Category Archives: Smashbox

Powdered Eye Liners

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Eye liner; friend and foe. Perfectly lined eyes are so beautiful and the cornerstone of most looks, but getting it on evenly is the bane of most women’s morning routines. This new generation of powdered liner is easier to apply than a gel or a pencil because they don’t slip around. You won’t get a completely precision look like a liquid liner gives, it’s much more of a laid back, casual look that’s quick and simple to maneuver. Here are a few powdered liners to check out.

Jane Iredale can pretty much do no wrong as a line as far as I’m concerned. It’s a personal fav and a go-to for a lot of my daily routine. Their new Mystikol dual ended powder liners give bold, rich color on an easy-to-draw sponge tipped applicator on one side, and a highlighter shade on the other to fire up your inner corner or brow bone.

Novice liner gals will love their ease, but I think their strong suit is their total blendability from a liner into a smudgy shadow.

Color Options:

Malachite: A sparkling moss with buttery beige

Amethyst: Royal purple with luxurious pearl

Dark Topaz: Rich brown with velvet rose

Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant blue with shimmering ivory

Onyx: Otherworldly black with creamy pearl

In Bloom Soft Focus Powder Eye Liners from Smashbox use precision wand applicators to apply soft shades effortlessly without any dragging along the lid. They’re available in day-friendly shades for a lighter look that isn’t harsh, if you’re not a fan of the black eye liner look then these are for you.

Color Options:

Dark Brown

Heather

Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner has a fine tip wand for a thiner line and some pretty fiery shades with just a dash of glimmer for the ultimate in sexy eyes.

Color Options:

Black

Brun (with golden flex)

Blue (teal)

Mirage (dark neutral brown) limited edition

Smashbox Wish for the Perfect Pencils Set for the Holidays

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Here come the stocking stuffers! It’s not too early to think about the holidays is it? Smashbox has their Wish for the Perfect Eye Pencils out, 4 pencils for only $16. It’s basically buying one and getting the rest for free. Here’s a look at the set.

And the colors..

From left to right; Graphite, Orchid, 14K, and Onyx

It’s basically every liner color you should own. Their Onyx is super rich and deep – something I love, the Graphite is perfect for when black seems too dark for daytime, Orchid works to offset those shimmering nude eye shadows we all love, and 14K  highlights the inner corners of your eyes or under your eyes. It will probably end up being your favorite and most used of the 4. The pencil’s smudging quality is great so you can build the liner into a rich shadow with a sweep of a brush.

Remember, $1 from each limited edition set goes to the Children’s Miracle Network, beauty with a cause!

Wish for the Perfect Eye Pencils

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette

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If you’re still using heavy, chalky M.A.C eye shadows, then you’re really missing out. I always say that the color is as important to the look as the weight of the makeup. When you see someone with eyeshadow on that looks bad, chances are that the heaviness you’re seeing has a lot to do with the overall weight of the makeup and maybe not as much the application. If the shadows don’t sit well on the skin, or blend easily, even the best application can’t make them look good.

If you haven’t tried Smashbox shadows, you really should. I personally use them and carry them in my kit, I love their soft, velvety finish because they stay on a long time and have a gorgeous look that rests beautifully on the skin. Check out their new Eye Wish Palette, it’s filled with every shadow you’d ever want to create sweet day looks and sexy night ones too. No crazy throw-away shades you’ll never wear, it’s a complete collection of beautiful basics.

Click to enlarge

Here’s what you’ll get;

Shadows

Champagne
Soft Gray
Matte Bone
Ballet Pink
Shimmering Bronze
Mauve
Aqua
Cool Gray
Warm Brown
Eggplant
Deep Teal
Charcoal

Cream Eyeliners;

Dark Brown
Black Violet
Blue-Black,
Gunmetal

Photo Finish Lid Primer Mini (what I use professionally and personally daily)

Lash DNA Mascara Mini

They also included pull out cards that fit neatly under the mirror to show you step by step how to create looks using the various colors.

Even better? Smashbox is donating $1 from every palette sold to Children’s Miracle Network. It’s a huge value, $243 worth of makeup for around the price of a few shadows ($45).

You’ll find the palette for a limited time here at Sephora and Smashbox

Makeup Before and After; Pink Cheeks and Blonde Brows

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Contouring and highlighting the face is something that we Makeup Artists do all the time, it’s all about bringing the best features forward, remember this tutorial I did? When you see before and after photos of someone who was contoured, you can see the subtle way that light hits the face and adds dimension, like in these pics for instance.

…Before, click to enlarge.

Mid contour (mid everything actually), lighter, darker and yellow under the eyes using creme concealer.

There we go, subtle hints of a more chiseled face. You can see it on her forehead, nose, and under the eyes especially. 

In order to build up her cheek bones, I layered on Napoleon Perdis Cheek to Chic Blush Duo in #3 (the one in the middle) which looks really bright and scary, but sheers out on the cheeks and lasts long after most blushes fade away.

Blondes have the hardest time with brows – the hair can be so light that it’s almost invisible,  but filing them in can look artificial and weird. Here I used Brow Tech, the powder-and-wax trio from Smashbox which has a perfect shade for blondes with the right amount of ash to it so light hair doesn’t look yellowy or dark. That black brow with light blond hair thing only works for Gwen Stefani.

Estée Lauder Acquires Smashbox Cosmetics

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You’ve probably heard by now that Estée Lauder purchased Smashbox in an estimated $200- $300 million dollar deal. What’s that mean for those of us (myself included) who love Smashbox? It means that the creative team at Smashbox will have even more capitol so they can continue to produce new and exciting cosmetics. I think the spirit of the line will remain intact, Lauder bought them because they love what they do so it’s in their best interest to let them keep on doing it.

You can read more about the deal HERE.

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Get the Best Smokey Eye With Smashbox EYELIGHTS in ‘Smokebox’

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As a Makeup Artist, I understand that a smokey eye is about a technique and not necessarily about the colors used. You can create a look that’s ‘smokey’ by using deeper shades to line the eyes (upper and lower) and adding some splashy colors you don’t typically wear. It’s a pretty open interpretation and just the darkening effect alone is what’s smokey and really fun.

Although it isn’t only about the colors used, those colors can be key. From what I’ve experienced, there isn’t a palette that makes creating a classic smokey eye easier than Smokebox from Smashbox.

Their neutral colored base shade has a hint of radiance to it for a head start in dimension, and although the photo of the middle shade suggests it’s more of a fawn brown, it’s actually a brownish-gunmetal with just a hint of lavender undertone to give it some pop. It’s an amazing shade that I wish they sold solo because it’s the perfect warm-up color for a sizzling smokey eye or just used on its own. Don’t be thrown by the slight shimmer in the black, it’s just there because a flat black would be harder to work with and blend. It doesn’t look sparkly on the skin it just has some life to it, and because it’s really black you can use it as a shadow and a liner.

It’s a universal smokey-eye maker for all skin tones that you will without a doubt love.

Smashbox EYELIGHTS in Smokebox

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