I feel like I haven’t given Smashbox its proper love in a long time! There was that mini summer vacation we took last month, which kind of threw things off—hope you’ll forgive me! So while this may be old news to some of you, I wanted to share what I felt was still a great summer value, the Limitless Beauty Collection. Available now on smashbox.com, for $39 it’s a colorful assortment of cosmetic goodies to hold you over until you finally give in and buy all of the fall and winter items that are just hitting. (I know, it gets sooner every year!)
Inside, you’ll receive:
- Limitless Beauty 5-pan Eyeshadow Palette with brush
- Blush Rush in Everlasting
- Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss in ‘Round the Clock
- Limitless Eyeliner in Java
- Photo Finish Foundation Primer
All of the products are full size, with the exception of the Photo Finish—which is the handy travel size in the clear tube.
The eyeshadow palette contains a matte vanilla, champagne shimmer, purple taupe shimmer, rose copper shimmer, and a matte brown. The overall texture of the shadows feels (and looks) somewhat improved from past Smashbox shadows I’ve owned—and get this—these shades are water-resistant. Also, I noticed how easy these were to blend, and they’re nice and pigmented. You might not be able to see the matte vanilla shade so well in the swatches, but it’s really there, it’s just against my pale skin.
Everlasting is the kind of blush shade that is so neutral, everyone can wear it. I imagine it’s what someone with warmer undertones would look like if they were kind of flushed—like pretty cherub cheeks! It’s not streaky at all, it’s super smooth, and easy to blend out.
‘Round the Clock in the Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss is peachy-pink, with just a tad of shimmer. If you have more rose in your lips, this shade will take on more pink tones for you, but it’s that natural look that we’re all trying to get and are sometimes unsuccessful. (I have a drawer full of glosses that are in the natural-looking graveyard!) While I haven’t done too well with the long-wearing aspect of this gloss, it does stay on a little longer than average and is worth it in the end since it comes inside the kit for such a killer price! It’s not gloppy or overly tacky, but I can feel just a little bit of a stick with it, which is pretty inevitable for anything long-wearing in the gloss category. So just a minor ding there.
The Limitless Eye Liner in Java DID NOT BUDGE. I love this product and it’s one of the richer browns I own. So many times, browns are so dark that they’re hard to distinguish from black or grey. Not so, Java is really Java, and pairs nicely with all 5 eyeshadows.
The kit comes with a small look-book with how-to’s for both day and night—but for my look, I kind of married the two because you know I never play by the rules. I wish it were more visible in the photo, but I smudged the purple-taupe shade as liner on top and bottom, then went back over it with the Java pencil. It made for such an easy and wearable modified smoky eye.
For the price—and even just the eyeshadows and blush alone, it makes me give this kit a solid approval.
Price & Availability: $39, smashbox.com
