Review & Swatches: Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Legendary, Always Sharp Lip Liner in Ruby & Be Legendary Long Wear Lip Lacquer in Firecracker

Happy Chinese New Year!  I'm joining in with the festivities today and sharing three different bold red lip looks from Smashbox to celebrate the Year of the Goat.

Shockingly, the only product I've tried before from Smashbox was their Photo Finish Primer and I hated it, so I didn't take much notice of the brand until I saw a lot of positive reviews for their lip products recently.  I love a bright, bold lip for a special occasion so I was super excited to try out these three from Smashbox.

 Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Legendary* (3g, £16, link)

Legendary is described as a true red and whilst it looks like one in the bullet, it definitely leans more towards a bright pinky-red on my lips as you can see above.  The lipstick glides on incredibly smoothly and feels really comfortable with a nice moisturizing formula. Pigmentation is great - it's buildable for those wanting a more full on look and the finish is a richly glossy one.  I was surprised by the staying power too, it managed to continue looking good after eating a meal and drinking a glass (or two!) of wine, so it's a great all rounder.

Smashbox Always Sharp Lip Liner in Ruby* (0.27g, £15, link)

I always hear lip liner fans rave about Smashbox's Always Sharp Lip Liners and I have to join in with the hype - these are incredible!  Not only does it have a genius self sharpening mechanism in the lid (why don't all brands do this?!), but the formula of these lip liners are just fantastic.  They're very pigmented and give a matte finish but they don't feel drying on the lips at all.  The formula is a water-resistant one so it's very long lasting and will happily stay on all day and night without any fading until you want to take it off.  I have the shade Ruby which is a classic red with a bit of pink in it and I found that it works well when worn all over the lips as you can see above.  I love this shade, it's so flattering!

Smashbox Be Legendary Long Wear Lip Lacquer in Firecracker* (6ml, £19, link)

For a full on, highly pigmented pout, I tried one of Smashbox's Long Wear Lip Lacquers in the shade Firecracker.  Holy mama!  This is one vibrant colour that I'd describe as a sizzling hot orange-red. The pigmentation is insane but I was a little disappointed with the formula.  Despite being touted as long wearing, I thought this faded a lot quicker than its Be Legendary Lipstick counterpart and it does have a tendency to bleed and feather around the lips, so a strong lip liner is absolutely essential.  The shade is amazing but for a £19 product, I expected the formula to be much better.

Smashbox products are available from Boots.com, Smashbox.co.uk and Smashbox counters nationwide.

Have you tried any lip products from Smashbox?

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