cool-toned shades. I reach for it often, even when I'm not traveling, for instance when a palette doesn't have quite the right base or brown shade. The pink and gray are pretty light coverage, but I've had no problems with blend-ability or patchiness, using mid-$ makeup brushes.

I actually sought out a couple of other smashbox palettes because I've been so happy with this one.

I have dry/eczema sensitive skin and this is a really great primer. The product comes in a pump bottle and it's a very thin white liquid, which would let you think that it isn't very moisturizing but it is! I would not recommend this as a moisturizer if you have dry skin for normal skin types yes sure! But as a primer over moisturizer on dry skin this is great at least for me, this makes my foundation go on flawless. Would repurchase even if I find it somewhat on the expensive side!