Smashbox Liquid Halo HD foundation & ELF small stippling brush review

Hi there! Sorry to have been gone so long. As you may or may not have known, I was gone to Pakistan/ Dubai for 3 weeks! I’m finally feeling adjusted to the jet lag/exhaustion. I went back to work the very next day after returning, so you can imagine how tired I was. I was also sick, and busy with 3 card orders!

Any how, having been preoccupied with trip preps for a month before leaving, I’ve accumulated so many new products to review for you!

Products for review piling up, posted on my instagram

Even more products still piling up, posted on my instagram

The first product I’ll be reviewing is the Smashbox Liquid Halo HD foundation, along with the Elf Studio small stippling brush I’ve been using to apply it.

The color that I am in love with is number 6. (I’m a MAC nc35 for reference). It has a strong yellow undertone and really brightens and warms up my face.

This lightweight foundation is on the runnier side and has light to medium coverage. What I love is that even with a heavier application, my face still looks and feels like skin. I really like the natural/dewy finish. (It’s not shiny and not powdery matte.)

To make it medium coverage I’ve been applying it with my Elf Studio stippling brush. When I’d spotted this $3 gem at Walmart, I picked it up in hopes that it might be a dupe for my favorite MAC 188 brush (which is a must-have for applying cream blush, explained in my post here). However this yielded too dense of an application which was perfect for applying this foundation. I definitely recommend this for applying any liquid foundation that’s on the runny side. (For thicker foundations I prefer a stiffer brush for placement because it’s easier to spread).

Being stippled on – you can see how much more yellow this is than my skin

I like to spray a squirt of the foundation on my brush, then blend into the skin with small circular motions. I’ve found this to give a really even almost airbrushed application.

While the foundation is formulated for normal skin types, it still doesn’t accentuate my oily t-zone. Setting it with a powder also helps in combating shine and gives maximum staying power. With MAC mineralized skinfinish on top, it really lasts throughout my work day. This has become part of my daily makeup routine. To complete the look I use milani baked blush and some mascara.

Products used in my everyday look

Tadaa! My everyday look

Thanks to good genes, my skin doesn’t give me many problems besides being on the shiny side. I have very few scars/blemishes to cover up, but this does cover my problem spots on my forehead. This foundations coverage is definitely on the lighter side, so it may not be for everyone.

But, if you are looking for a natural looking everyday foundation with light – medium coverage, I definitely recommend it. It has a beautiful finish that looks like skin, not makeup, and wears great throughout my 9 hour work day.

Have any of you used this foundation or brush? I’d love to know what you thought of it. What’s your favorite foundation?