Smashbox – Try Me: Fan Faves Set Review

I have been curious about the Smashbox brand for quite some time. It seems like they have a lot of great reviews, and the Fan Faves set box I have seen countless of times.

Finally, I pulled myself together and bought the set “I have to try this” I thought. So, I did. And boy do I have thoughts. Thoughts you will hear very soon.

This box contains 5 “deluxe” sizes of their bestsellers. Deluxe size is such a great word. Truly just covers up that they mean miniature.

I was very excited about this, especially the lipstick and primer.

As always; go watch the review on my YouTube Channel if you feel like it, I would love to see you there!

Original Photo Finish Smooth + Blur Primer

Their words:

Developed to help makeup look better and last longer on set, this cruelty-free & vegan primer gel instantly smooths and blurs flaws while nourishing skin with vitamins A & E. The proof is in the primer! In a consumer study on 103 women after 1 week of use:

• 93% saw blurred imperfections
• 93% saw smoother skin
• 91% saw minimized pores & lines
• 95% said it helped makeup go on flawlessly
• 94% said it worked well with their skin tone
• 94% agreed foundation blended more easily

My thoughts: I was super excited about this one because I actually don’t have a “real” face primer. I have a “false primer” which means I do not know what the product actually do, but I use it as a primer because it works well like that.

Applying: Silky smooth when applied. I never tried anything this smooth. Concealar went on smoother under the eye and more pigmented. Foundation sank more down in the skin and blended easily. Powder laid patchy on top, might have to be VERY gentle for that to not patch, this was only under the eyes though. Did seem patchy on both eyes even though I only had primer on one side.

Feel: Feels silky smooth to the touch, light and smooth on the skin. My pores looked filled and my skin smoother.

Packaging: I like that the packaging is clear so you can see how much is in there.

Scent: Does not smell like anything.

Labels: Cruelty free. Formulated without parabens, sodium laury sulfate, phthalates, oil, fragrance & talc. Vegan.

Ingredients: ↑ Tocopheryl Acetate: A form of vitamin E. Antioxidant.
↑ Retinyl Palmitate: An effective Antioxidant.
↑ Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract: Antioxidants and skin soothing.
↑ Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract: Antioxidant, antimicrobial/antibacterial. Soothing.
↑ Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil: Contains beneficial fatty acids that helps diminish signs and occurrence of dry skin.
↑ Ethylhexyl Salicylate: Sunscreen agent. Protects against UVB rays.

Claims: Did not minimize pores & lines, but my skin looked smoother because it filled out my pores and lines. It helped my foundation blend much easier and went on pretty flawless. Since it is without colour it worked well with my skin tone too.

Price: 233 DKK – 31,5 EURO – 37 USD

Will I use it again: Yesss! I actually really liked it. Might buy a new one if I keep on seeing these great results. The ingredients are pretty great too.

Always On Liquid Lipstick

Their words:

A liquid matte lipstick infused with primer oil complex, a blend of jojoba, apricot & sunflower oils to keep lips comfortable. The non-drying, weightless formula is waterproof & stays plush for 8 hours. Precision tip applicator lines & fills lips in one swipe.

My thoughts: I looooove lipstick, but this colour looks absolutely unwearable! How exciting.

Applying: Super tough to apply, felt drying and tough when applying. The lipstick itself felt hard and one swipe got me nowhere. Impossible to put on nicely, looks super wonky even after doing my best. Dried down quickly but made my lips look super patchy and dry. On the plus side it got matte pretty quick and did not stick to my glass when drinking.

Feel: First off, this is not my colour at all. When taking this off, I had to scrub for SO LONG, and even had to find my tough makeup remover to get it off. My lips felt uncomfortable and tingling afterwards. Uncomfortable to have on because it felt kind of dry, but when smacking my lips, the lipstick gets totally destroyed.

Packaging: I like the minimalistic and simple design. Again I like the transparent design.

Scent: Uuuuuh, smells oily and dry? Sorry about the weird description.

Labels: Cruelty Free

Ingredients: ↑ Tocopherol: A form of vitamin E. Antioxidant.

↑ Helianthus Annus Seed Oil: Sunflower seed oil. Replenish, strengthen and soothe skin. Good on dry, dehydrated or compromised skin. Can help reduce signs of stress or irritation to the skin.
↑ Simmondsia Chinensis seed oil: Jojoba oil. Enhances the skin’s restorative properties. Soothing and great for dry skin.
↑ Titanium Dioxide: Thickening, whitening, lubricating and sunscreen ingredient. Protects from UVA and UNB radiation.
↑ Glyceryl Behenate: Ester Emollient of fatty acid behenic acid that aids the integration of key ingredients into skin’s surface. Smoothens. Emulsifier.
↑ Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract: Antioxidant & skin soothing.
↑ Prunus Armeniaca: Apricot Kernel Oil. Emollient non fragrant oil. Skin smoothing and antioxidant.

Claims: After about 30 minutes and my lipstick were destroyed because I had smacked my lips about 3 times. Took it off after that, and honestly will never reach out for it again. It was impossible to swipe it on in one swipe, more like 4-5 and it was still very wonky application.

Price: 151 DKK – 20 EURO – 24 USD

Will I use it again: Nope, nope, never, nope. Sorry to say but I hate it.
Actually, sorry not sorry. I wonder how this can be so horrible when it has all these amazing ingredients.

Photo Edit Eye Shadow Trio

Their words:

These ultra-portable, mini eye palettes come in a range of wearable naturals, curated colour combinations and finishes. Easily create day-to-night looks with the colour-coordinated trios & included how-to guide. Each “nudie pic” trio is formulated to complement your skin tone and deliver an instantly contoured eye.

My thoughts: This looks kind of meh.

Applying: The shadow did not blend as easily as I would like. The light one was to shimmery, and almost disappeared when I used it. The others took a while blending and did not blend seamlessly. I am not a fan. Is okay with the primer, but not great. Would not like to use again, feel like I had to blend so hard my eyes almost hurt afterwards.

Feel: My eyes felt a bit irritated because I had to blend so hard and long for it to work. The shadow itself is very smooth and lightweight, but that might also have something to do with the fact that the pigment does not show up as intented.

Packaging: Simple and boring. Kind of reminds me of Sephoras standard packaging for their eyeshadows.

Scent: Does not smell like much, but a bit powdery.

Labels: Cruelty free.

Ingredients: ↑ Titanium Dioxide: Thickening, whitening, lubricating and sunscreen ingredient. Protects from UVA and UNB radiation.
↑ Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: Derived from coconut oil & glycerin.  Emollient & skin replenishing. Has a mix of fatty acids that skin can use to replenish its surface and resist moisture loss. Also a thickener.

Claims: They don’t really have many claims here, but I will disagree with the day to night part, since we do not get that much of a colour payoff. I will also disagree that the naturals are both wearable (unless you count wearable as; you can wear it), and delivers an instantly contoured eye. Unless the look “I haven’t slept for 36 hours and got a light beating means wearable naturals and contoured eye, I have to disagree here.

Price:  145 DKK – 19,5 EURO – 23 USD

Will I use it again: Nope, it did not bring me any joy, and I got both cheaper and better eyeshadows back in my stash.

24-hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer

Their words:

This ride-or-die eyeshadow primer keeps shadow in place-not all over your face- for 24 hours. It’s sheer, colourless, fade-proof formula intensifies colour and finish, ensuring your eye look survive workouts, nights out and big days.

The proof is in the primer! In a consumer study after 1 week of use:

• 96% saw significaltly less shadow fallout throughout the day
• 96% said shadow did not smudge all day
• 95% said shadow felt “locked on” all day.
• 92% said shadow did not crease all day

In a consumer study after 1 use:

• 95% said it instantly made shadow appear truer in colour
• 94% said it instantly smoothed the look of fine, dry lines.
• 91% said it instantly intensified the finish of shadow.

My thoughts: Interested to see if this primer is as great as the one I use now. I tried it on one eye, and nothing on the other eye to see the difference.

Applying: At first in the tube the product felt hard, but became silky smooth when it came in touch with my fingers.
I had an “accident” and somehow got some under my left eye, after trying to get it off some was left there, and gave my face an extra tired look on one eye. Makes me thing oh no what will it do to my lids then? Eyeshadow seemed more pigmented. Easier to see each colour- Without primer, eyeshadow just blended into nothing. There is no colour to it, so it does not give me a “clean slate”

Feel: Feels silky smooth and light on the eyelids.

Packaging: I don’t like this packaging, it seems a bit too dentist like with the silver. Don’t ask why.

Scent: Not much to smell here either.

Labels: Cruelty Free.

Ingredients: ↑ Tocopheryl Acetate: A form of vitamin E. Antioxidant.
↑ Glycyrrhetinic Acid: A component of licorice root extract. Calm skin and minimize signs of sensitization. Antioxidant and may play role in brightening and improving look of uneven skin.
↑ Bisabolol: Soothing agent. Skin brightening properties.
↑ Lecithin: Found in egg yolks and plants. Emollient & water binding agent. Has skin restoring abilities.

Claims: I saw no fallout, smudging or creasing of shadow on either eye, but that might be because the eye without primer already had blended the shadow into nothingness. The shadow appeared more pigmented and truer to colour, and the finish was straight on point. It’s too bad I don’t like the shadow though.

Price: 138 DKK – 19 EURO – 22 USD

Will I use it again: Yes I will, but I don’t think I will buy a new one. It is good, but I like my usual one better because it has a colour that gives me the “clean canvas that I like”

Super Fan Mascara

Their words:

This long-wearing, lengthening, vegan mascara gives you modern, fanned-out volume. Get 12-hour length, lift and volume without any heaviness or clumping. A 360° precision double-bristle brush loads the super-black formula from root to tip, while a soft comb reveals lashes you never knew you had.

In a costumer survey after 1 use:

• 98% said it instantly coats each lash from root to tip
• 98% said it was longwearing
• 96% said it instantly lengthens lashes
• 95% felt it was flake-proof throughout the day
• 94% saw a fanned-out look
• 94% said it instantly lifts lashes
• 93% said it instantly separates lashes
• 93% said it instantly adds volume
• 91% said it provided lasting lift to lashes

My thoughts: Oooh I am so picky about mascara. Hoping this will be good.

Applying: Took long to get a “falsies” look. Looked nice without clumping. Coats pretty much everything from bottom to top in one go, so not “instantly” covered from root to tip. Gave length and volume. Lifts lashes and separates them nicely.

Feel: Feels super light and not too wet, so I’m not afraid it will go everywhere.

Packaging: Pretty standard and simple packaging that I like.

Scent: Smells like mascara.

Labels: Cruelty free.

Ingredients: ↑ Tocopherol: A form of vitamin E. Antioxidant.
↑ Hydrolyzed Rhodophycea Extract: Red Algae Extract. Helps improve skin’s hydration and ability to look healthy. Antioxidant.
↑ Ascorbyl Palmitate: Form of vitamin C. Effective antioxidant. Effective at reducing environmental damage.

Claims: Does not coat from root to tip in one go. After a bit of work though, it lengthens, separates, lifts and adds volume to lashes. It wears for a long time. Had it on for about 10 hours without problems.
I do not understand the “provided lasting lift to lashes” bit, since a mascara is not going to be able to give a lash lift. You need a bit more help than that I feel like. Nonetheless I did not see a lasting lift lol.

Price: 151 DKK – 20 EURO – 24 USD

Will I use it again: I will use it up, but I will not buy a new one. Already got a favorite one that I adore, so sorry. But it is a great mascara though.

I am so confused that these are their fan faves. They said these products were the most popular ones and the “best” ones.

The ingredients are pretty great and none of the products are made with fragrance. Most of the products also have a ton of amazing ingredients.

The quality of the 3 great products in here; the two primers and the mascara were great. I really loved them, the face primer I really want to buy again. The others were great too, but unfortunately, I have favorites already on these products.

Now the two last products. The lipstick and the eyeshadow. Why in the world are they here.?? I feel like they are just out of this world bad especially compared to the good ingredients in both products. Somehow they just do not work for me which makes me sad, and I wonder if my products were just a bad/unlucky bunch, or if this is how they are supposed to be.

Have you tried any of these before and if yes, what do you think?

I hope you all have a happy life, one day at a time!