Review:Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder

What it is: Skin-perfecting powder. A multi-tasking makeup that provides sheer coverage as it delivers anti-aging benefits. More than just makeup, the potent powder is an active skin treatment that fights signs of aging below the surface. Packed with goji berries and pure gold to provide antioxidant protection, the formula contains 48 bio-available minerals, 11 amino acids, a powerful peptide and Smashbox's patented hydrogel technology for sustained release of moisture.




The first thing I really want to stress is that before you use this powder, it's "imperative that you prep your skin" first properly. Many factors can affect the way foundation will end up looking and by not prepping the skin first happens to be one of them. I'm speaking from experience here. I did not prep my skin the first time I applied this powder and it ended up cakey and chalky looking. It even seemed to age my face, which by the way I don't need any help with, thank you.

I figured I must have done something wrong so I decided to exfoliate my skin first, then moisturized and then primed it. Priming the skin creates a barrier between your skincare and makeup. It also evens out skin and fills in those annoying fine lines. It's a must have for super dry skin because it will help your makeup look natural and not cakey. I have oily skin and using a primer works great for me.

I did not care for the kabuki brush that came with this so I used my own. The shade I used was Dark and even though it is not a "perfect" match, it was close enough. I lightly applied the powder to my brush and buffed it onto my skin. Wow! What a difference in how my skin looked! It felt great and looked amazing!! My first time applying this, my skin had a really tight feeling to it which really felt uncomfortable. But after I properly prepped my skin, I did not experience any kind of tautness. Just a smooth flawless finish. The next time I tried it, which happened to be the next day, I did the same skin prepping but this time I applied it over my liquid foundation. Instead of using a kabuki brush I used a powder brush and with a light hand, gently dusted it all over. I did not want to end up looking cakey so I went easy with it. I have to say I love the results I get using both applications.

Now I know it's supposed to hydrate the skin and I am sure with prolonged use it will. However, it does say "sustained release of moisture" and that to me means "slowly" over an extended period of time. I haven't been using this long enough to experience any hydration but like I said it may take time.

Packaging is amazing and mess free! It comes in a spill-proof mirrored compact and as you can see in the pic below, it has a built-in "shaver". Just a single twist of the shaver and it releases the perfect amount of powder each time. Another great plus to Halo, it's oil-free, talc-free and Paraben-free.