Smashing! (Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner & Brush)

Member Name: pink_glitter

Product:	Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner & Brush
Date:	07/01/09 (212 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very easy to apply, great finish

Disadvantages: Very expensive for an eyeliner

Smashbox is not a company I had heard of until seeing it on QVC. It's an American company which started out in California by the great-grandsons of the guy who invented Max Factor, who was actually called Max Factor, which I find kinda strange, but it's true (he shortened it from Max Factorwitz).

Anyway I saw Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner on QVC and even though it was expensive for an eyeliner I really wanted to try it, the main reason being the girl from Smashbox was so insistent that it was easy to apply.

Now I own a lot of eyeliners, but I do find them a pain in the neck to apply if I'm honest. Pencil liners don't really agree with me - they always end up looking a total mess - I either get that annoying line between my lashes and my eyelid or the line looks thick and unclean. I still keep buying them though, in the hope I'll find one I love!

This liner is different to others because it comes in a little pot and is applied with a brush. I got the brush with mine as I bought it from QVC, and Dooyoo have listed this as 'Liner and Brush', but depending on where you buy it you may have to purchase the brush separately.

The brush is actually red with a black tip and is angled to a point as you can probably see in the picture. I already own an eyeliner brush by Ruby and Millie which is very flat with stiff bristles, whereas this was very soft, so this took me a while to get used to. When I first used it, I found it a little difficult to apply, so I started using my Ruby and Millie brush, but I tried again, and now I much prefer this brush as it gives a much softer line.

The pot is made from glass and the lid is black plastic with the word 'Smashbox' in white, but unfortunately the name started to wear off after only the first use which I wasn't too impressed with.

The shadow comes in a range of colours - I'm not sure exactly how many, although there are at least four. The one I have is called Starstruck, which is a lovely but unusual bronze/plum colour.

When you unscrew the pot this looks like it is a sort of set gel - it's quite difficult to explain - but when you dip your brush into it, you might find that although it's still moist, it somehow manages to have a powdery consistency, and you get the odd speck of powder that will come loose.

The woman on QVC was completely right when she said that even people who are crap at applying eyeliner will find this easy to apply. I simply dip the brush into the pot, run it along my lash line, and there I have a perfect line. It's as simple as that and is the easiest eyeliner to apply that I have found. One thing I would note though, as I said, the liner turns to a sort of powder, and you may find you get the odd speck of powder falling onto your cheeks or lower lash line that will need to be brushed away - a bit of a pain if you're using a darker colour as if you apply your foundation before your eye make-up it can make a bit of a mess.

The results it gives is a quite soft line - if you want a very strong and defined line, perhaps this won't be for you. I find the line is easily smudged after application, perfect for that smoky look, and it's surprisingly easy to control the thickness of the line with the brush, although it may take one or two tries to get used to it. I also think using the brush makes it easy to get close to the lash line, so you don't get that annoying gap that you can get - especially if you're like me and the roots of your eyelashes are blonde!

The liner does stay put all day, but I do think the colour fades quite a bit after a few hours, so if you want a stronger look you will probably need to re-apply which is a little bit unfortunate. As for being waterproof, unfortunately I got to test that out today, as my contact lenses were playing up - well the one in my right eye was anyway - and it was watering half the morning. I can confirm that the liner stayed in place and didn't seem to have smudged, ran or disappeared at all.

Now the main downside for me is the price. I guess normally you wouldn't expect to pay more than £10 for an eyeliner - and even then, if I was paying £10 I would expect something quite special. This one however, is £22.75 from QVC which to be honest is just a little bit scary. I have managed to find it online at www.justbeautydirect.co.uk for just £9.79 without the brush or £17.12 with the brush, which is a little more reasonable, but still not particularly cheap.

High price tag aside, I find this to be a very good liner. For people like me who are crap at getting eyeliner right, but don't have lots of time to stand around applying make-up this is perfect. I love the look it gives and despite my initial reservations, I now love the brush that comes with it. The main downside is the price tag, as I would like to invest in a few more colours, but at that price it's probably not going to happen any time soon. Even so, if you can afford it I would suggest that it is well worth a try.

Summary: A great product from Smashbox, but not purse-friendly!