{Makeup Monday} Smashbox Studio Skin

I've tested the Studio Skin foundation from Smashbox out over the past few weeks and I like it a lot. I am normally so wary of the 'longlasting' category of foundations as they can look so artificial on the skin. So it was with a degree of trepidation that I applied this to my own skin, figuring that I would have to actually wear it myself to test it's claims... and it was fine! It was more than fine - it was good in fact!
It has a much dewier finish and feel than MAC's Studio Finish Fluid which I would see as this product's main competitor. It has a medium to full coverage and manages to retain the soft dewy finish for hours and although I don't think I actually wore it for the entire 15 hours, I can vouch for it's good staying power. It's a winner for normal to dry or combination skins. I wouldn't use it on a very dry skin as it may look a bit heavy. They do a good range of shades too. I wear the palest 1.1 and it is suitably pale with no yellowy hue. It's €39 and I think it's worth it.

{Makeup Monday} Smashbox Primer

Do you ever find that sometimes your skin fluctuates and becomes a bit de-hydrated due to environmental factors? Or just being a bit lax on downing those 2 vital litres of water? Mine certainly does and I find it frustrating as it makes my foundation look more matte and patchy as my skin tries to take extra moisture from the oil content in my foundation.

Well, help is at hand from those experts in primers - Smashbox. Seriously, they take priming to a whole new level with something like eight in their arsenal at this stage. For the record, I rate the original one and the new luminizing one very highly too but this is the hydrating primer and it is very, very good indeed.

It adds a touch more moisture and slip to the skin without adding a layer of oil, so foundations glide on well and I have found it very useful both on myself and on clients with dry/combination skin. It is great under a semi-matte foundation too as it makes it a bit more dewy but not so much as to slide off. 

This hydrating primer is definitely the best way to give a moisture hit to the skin that leaves your base looking right. Adding more layers of your moisturiser to ramp up hydration levels is never good for makeup application; it's a one way ticket to Shinesville!

The Friday Freebie - Smashbox Smokebox

This is a good 'un! To celebrate Friday and the fact that the new Smashbox offerings are so darn fabulous, I have one of their Girls On Film Smokebox Palettes to give away to one of you lovely people!

This is a really useful collection of shades that will suit all skin tones for a sexy, smoky look. The colours included are (from top left to right)

Bliss -  soft skin tone base shade

Putty -  shimmery taupe

Blacktop - charcoal with glitter

Mist - soft silver

Royal - matte burgundy

Nocturnal - deep sheeny navy

So, fancy winning this? Well all you have to do is be a follower of Ellie loves by joining on the right hand side of the blog and leave me a comment below this post. Simples!

The draw is open all weekend and I will pick a winner at random on Monday.

Have a great one my lovelies...

***the giveaway is now closed, thank you for your entries***

Making Up Gracie

Here's a sneaky peek at a shoot I did yesterday (snapped with my phone - the real pics will be much better!) The model is the sweet Gracie from 1st Option...isn't she beautiful.

She has only been modelling for two months but the girl has got it. Such beautiful, subtle expressions cross her face...

I posted this picture on Twitter yesterday and lots of people wanted to know what I used so here goes...

Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation in 02

Becca Illuminator in Pearl

Smashbox Eyeshadow in Fizz

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner in Blacklight

MAC False Lash Mascara

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Chestnut

Smashbox Blush Rush in Pose

Revlon matte lipstick in Pink About It

And here I am touching up Gracie's eyeshadow!

I can't wait to see the real shots, I will share them as soon as I can.

Smashbox Smash It For Eyes

Eye shadow palettes that correspond to eye colour... Such a simple idea and one that has been done by a few brands previously but frequently as part of their seasonal offerings, not part of their constant line up. All change there then as Smashbox are launching these three permanent palettes to tantalise us....

 The three Photo Op eye enhancing palettes called Blue, Brown and Hazel provide all eye tones with a no-brainer shade selection that is guaranteed to flatter (green eyes come under the hazel umbrella by the way). These images are a little dull compared with what you see when they are swatched on to the skin and having just been at their launch and with the palettes right here in front of me, I can vouch for their vibrancy! The top three shadows are soft, shimmery and great for day and the the lower three are deeper and more intense so come into their own for night.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules in makeup and you can wear whatever shades you like but I love how these offer a quick solution with great quality (the textures are superb) and at a great price (€39)
Smashbox have some other fantastic new products hitting counters in September including a new foundation, a gorgeous highlighting product and some silky powders which I will be trialling this week... I will of course keep you posted!

Blooming Lovely

The new collection called In Bloom from Smashbox hits counters right about now. I think it's one of the prettiest offerings from any company this season. Regular readers of Ellie loves will know that I am a fan of cream blushers and am particularly loyal to the now-disappeared Stila ones and I'm struggling to find a suitable replacement - well, that position may now be filled! This Cream Cheek Duo in Blushing/ Peony is a genius two toned product that has a great texture (the most important element of a cream blush). This one is creamy yet not too slippy and sheer. It lasts very well, with the colour still looking intense after several hours. I use my fingers to apply to the apple of teh cheeks but a flat foundation brush is also excellent. The best way to use the two colours is to apply a small amount of the darker tone to under the cheekbone and the lighter tone to the apple. Or just the lighter one for day and darker for night...up to you and your comfort levels with colour.

This pretty palette is the main part of the collection and it's so damn wearable that I can honestly say it will suit everyone. There are a mix of matte and sheen shadows ranging, as you can see, from the pale tutu pinks to fleshy nude and taupe as well as warm green and lavender blues and mauves. A fairly decent brush accompanies this set that I think you could be wearing right through to Autumn and beyond. It's a winner in my book and as prices go, Smashbox fall in the 'medium' category.... not cheap, not expensive, totally accessible. The cream blush is €26 and the eye palette is €49. Check them out asap...