Product Description
What it is:A face-perfecting anti-aging powder and brush duo.What it does:Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder HALO is the first anti-aging powder with the science of skin care built in. It’s advanced formulation of pure gold, 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide deliver powerful anti-aging benefits while the patented hydration system continuously revitalizes skin and provides a hydrated look that won’t accentuate lines and wrinkles. The built-in shaver allows for the convenience of a pressed powder combined with the radiant finish of a loose one, and the super-sized brush deposits the perfect amount of powder every time. What else you need to know:The powder is made for all skin types and is free of oil, talc, and parabens. Includes a custom Travel Kabuki Brush for flawless application plus a sample of our award-winning Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Clinical studies show:- After 10 minutes there is a 33% decrease in the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes.- After 6 weeks of use, there is a 67% decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles overall.
Lisa N Texas @ 9:22 pm
I purchased this item three days ago and so far I really like it.
What I like is the foundation applies like a loose powder foundation but it travels like a solid. The powder is compressed and is placed under a circle shaped disc and the disc has lots of little blades which you twist to shave off as much product as you need (see product image). When you shave the compressed powder it of course turns into loose powder.
I tend to have acne breakouts on my chin and jawbone area so it’s too soon to tell whether or not this product will cause me to breakout.
This product is not a mineral powder which is popular right now and I find it to be more moisturizing than mineral powder foundations. Prior to switching to Smashbox’s HALO I have been using a combination of Bare Escentuals (BE) and Philosophy The Super Natural foundation to help with acne breakout and because I like a lighter coverage than what liquid foundations provide. The Smashbox HALO foundation provides the lighter coverage I like but like BE you can build up the coverage which is something I had to be careful with because I managed to get it built up a bit heavy around my nose area where my skin tends to be a bit more oily.
The coverage has lasted me all day with a bit of wear off under the nose piece of my glasses. My skin tends to be more on the dry side though so if you have very oily skin I would recommend using a foundation primer designed to control oil since this powder does contain moisturizers. I am able to feel the moisturizers and I think this contributes a bit to the wear off under the nose piece of my glasses and build up around my nose.
Smashbox HALO is advertised that it will “refresh” your skin and the salesperson who sold me the product compared it to Prescriptive Magic Liquid Powder but it doesn’t compare. Prescriptive’s Magic Liquid Powder would leave behind almost a wet, cooling feeling when applied and the Smashbox HALO does not.
Smashbox HALO’s powder does not sit on top of your skin but rather looks like it absorbs into it , my husband commented that it looked far more natural on me then what I was previously wearing ( I was wearing Bare Escentual). The look of the powder is more natural, it is not meant to give a matte finish so again if you have oily skin expect to have shine so think of purchasing something which helps to absorb oil.
I’m in my early 30’s and do not have any wrinkles … yet so I can’t speak on how well this product works on camouflaging wrinkles and fine lines.
Another note about Smashbox HALO is it does not have any SPF in it so make sure your moisturizer does.
I use to carry in my purse Philosophy’s The Super Natural mineral foundation to refresh my powder during the day because it had SPF 15 and it was travel friendly.
The color of Smashbox HALO powder turned out to match me better than Bare Escentual (BE) Fairly Light did. Where BE’s color Light was too pink for me the Fairly Light had the yellow undertone I needed but it was a bit too light so I warmed it up with the Tinted Mineral Veil.
To help you out if you are trying to find a good color to match your skin tone I found Smashbox HALO’s color Light to be a great match. I have a yellow undertone to my skin but my skin tone is fairly light. I have natural very dark black/brown hair with dark brown eyes and my skin color has yellow under tones.
My best friend is blond with hazel eyes and has a very light skin tone with some redness but not pinkish undertones and she ended up using the Fair. I think she may have more bluish undertones but any pink undertone makeup just stands out on her like sore thumb.
Speaking of redness, the Smashbox HALO foundation worked very well in covering up her redness. I myself have some blemishes which need cover up and by a foundation brush instead of the kabuki brush I was able to apply the powder a bit stronger in areas I need more coverage and still keep it natural looking.
Smashbox HALO comes with its own travel size kabuki brush which I don’t care for. It’s not that soft but if you compare it to the kabuki brush Bare Escentual’s provides then it feels like cashmere.
The price is a bit high but almost all Smashbox products are pretty expensive. I compared using it to using my Bare Escentuals which costs about $44.00 (Mineral Veil plus the powder foundation) to $64.00 (if you use an all over face color such as Warmth) and for $59.00 dollars I’m actually paying less in the long run.
I’ve also managed to cut my beauty routine down switching to Smashbox HALO. It’s a one step application compared to Bare Escentuals were I would have to first apply the face color, second apply Warmth and then last apply Mineral Veil. OR if I did it Bare Escentuals instructs then I should have been , first applying the Bare Escentuals primer , second applying the face color …. you get the picture.
So all and all I’m happy with this foundation. If I had to give a break down of the good and bad it would go in this order.
Good:
1. Good coverage
2. Moisturizing
3. Portability
Bad
1. Limited color selection
2. Women with oily skin will need to use an oil absorbing primer
3. No SPF
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So a little more than a month later and here are my thoughts….
I’m still using HALO and I still love this foundation. My biggest concern about the powder is how will my hormonal acne react to this? Well a month later and I do not feel that this powder has contributed to any acne flair up.
If any suggestion could be made to Smashbox it would be please add SPF to this product. For now I am grateful that at least my moisturizer has SPF 30.
Zuberdeen @ 10:14 pm
This is a fantastic new powder that acts more like a foundation. I can’t stand liquid foundation — it feels heavy & tends to make me break out. I have always preferred a light powder, like Bare Minerals, but now that I am 41 and my skin is just starting to show those tiny lines, I felt like the powder was not making my skin look its best. Enter HALO, a powder that is light in texture but has very good coverage.
HALO has genius packaging, with a circular “shaver” that shaves off only as much product as you need. It is moisturizing without being heavy or cakey. It has definitely smoothed out those tiny lines near my eyes, and makes my complexion look even and “glowy.”
Sounds good, so why the 4 stars? I removed one star for two reasons:
1. The brush that is included is a bit harsh, which is unusual for Smashbox as their brushes are typically of very high quality. I would suggest using Smashbox brush #19, which is expensive but worth it. Any kabuki that you like would work too.
2. Lack of color choice is a problem, as there are only 4 possibilities. I am somewhere between the light and the medium, which is weird because I should be closer to the fair/light. I think the colors run a bit light, so best advice is to try it out at Sephora before buying if you can.
Despite these two issues, I think that HALO is wonderful stuff. On just the 5th day that I used it, my husband and I went out to dinner, and he commented that I looked “radiant.” Now, he is the strong, silent type and not given to flowery compliments, so I was floored! And I was sold; I will definitely re-purchase HALO. Makes your skin look gorgeous, what else can I say?
S. J. House @ 12:27 am
I love, love, love this powder. I work with makeup, so I was very excited when a new product was about to come out. I used it a few weeks so that I could review properly, and it’s everything that I hoped it would be and more. I still use my foundation primer since I believe that every woman in the world should be using one despite skin type, and it lasts me all day and into the night. The cover is great, and the best part is that it is so natural. I was trained on the Halo powder as well as use it, here’s that I learned:
Halo is a hydrating foundation great for any skin type. If you are dry or oily, both are related to not having enough moisture in your skin. Oilyness is not because there is too much moisture! It’s because there isn’t enough and your skin is trying the make up for this. This is a great option for anyone who wants to keep their skin in tip top shape.
It contains vitmains A, C, and E and doesn’t include Talc or Parabens. This means that is has all the good vitamin that you are going to want in a foundation and none o that icky chemicalized color that makes people’s skin feel irritated and break out.
When I’ve used Bare Escentuals on one side of the face and then used Halo on the other side, people said that they not only see a difference, but feel a difference. I would say that 90% of the people I use both products on prefer Halo over B.E. It’s more natural looking, with a smoother finish and a feel that is smooth and won’t rub off on clothes unless you wipe your face on someone’s coat.
The colors are amazing because each color out of the four reacts to your skin’s natural balances to create your perfect color, again, creating that flawless look because you are perfectly matched despite the vast array of skin tones.
The other thing that is so great abou this is the revolutionary container. Just a small twist and you are able to get the perfect amount of powder for you face. I turn mine not even half an inch at a time so that I can make sure that I’m not getting too much. This makes it last so much longer. It’s a wonderful thing to be able control how much I am going to be using at a time.
I don’t really like the brush that comes with the Halo. I prefer the Urban Decay brushes or the large Smashbox Kubuki brush, but I loved that it came with a little sample primer (even though I’m already hooked on Smashbox primer). I would recommend this to anyone. It’s an amazing product that, when factoring the benefits to your skin, how little is wated, how long the product lasts, and the ease at which you can travel, is totally worth every penny!
GlamourGal @ 1:15 am
I’m another one of those “been there, tried them all” types when it comes to cosmetics. I work in cosmetic & plastic surgery, and my cosmetic and skin appearance and presentation have to be perfect. My patients (and co-workers, as I work in a very large hospital cosmetic surgery center) put me under a magnifying glass and always ask “what (surgery) have you had done?” and “what make-up do you like best?”.
This powder beats every other foundation and powder I’ve ever tried, including the very high end cosmetic lines. It’s worth every penny and I won’t go a day without it. I have very dry skin and I’m 48, and it’s been impossible to find a powder that can stand up through a long day on the job, and a night on the town! Although I have dry skin, I do not like the feel of liquid make-up on my face and I prefer powder.
I have been complimented EVERY day since I started wearing it. People keep telling me I look wonderful, and I feel wonderful too! You will not even feel this powder on your skin. You feel fresh-faced and clean all day. I honestly feel that it takes years off my appearance and gives me a very healthy and NATURAL look, unlike the prism-effect you can have with some of the mineral foundations that scream “I’m a mineral!” when you see someone wearing them.
I agree 100% that primer is essential. I love the Smashbox Photo Finish (Adjust) green color correction primer under the Halo Hydrating powder. I am very fair skinned with redness in my cheeks. The green correction primer evens out my skin tone and the powder gives me a flawless finish. I bought the Halo Hydrating Powder in both the light and the medium colors, and both look great. Sometimes I mix equal amounts of the two (which is easy to do with the twist/dispense top).
I am very comfortable and confident in recommending this product to my family, friends, and to our patients. This perfecting powder is PERFECT!
LiLi @ 2:18 am
first i though this product is quite a bit expensive. I gave it a try because you can return if not satisfied. But after the firs usage, I think it worth every penny I spent on it; It is very light , not “caky”
and it does make me look younger too. Make my skin so smooth
I love it; It came in a big container too; i think this will last a long time since you will need just a bit on daily.