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!