Smashbox Photo Finish Bronzing Primer

Every now and then a product like the Smashbox Photo Finish Bronzing Primer just comes strolling into my life, purely by chance. I'm talking about the kind of product that I'm aware of; that I've heard other people regularly tout; or that I've glanced at but never thought twice about. That was the case with this primer, a shockingly effective product that goes the distance and makes a big difference!

Smashbox Cosmetics has long been, well, a smash in the beauty industry, creating products that appeal to everyone from the world's top celebrities to runway supermodels. Building on its original focus of creating cosmetics that gave photo shoot subjects a veritably perfect, flawless look, the burgeoning line is now chalk full of products that are both stylish and functional. The fun side is all about color – and lots of it. On the functional side are products that cover, conceal, illuminate and much more.

I came across Smashbox Photo Finish Bronzing Primer purely by chance. I was aware of its existence and more than aware of its supposed effectiveness, thanks to numerous friends and associates who claimed it was the best thing to hit their makeup collections in years. With my sensitive skin, though, I've always been hesitant to add anything completely new to my regimen, and it takes a bit of convincing to get me there. Primers, in particular, have always scared me off a bit because of the silicone content (which is included in most – but not all – primers).

Before summer, though, I decided to shop around for a bronze luminizer to add to my foundation; in essence, I was searching for a product that would warm up my regular foundation shade slightly to match the inevitably deeper shade my skin would turn as summer wore on. I usually don't get dark enough to warrant purchasing a new foundation altogether; that seems a useless purchase as I wouldn't use it for long.

A sales associate recommended I try the Smashbox primer on a whim. As she told me about it, I grew more and more interested – the color sounded like just what I needed, and it presented me with additional benefits like increasing my foundation's longevity; leaving my skin soft; reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines; and softening my skin with a cocktail of green tea, grape seed extract, antioxidants and vitamins A and E. Despite my misgivings about using primer, I decided to give it a shot.

Using it couldn't be easier. Smashbox says it can be used all over the face prior to applying foundation or alone for a sun-kissed glow. Instead, I choose to mix it with my foundation to essentially create a "new" shade of foundation that is just about one step darker.

I simply pour a bit of my everyday foundation onto the back of my hand, squeeze a small dollop of the primer into the mix and blend with my finger. Then I apply the mixture with a foundation brush.

In addition to the great color match, I'm thrilled with how smooth and soft my skin feels – a common effect of wearing a primer, I know, but one I was impressed with anyway. It also made foundation application much easier. It blended right in and gave my skin a radiant, natural look. I also love the pump applicator, a complete clean, no-fuss system that I wish more companies would use for their products.

Purchasing this product was definitely a bit of a gamble for me. At $38 for a one ounce pump bottle, it's certainly not cheap. However, it has paid for itself already since I've essentially used it nearly every day for three months. It has not caused me to break out at all (something I was pretty confident would happen!), and I've barely made a dent in the product itself. I fully expect this will last me quite a while.

If you're hesitant like I was, request a sample at Sephora – most of the time, they're more than willing to package a small amount for you to take home and try. There's also a small travel size available for $17, but the larger size ends up being a better by. I don't expect I'll need another bottle anytime soon, but when I do I'll definitely repurchase.

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