SMASHBOX! HALO PERFECTING POWDER!
Katie here! By request. (Because I'd never want to leave one of our girls hanging!) I think we can all concur that Dean and Davis Factor, founders of Smashbox Cosmetics, sons of the amazing late Max Factor, are earthbound deities. Good-looking and inventors of amazing makeup! When the Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder was first tested out on HSN they sold out in minutes! I got to wear it around one day last summer, before they launched it in Sephora last fall. It's definitely a light, smoothing powder, great for setting makeup or wearing alone on a low-key day. It has an "advanced formulation of pure-gold, 48 minerals and 11 amino acids" to provide you with amazing anti-aging benefits. But it's only a powder! However, I think this product really hast its pros and cons.
Pro: Really evens and smooths out the complexion.
Pro: Ingredients like silica and wax help to seal in moisture.
Pro: Kept pressed in the compact until the unique revolving lid "shaves" just enough product into the top for you to use as a loose powder.
Pro: Apparently, after 6 weeks of continious use, the apperance of lines and wrinkles on the face decreases by 66%.
Con: Not so great if you're looking to keep it natural...quite a few unpronouncable and unreadable ingredients like "Dimethylacrylamide/Acrylic Acid/Polystyrene Ethyl Methacrylate Copolymer." Yeah, on the Smashbox site, that's all between one set of commas.
Con: Only comes in four shades. And I feel like medium and dark have distinctly orange tints to them
Con: I don't think it really has the gumption to get medium or full coverage alone.
Personally, I'm still on the fence about this product. $59? I don't know. So here's my pros and cons - but ladies...you be the judge this time!
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Reviews
No way, not worth it for the price! The ingredients alone are enough to scare me away! I have a hard time matching my skin tone and the orange tint in the medium and dark powders would definitely stand out on my skin. I wish they could make a less pricey/better ingredients/more colors version of this powder because the concept is great!
QVC had the exclusive on this for months before sephora got it and I just wouldn't buy it there. By time I pay the tax and shipping it is never a bargain. And there are no freebies or samples to sweeten the deal. I agree with Kate that my very olive and summer tanned face (lightly, lightly) seems too pale for the medium shade. I agree that the base seems a bit orange and FOUR shades to perform the miracles it promises? As if. On the other hand, I do like the feel of it on my skin and I do like the coverage. I don't think it is enough on its own - I wear a tinted moisturizer under. And in the summer months, I am tinted moisturizer and bronzer all the way - Halo is just too much makeup for the summer months. I had problems using it to do touch-ups because of the orange undertone. I prefer Make-Up Forever's High Def powder for that. I have yet to find the one foundation that will do everything so I often use a couple of products to get the job done.
Well, that makes three. I need more moisture and less orange, and while the desgn was tempting, my fingers lingered, paused and then moved on. No regrets.
I bought it, and don't like it. I bought the one for fair skin. Alone it just doesn't do enough...as a powder I am not crazy about the finish. Love the dispenser. The color match was perfect. Not the best powder. Not the best foundation...and expensive to boot.
It sounds like the product needs a couple of seasons to evolve, to keep the good features and weed out the bad, as well as expand the color palette. If I invest $59, or more I usually expect the product to solve several cosmetic issues, this sounds like just a great finishing powder. They should sell it for $32.00.
Indi
it sounds like a good idea but still need to work on it
Too be honnest, I have yet to try anything from Smashbox that I truly love... I haven't tried everything, only the eye shadows, eye liners, brushes, lip glosses, mascaras and face primer. The Halo powder was actually temping when it first came out, just the name alone was drawing me in, but I never sucumbed to the tempation and I'm glad I didn't becuase I don't think I would have been happy with it.
If I use/need a powder,my choice has always been Laura Mercier's loose...it's lovely!At this price,I'd almost have to sample it first,sorry.I just don't see where it's value equals this hefty pricetag!
Im with you MJSRED - for me, it doesn't get better than Laura Mercier's loose tranluscent. Amazing.
Katie
I honestly dont wear face powders just because i am a caramel complexion and i feel as though when I wear face powders it just makes me darker and not attractive..and from what I read about this product it seems as though its not worth buying...
KimBo
617
This is one of the few products that I have used up until it's all done, and then purchased another one. I'm finding that with my oily skin, however, it works better in the colder months. I was using it alone, and building the coverage, and I had quite a few friends and co-workers tell me that my skin looked really great. It's kind of amazing how it works; you put it on and 10 minutes after you've applied it, your face really seems to glow, with an almost-airbrushed perfection. It's not cheap, but I think it's worth it, and I will buy it again once I finish my second one.
hmmm i wanted to learn about this product and was tempted to buy but now i am hearing quite a negative reviews.... thanks for the review
I can't remember if I got it on QVC or what but there was a deal involved.I was shy of the price. I got the fairest one and I am quite fair. The tone actually seems to work well with my skin. I haven't gotten the orange-ness that the medium users complained of. I like the packaging except the clasp is sometimes hard to close completely. The brush that came with it is rough and scratchy, I don't use it. I use extra or build up an extra layer around my nose and under my eyes and then the coverage seems good. I wish I noticed 66 % reduction of wrinkles but maybe 5%-7%... I really like Amazing Cosmetics-extra light. Unless smashbox lowers the price I'll probably go back to AC.
Well, now I know I'm not missing out. I wanted this SO bad, for my dry skin. And I prefer the lightweight feel of powders. But it was so expensive and the brush it comes with is terrible!
I can't ever see myself buying a powder that is that expensive. I love the packaging, it's genius, but seriously...I can't even imagine. I'm a little iffy about putting wax on my face too. That just seems wrong considering I have oily skin already.
Thanks Katie for fulfilling my request so quickly. Great review! I bought Halo (YIKES, it cost an arm and a leg!) after the Sephora folks did the express makeover using it on me. I've got Light, and I think it blends in very well with my skin. I get sufficient coverage and it looks very natural. I use it as foundation and concealer, and you really need to buff it in. And it really does feel super. But as mentioned, it is rather expensive. I think it will last a long time though. But then, of course, I found out that Classified Cosmetics was rolling out their Aero Minerale line, and coming to Memphis to show us what the buzz was about. I've already written about how cool that stuff is. And it was on sale for $11.99 - usual price is (I think) $13.99. So the money I save using that will pay for a very nice bottle of wine!So, bottom line - I'll probably keep the Halo and use it sometimes. It definitely feels better than my old standby, Bare Escentuals. But I will also keep Aero Minerale close at hand!
Carole
I have to politely disagree with the fault finders here. I LOVE the Halo in Fair (my complexion is actually medium). I find it convient to get the correct amount I will be needing, the container has plenty of room for swirling the super soft little kubuki style brush that was included. It goes on effortlessly and covers just enough boo boo's. The price is steep but it contains .75oz. and hardly any waste as B.E. I could not be happier and have seen no orange effects at all. I will continue to purchase this product. I also have Benefits Hello Flawless which cost 39.00 and only contains .25 oz. I especially enjoy the part about not settling in the lines. I cannot say my lines have decreased measurably, but its only makeup.
This sounds disappointing and extremely overpriced! Really cool idea but as a few of you have said, they need to work on it some more. Thanks for the review!
I'm a little obsessed with the packaging--the idea of shaving off some fresh makeup :-PI'm going to have to try this next time I'm at Sephora or Ulta, because unfortunately, I need good coverage for my acne scarring/marks, and mineral makeup has never cut it ("layering" does not work for me/is a waste of time, so don't even try to talk me into mineral makeup).
♥ bluedevilkittyhttp://mtycer.weebly.com/
I actually really like this product. Yes, they should lower the price, for it is ridiculous. I find the coverage is good. If I put Halo over something else, it is WAY too much makeup for everyday. The powder really does make the skin glow. The brush that it comes with is not that great. I have the Medium, and I don't find it to be orange. (I have olive toned skin.) The dark did look a bit orangey, though. People should really just go to Sephora or a Smashbox counter and get their makeup done with it before commenting on how bad it is. If you haven't tried it, you dont' know.I do have to use an additional concealer to cover any dark scars (I just recently quit working at an environmental company. I took air samples, and had to wear a respirator sometimes. It really started irritating my skin, so I have lots of scars now. :( It's just plain awful.) Halo does cover any lighter imperfections, and it is buildable up to an extent. I'm not sure if I'll buy it again only because of the price, but I really like it... Gosh, maybe I will buy it again...I also really like Everyday Minerals. Seriously though, don't badmouth it if you haven't even tried it. If you've tried it and don't like it, then fine. People read these comments to see what others say about a product, and they are getting some false information from those who don't really know. That's not very helpful.
I didn't really notice anyone making outlandish claims without trying the product. In my mind this is a very social cosmetics review site. It is different then others out there. People are very conversational in their posts and feel comfortable asking questions and stating opinions about ingredients/packaging/whatever regardless of whether it is in hand or not. I don't think that you must purchase something in order to make a statement about it.
Of course, I understand that. I did not intend to offend the previous posters, I just observed something.In the first 11 posts, only 3 people specifically say that they have used Halo. 2 of 3 had GOOD and BAD things to say, and in the end decided that the powder was not for them. The other reviewer loved it. The 12th post said that due to all of the negative feedback, she was not going to try it. The negative feedback was largely from people who haven't tried the product. (If they did, it wasn't as clear.) So that person made the decision not to check out a product based upon hearsay.I never said that people should not feel free to comment about things. Of course this is a perfect place to ask questions about and to feel out a product. My point was just that some people are viewing "comments" as reviews, and getting misperceptions about products. To me, it seemed clear what were comments and what were reviews, but if someone were just skimming posts, it may not be so evident. So, I suppose I should've also added that those looking for reviews should take care to read judiciously to see if a post is based upon experience or not.
I agree with that Brooklyn. People often skin and don't read enough of the posts thoroughly. I have at times had to repeat myself multiple times because people didn't read posts prior to theirs. So it is their loss I guess.
Hi Brooklyn,I loved what you said, very to the point of these blogs. We are searching these sites to get informed by people who have experienced the products or techniques. I do feel people should try the item FIRST, then blog. Thanks again!
Thank you!
I checked this out on my last trip to Sephora. I was debating on trying a new mineral powder, since my BE ran out. I was not happy with the color range. The lightest color was way too dark for my fair skin. Also, the price tag was pretty steep. Needless to say, I will be stickin' with my trusty old faithful BE Mineral Veil.
too pricy for me too - 6 weeks though? that could be for a million reasons other than the product - i need a scientific experiment for proof!
-Miss Yaya
http://myownjudge.blogspot.com/
The reviews in Sephora are mixed. Some love it and some don't. I honestly wouldn't shell out the money for this. There are cheaper and better things out there.
A lot of powders were released before this summer and this was the only one I didn't really like in Sephora. Benefit and Dior released powders that I was a much bigger fan of. Four shades isn't going to cut it...
I doubt I will be giving this a try. I do like most everything from Smashbox that I have tried, and I do like the container on this, but, the price. It just is over my set point on powder. And I agree, the only four shades is another factor.
didnt know that about the creators of smashbox so thanks for the beauty world trivia. i dont think i'll be making this purchase. it's out of my budget and i would hate for it to have an orange tint if the darker shades did work for me...
As a cancer survivor I am always looking at the ingredients in cosmetics. Most of these ingredients are extremely harmful to us. The cosmetics industry in general is not doing us any favors. I look for natural products that produce great results. I am always getting compliments on my skin. I truly believe that even after all the chemo I indured that my skin is gorgeous even at age 50! I support cosmetic companies that are trying to use safer ingredients. I check out safecosmetics.org and do my research. Some of the companies with a conscience have expensive products but I would rather patronize them then risk increasing health risks. Ladies do your due dilengence, just because something is cheap and makes you look great doesn't mean that you are safe. Our skin is our largest body organ. My favorite companies right now are Tarte and Christopher Drummond Beauty. I feel more relaxed knowing that I am not using parabens and other cancer causing ingredients. Bare Essentials makes me itch like crazy. I am told that it is because of the Bismuth Oxychloride and Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide in powder is a no no for me because I have asthma. It is just as bad as using talc. I did a quick copy/paste, FYI: These are the ingredients in Smashbox's Halo: Mica, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isopropyl Linoleate, Synthetic Wax, Polymethyl-silsesquioxane, Water, Zinc Stearate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Barium Sulfate, Dimethylacrylamide/Acrylic Acid/Polystyrene Ethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Dehydroaceatate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract (Goji Berry), Trisodium Edta, Peat Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Dimethicone, Gold. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides Christopher Drummond's Saude Pele:
Saúde Pele Radiance Booster Ingredients: Serecite, Mica, Soy Isoflavones, Organic Cornstarch, White Kaolin Clay, Organic Lavender Essential Oil, Organic Lime Essential Oil, Organic Bergamot Essential Oil, Organic Clove Bud Essential Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Geranium Essential Oil, Organic Patchouli Essential Oil, Green Tree Extract, Gotu Kola Extract, Organic Açai Oil.
The negatives def outweigh the positives & only 4 shades? I don't think so.http://saimese.blogspot.com
$60 just for a powder is outrageous but if it really is as beneficial as it seems it may be worth every penny!
Ugh, I bought this and was sooo disapointed, maybe it is just my skin type or something. I didnt really dig the feel of it, and it made my face have an orange cast to it. I actually had people tell me that I looked bad, lol. So needless to say, I have this just sitting in my drawer. This price tag is pretty large too!! Dang, I am such an impulse buyer!!
This one is overpriced i think.
Wow this product is ridiculously overpriced. It didn't work for me but we all have different skin so maybe for someone else.
hmmm i think i will stick to edm- i am scared off by the ingredients of this, not to mention the price tag!
I purchased this product before I knew that everyday minerals existed. I was pretty much desperate trying to find my HG powder, and let me tell you this wasn't it! This was definitely NO better than much cheaper brands I have tried, and for some reason it oxidized terribly on my skin. I'm glad I have found EDM, the quality is better as well as the price (& by a lot!).
wow, 59 is a lot....the packaging is cute though...but the ingredients is a big con!
Lily =o)http://lazyscorner.blogspot.com/
Although I think it's cool that you can just shave off the amount you want, I will not be using this product. I only wear mineral foundations (and I couldn't even pronounce the ingrediants to this one). Also, I can not afford to pay almost $60 for one foundation. Yikes!
I dont think it's worth the price for the amount your getting. I can't really see myself getting this. For me, Nars works very well.
Wow to expensive and completely unnatural... I'm a mineral gal now (for most makeup anywY)