Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water - Review!

I'm a big fan of anything that shortens my makeup application time of a working day. Sure I've been known to spend inordinate amounts of time playing with shadows and potions when it gets to the weekend but when I'm meeting bound or in a rush to get to the rat race speed is of the essence. That's why, on paper, the new Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water was right up my lickity split application alley. 

There is hands down no better primer for my skin than the original Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and I'm not alone. To coincide with a recent (pretty feckin' deadly) Smashbox promotion I had a post of 15 First Impressions and they were GLOWING so, by rights, a water version of that would be doubly great, right? RIGHT? Unfortunately wrong *plays sad trombone*

With promises of priming, hydration and skin refreshment, I've found that this super light, subtly fragranced mist is a cracking for setting my makeup once applied and as a refreshing facial mist for throughout the day, it just doesn't cut the mustard as far as priming my skin goes. And although in the immortal words of hunk of burning love, Meatloaf '2 out of 3 ain't bad', for a product named 'Primer Water' with a price tag of €30 it feels like a let down. 

The ingredients list makes for interesting reading with the inclusion of caffeine to wake up your visage (it does) and electrolytes to restore moisture (they don't), I think it's the inclusion of fragrance that will see sensitive skinned lasses suffer. It's a boon of course to be alcohol, silicone and paraben free but you know what else is all of those things? Actual water. Thermal Spring Water to be precise. One of my favourites tins to keep in the fridge and do both of the jobs this primer water does. 

What I will say of this latest release is this, it is phenomenal when used in conjunction with the new Double Exposure Smashbox palette. One spritz on the brush and we're talking MAC Fix Plus levels of longevity on seriously metallic shadows. I'll have a full post on that soon but for now you're getting the Gladiator wavering thumb review, Photo Finish Primer Water, you're good, you're just not great. 


Have you tried it out yet? What did you make of it? 


PS. I've a full post on Thermal Spring Water & 
its Very Many Uses Here should you fancy a 
squizz x

Smashbox Photo Finish - 15 First Impressions!

So last month there was a pretty spiffy deal running with Smashbox in Dublin, in that you present yourself to the ladies on counter and, after a short consultation, you receive a free full size Photo Finish primer of your choosing. 

Safe to say, once I tweeted this news, all hell broke loose. The 50 samples from the Blanchardstown counter were gone within an hour! The 50 in Arnott's didn't fare much better. 

I sent out a tweet last week to ask for first impressions of the product, and should you be in the market for a primer, you're prolly gonna wanna read these: 

Smashing Work from Smashbox BB Cream

At a Smashbox event late last year, I was introduced to several seriously exciting products from the brand that I had yet to try. Being a long time fan of their Photo Finish Primer, the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream was right up top of that list.

Available in 5 shades, Fair, Light, Medium, Light/Medium and Dark, Smashbox make 5 fairly hefty promises for this product:

Primes: The creamy consistency smoothes skin, can be worn alone but also acts as a perfect canvas for foundation.

Perfects: The range of tints of this BB is matched to your skin tone to even out blemishes and dark areas.

Hydrates: Using anti-aging peptides, usage for 4 weeks has been proven to increase skin moisture.

Protects: Boasting one of the highest SPFs for a BB Cream, (35), Skin is shielded from damaging UV rays.

Controls: The oil free formula minimises shine and even with the additional SPF doesn’t leave a white cast.

I’ve been using Smashbox BB cream consistently for the past month or so, choosing to reach for it over heavier foundations even though we’re in the depths of winter. Just a pea sized amount is enough to give me complete coverage (once I’m not rocking any blemishes) but still its breathable and light on my skin.

Because I’ve become so accustomed to lashing this on, I’ve even been using it for evenings out. Buffing it on over my Photo Finish Primer and topping it with Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder. Just a dab or two of my favourite Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer and my fizzog is perfectly prepped for the rest of my schlap.

I’ve had no oxidisation issues, as I have with other BBs and certainly haven’t had the pore clogging disaster that plagued me with Garnier’s original BB offering. It’s an all round win from me.

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream is priced at €40 and available from all Smashbox counters and online from Petals.ie. Have you given it a blast yet?