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4.1/5
301 reviews
Prestige Item
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Clear Reviews
    ChickAdvisor Reviewers' Choice Award™ 2017 ChickAdvisor Reviewers' Choice Award™ 2016
    4.2/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    January 20, 2010

    This stuff rocks! Put it on over your moisturizer (w/SPF). It's very light, silky gel that helps your makeup go on perfectly and smoothly - especially in under-eye area that always seems to need a little extra moisture. Even if you don't wear makeup - just "finishing" off your face with this primer gives it a refreshed look. Skin tone becomes more even and face just glows. Don't know why - maybe that's why its pricey. I had never tried it before, thus started with the Travel size (5 oz. for $16) . I also got FS and 3 free samples. Definitely will order the 1 oz. when this one is up - but a little goes a long way.

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    4.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    January 12, 2010

    This stuff has been life changing! I mean I am not a girl who likes to re-touch her makeup after I leave for work. And this stuff prevents that! I wear bare minerals make-up, and I love the weightlessness of the makeup but I find that its staying power is weak...photo finish helps keep my makeup on for 8-10 hours. ITS AWESOME...plus the texture of the product is great, its light weight, and makes my skin feel smooth. My only suggestions to those girls who don't like the greasiness of it on your hands is to use a foundation brush. I find i can put it on evenly without getting residue on my hands.

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    4.2/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    January 12, 2010

    I was so happy to find the Smashbox Photofinish as my local Shoppers Drugmart, even though it was only the travel size. I wasn't too crazy about the price ($15.00 CAD for the travel size, approx. $30 for the full size) but I just had to have it after I had read so many good reviews about it. This product is basically a makeup primer that you apply to your entire face prior to applying your foundation and the rest of your makeup. It is in the form of a clear, gel-like substance and you really do not need a lot of product for it to do its job (I use a dime sized amount to cover the entire face). I've tried applying the primer both with my finger and with a makeup brush (a flat topped powder/stippling brush). I prefer to use the brush since I found that applying it with your fingers risks the chance of having the gel absorb into the fingertips rather than all on your face. Therefore, I just tap the gel into the brush and apply it onto my face by also tapping it gently all over, making sure to cover evenly. Since it is clear, you do not have an indication of where you've applied it, so I make sure to follow the same procedure every time (forehead, down the nose, out towards the cheeks, and finally the chin). However, you can feel a difference in your skin. It is smoother and in my case seems to appear more matte than usual. I love the way it diminishes the look of pores. This product did not cause any irritation to my sensitive skin and it actually made it look incredibly flawless.
    My foundation did glide on more smoothly with the primer on than without and it also made my makeup last longer throughout the day (I tested this by applying the primer to only half of my face and observing this difference). I would purchase this product again but because of its high price, I find myself using this primer only on special occassions.

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    4.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    December 11, 2009

    This product is worth it's weight in gold. When appiled before your foundation or power it covers your face in a light layer of primer that works like tiny beads sitting on top of your face. You makeup looks flawless and the primer helps keep your face hydrated throughout the day. I use this each and every day. A must!

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    2.2/5
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    Recommended? Fugheddaboutit!
    October 09, 2009

    I really wanted to like this product. I heard such great things about it, so many people recommend using a primer, and Smashbox is usually great, however I just cannot like it. I bought it with my Shoppers Optimum points, so no harm done there but if I had paid money for it I would have been very upset.

    The texture is weird to me – it’s a gel. I find that it does not smooth on your skin as easily as I would have liked and seems to disappear in an instant leaving me wondering where I have and have not applied it. (Perhaps I am applying it wrong though I don’t know … are you supposed to use something other than your fingers?)

    I also HATE how my skin feels with it on – it actually FEELS like I have another layer of “goo” on. I don’t like to feel my make-up, I don’t like to KNOW I’m wearing make-up. I want my skin to look flawless yet natural. I had hoped that this primer would help me achieve this look but it did not. I also noticed that it didn’t make a significantly noticeable difference in the longevity of my make-up – things did not stay in place any longer or better than they did when I did not use the product.

    My biggest complaint is that it made me break out. This means that not only did my skin feel oily, but my pores were actually being clogged by the extra layer of make-up I had applied.

    I will continue to use it sparingly I think, but only on my t-zone which requires some extra oil control and only for nights out because I don’t want to let it clog my pores for extended periods of time, and I can’t bare to have it on my face all day.

    I would just like to emphasize that this is not strictly a bad product it just does not work for me personally.

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    3.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 17, 2009

    This stuff is absolutely amazing. The only thing that sends me away is the price. A bit too steep for me.

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    5.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 16, 2009

    Wow! This primer is AMAZING! I think any other brand will have a hard time winning me over!

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    2.7/5
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    Recommended? Fugheddaboutit!
    July 25, 2009

    Simply unnecessary and not worth the money.

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    3.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    June 30, 2009

    Works very well by keeping your makeup on all night for endless hours! Makes your skin so soft!

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    3.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    April 09, 2009

    The foundation does it what it's suppose to do. It blends in evenly. I have a lot of freckles and it also work to hide some of the light ones. My skin feels smooth and light and doesn't look cakey. Smashbox is more on the expensive side the quality is good. A good foundation to me is worth the investment as it can make a difference between beautiful, fresh looking skin to cakey, overdone skin. I would recommend it.

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    These reviews are the subjective opinions of ChickAdvisor members and not of ChickAdvisor Inc.

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