Smashbox Halo HD Foundation; Review & Swatches of Shades

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation SPF 15

Price: $42 per ounce

CRUELTY FREE!!!

Smashbox Halo HD Foundation is another liquid foundation that's riding the "high definition" trend of cosmetic companies. The thought behind the HD concept is that if you use small enough pigments you can create a "soft focus" effect which will help to diffuse the look of flaws with minimal product.

Some companies manage to make this concept a workable one and some don't. 

Keep Reading to see where Smashbox falls!

Smashbox says that Liquid Halo HD Foundation is "the first ever foundation with liquid light technology and completely evens out skin for a totally natural, luminous finish." They also liken the technology to "gel-covered pigments that mimic photo filters and blur imperfections." 

I wouldn't necessarily say that Liquid Halo is the "first ever" foundation of it's kind, but it does do everything else that it says pretty well. The "gel-covered pigment" description is referring to the silicones which are used to encompass the pigments and they absolutely do create a slight blurring effect (which is why they're used in so many foundations.)

The finish of Liquid Halo HD isn't what I would consider "luminous". It's certainly not a matte finish foundation but luminous may imply "wet" or "dewy" and the finish is much more natural than dewy so it will appeal to a wider range of skin types.

Coverage is on the lighter side of medium so the idea of one shade catering to multiple undertones is certainly reasonable. You can build Liquid Halo up a bit but if you need full or even a fuller medium coverage level, it probably won't be enough coverage for you.

Because of the almost powdery finish, you will get a bit more wear than similar formulas. It's not a true long-wearing foundation like Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation so if you have oily skin you may want to consider that instead.

If you have exceptionally dry skin, you may want to use a hydrating primer (like the one from Smashbox) and if you have somewhat oily skin a silicone/oil absorbing primer may help extend the wear of Halo HD even further

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation
Swatches of Shades
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10

Halo HD Foundation is dispensed from a pump and housed in a glass bottle. It contains active sunscreen ingredients that will protect against both UVA and UVB rays, however you probably will want to layer another form of sunscreen under or over Liquid Halo if you don't apply foundation liberally.

The ten available shades will work for those with fair to deep skin. Those with extreme porcelain skin will probably find shade #1 to be a tad too dark but it is lighter than the lightest shade in many foundations. All the shades are relatively neutral and again, because of the light coverage, they should be workable for most people.

Smashbox really did do a fantastic job with Liquid Halo HD Foundation. It's not a foundation for everyone (no foundation is), but it is a fabulously formulated foundation that will work for the vast majority of skin types and is perfect for everyday, year round coverage!

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation

Swatches of Shades

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation

Swatches of Shades

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10