May 11, 2011

Smashbox FAQ’s 7 Piece Color Collection Review, Swatches, Photos

Let it be known I was every so relieved after viewing the QVC Presentation Video that I wasn’t crazy about the overall finish I got with the Smashbox FAQ’s 7 Piece Color Collection.

I recently hauled this on Auto Delivery from QVC because it was a stupendous deal. After receiving it I was in awe over the promo model’s overall look and was every so eager to try it out.

FAIL!

I totally couldn’t master the look but after seeing the video on QVC I realized the two looks are completely and utterly different and the one on QVC looks more like what I came out with than what was included in the how to guide in the set.

Phew! It’s always nice to know I’m NOT going crazy because believe me I feel on the brink of it daily.

Let’s take a look at this set and more on my rant about the model later!


A 7 piece kit of full size Smashbox products!


The set is valued at $193 and yes, that’s not an exaggeration as you are getting all full size products in the set. I paid $59 during the Special Value Presentation but the kit is available now for $65 which is STILL a very good deal in my humblest opinion particularly if you love Smashbox Photofinish Primer as you’re getting a 2 oz tube of it in this set.

Let’s see what you get.

  • Smashbox Waterproof Powder Eye Shadow Palette
  • Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner To Go in Chrome
  • Smashbox Photo Finish Jumbo Foundation Primer
  • Smashbox Lip-Enhancing Mega Gloss in Pink Crush
  • Smashbox Pro Second Skin Long-wear Concealer
  • Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights
  • Smashbox Precision Concealer Brush

I originally ordered the set because I liked the shades in the eye palettes of the next sets they are going to be sending me under the auto delivery option however upon receiving the kit I was actually quite pleased with Waterproof Powder Eye Shadow Palette overall, not thrilled mind you, but I did think it wasn’t as bad as I imagined.

The shades you get are

  • Soft Vanilla
  • Shy Pink
  • Lavender Taupe
  • Shimmering Brown
  • Deep Purple

The shades are pretty dreary so if you prefer more bright, vibrant shades this might not be for you. I will say they aren’t as bad as I thought the would be and they create smoky, mysterious eyes in a snap. Pigmentation is excellent with a slight shimmer and a formula that has a silky yet velvety formula. They blend very easily however I was disappointed that they contrasted poorly and ended up muddy when combined. I could get no real definition when using one to two shades or more as the colors just kept running together in a rather sloppy way. I’m not really sure why they call them waterproof. They wear long and strong under a primer however they remove easily. I tried running wet fingers over my eye and it does come away with product so they aren’t completely waterproof….

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner To Go in Chrome is a darker grey eye pencil that can be used to line with, as a shadow base, or as a shadow. I’m not keen on chubby pencils for lining. I find they are too impractical for creating a neat, thinner line. That being said the formula of the pencil smudges easily and seems to wear very well. I only tried it as a liner so far and it wears neatly on my upper lash line however waterline work it applies patchy and uneven due to the chunky size of the point. It comes with an attached smudge brush as well. The color contrasts quite well with the shades of the palette.

Smashbox Lip-Enhancing Mega Gloss in Pink Crush is a bright shimmery pink. LOVE this! If you liked the MAC Wonder Lipglasses it’s a given you’ll like this. These contain a whooping 0.31 oz of gloss and have a huge sponge applicator that saturates well with color and allows a perfect finish. The gloss formula has just enough color to leave behind a nice pop of pink.

Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in Radiance contains various shades of beige-y nude pinks. This can be used to highlight with or as a blusher when used with a kabuki to build up color. The formula is silky with a tiny hint of shimmer. I used it easily as a blush however darker skin tones might want to stick to using it to highlight with!

Smashbox Pro Second Skin Long-wear Concealer I’ve reviewed prior you can check that review out by clicking here.

The set includes a how to guide for application however the model in the guide appears to be wearing shades not included with the set. After fiddling around with the colors I dubbed it impossible to come up with such a look. At first I thought it was my skills as I’m definately no expert at application but actually after viewing the video on QVC they also produced similar results as myself so I’m curious how exactly they got the model’s incredibly fresh eye look!

The set’s value speaks for itself I’m sure. I generally liked many of the pieces but I probably will find use for them separately rather than uses together as the colors didn’t speak to me on a whole when used together.


The Smashbox Photo Finish Jumbo Foundation Primer was kinda wasteful to me as this stuff breaks me out badly……! I actually gifted it to a friend because I can’t use it. That probably decreases the overall value of the set if you aren’t a lover of the product.

The products in the set don’t quite work well together or at least I don’t think so. I thought the Fusion Soft Lights and Mega Gloss were a bit too light to use in conjunction with the darker shades of the palette.

The shadow palette disappointed me because it was difficult contrasting the colors. And hello, is the promo model totally wearing other shades in the how to guide?!

  • Anyone who loves a value (you can’t get a better deal here! 7 Full Size Smashbox products for under $70, totally a steal).
  • Anyone who likes shades of deeper, richer purple, taupes, and brown.
  • Anyone who loves Photofinish Primer (the set includes a jumbo size).
  • Anyone who likes work friendly, sophisticated looks.

  • Makeup newbies (I think the kit might prove intimating for those new to makeup since the shades aren’t as user friendly as I’d like them to be).
  • Those looking for extreme waterproof makeup that they can swim in or get wet without smudging (I didn’t think the shadows would prove long wearing once they got wet so don’t be deceived by the name).
  • Anyone with darker circles or tired eyes (the darker shades of shadow can accentuate problem areas under the eyes without proper concealing).


The overall value of the set is incredible particularly if you use Photo Finish in your daily makeup regime. I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with these shades though as I thought they applied a tad too muddy and aged my eyes. I’m looking forward to getting the other shade selections when my auto delivery is fulfilled in the next few months however I’m not sure I’ll use the concealer by that time and hate the idea of getting another primer ha….! I think the kit is an excellent value and I’ll make proper use out of each item on its own but together the shades don’t mesh very well.

The set is not bad but it doesn’t have me drooling either.

 

 

It’s available now from www.qvc.com

Did you grab one?

What did you think?

Share it!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • JoElla

    I haven’t ordered a smashbox kit in forever, and took the plunge with this one also on AD. I have to say that I love this kit!

    I usually do not like the primer, but this one I love. Must be the oil free version.

    I have reached for this kit quite a bit after getting it and dare I say… this is the smashbox I used to use and love!

    • the Muse

      yay jo! I wasn’t impressed with the colors, wish they applied a bit better, I got alot of muddiness going on but everything else was fab ;-D!

  • Becky

    I got this yesterday! LOVE! The concealer kicks ass, loooove. Like you said, not sure I’ll run out by the time I get the next AS. I like the brush too although my circles are bad enough I have to tap w/ my finger as well.

    I adore the gloss, love the color and feel and the wand is just awesome lol so big!!

    I was surprised how much I like the Soft Lights, it looks great on me and really brightens up my face.

    Pencil seems good as a liner, haven’t tried it as just a shadow yet. Totally planning to use as a base.

    I can’t use the primer in my t-zone, I’m to oily.. I plan on selling it for $30ish to a friend- helps her out because it’s such a good value and helps me out!!

    The shadows- there is NO way that promo book is using the same shadows in the kit. They’re pretty but very soft looking and I like more bold/dramatic. Like you said, it just kind of blends all together but not in a good way. You can’t tell what shadow is what other than the highlight color. Yesterday I did apply it over my UD purple shadow that I had on and it gave a really shimmery type look to it, I was really surprised, even my husband commented how good it looked. But today on it’s own I am disappointed. I’ll use it again because I like the colors but I’ll put a purple base down first or shadow.. something, anything! lol

    Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase at the TSV price!

    • the Muse

      that’s great becky ;-D happy to hear you’re loving this! HA! same experience with the shadows…they are a tad strange. I think they are best suited using on their own b/c together the colors are just all over the place and turn into mud :-/ Thanks for sharing! your thoughts are so helpful to others thinking of buying the kit xoxoxo!

  • Comrade Garlic

    I was really disappointed in the soft vanilla shade, but then I realized it matches my skin really well. I’ve been using it to set my concealer and primer every day. The other shades I just can’t blend well at all. So I use them for a really simple eye with the vanilla all over and another shade in the crease. It doesn’t get muddy that way. But I get lots of compliments on it.

    • the Muse

      hey comrade, same here, I like it with a bit of liner for a very natural look ;-D but yes, I’m doing the same, vanilla and another shade but none of them combined as they really don’t blend out well together.

  • MelanieSuzanne

    Hi Muse,

    I was thrilled when you recommended this set and I purchased the kit as an introduction to Smashbox because I’d heard such great things about their products. The only items I’ve tried so far are the lip gloss and the eyeshadow palette. I. Love. Them! I typically wear purples to make my dark brown eyes pop and I was very happy with the results of using the lavender taupe on my lids, deep purple in the crease, shimmering brown for the inner V and lower lid, and the vanilla as my highlight. I applied the eye shadows 14 hours ago and they haven’t budged. (I primed my lids with TooFaced Shadow Insurance.)

    I’m looking forward to using the Soft Lights as blush tomorrow.

    Thanks so much for the recommendation! I can’t wait to try the other products and August’s palette.

    • the Muse

      aw melanie I am so happy to hear you’re enjoying this! ;-D My pleasure! I am really glad you’re enjoying it overall!!!!!!

  • Mango

    Such a steal! funny thing is in Canada 60ml of the primer would even out to around $70, so i do agree that the bulk of the price if not all of it goes toward the primer! 😀

    • the Muse

      the primer def seals the deal mango now I just wish I actually loved it ;D!

      • Mango

        i acctually haven’t tried it yet but i most likely will try the mini before i get the jumbo size. lol

  • kat

    They might have used some of the soft lights to line under her eyes…..

    • the Muse

      possible kat!!!!! good guess actually, I should try that although it’s not mentioned in the how too!

  • Kayla

    It looks to me like they used the first three shades in the palette on the eye itself, and one of the last two as liner, possibly? Soft Vanilla as highlight and on the inner corner, Lavendar Taupe on the lid (and maybe as liner on the lower lid?) and Shy Pink on the crease. I could definitely be wrong though! How did you apply, Muse?

    • the Muse

      hey kayla pretty close to how they rec using it. they suggest vanilla as the highlighter, the next shade all over the lid, and the third shade within the crease….so it’s basically the first three shades used…but I dunno still mud for me :D!

      • Kayla

        That is so strange! Who knows then? They must not use the same shadows… It’s funny, I’ve always felt like they use different products for promo pictures and this kind of proves it. Crazy marketing shenanigans!

        • the Muse

          lol kayla exactly, shenanigans ;D! It looks like she’s wearing a soft white sparkle and a pale lilac and than liner…it’s a beautiful look but hard to pull off with the shades they give you..so weird ;D!

  • Victoria

    weird! her inner corner colour is like, a million times brighter than the lightest shade in the palette!

    • the Muse

      right Victoria?! It’s like a shimmering white where as this is a duller shade of cream :-/

  • JenJ

    No I didn’t pick this one up. Was tempted but I already have the primer and concealer. The eye colors look similar to other smashbox colors I already have.

  • Majick

    I didn’t bite on this one because I’m on AD for the Tarte amazonian clay one. I also got the last SB TSV with the Halo powder in it – now THAT was a great AD!
    I think your lids look really pretty but they are very basic. You’re right about not seeing a definition between the colors.
    I LOVE the concealer that comes in this kit – I bought it on its own with the last TSV and I still have a lot left in the tube. A little goes a long way with that stuff.
    If anyone is interested in a similar kit wtih primer, shadows, blush, gloss, and a skinny liner pencil ULTA is carrying it for $39. It’s a very pretty kit and a great value. I will attest to the staying power of the new liner pencil – they are really nice.

    • the Muse

      hey majick…same here on the tarte, but couldn’t resist regardless…I have no willpower! you’re right on the rec for the ylta, I think the palette is exactly the same :D!

  • Brooke

    u rock this luk 28753998765 times better than that dumb model