Smashbox’s Photo Finish Extension Nourishing Lash Primer Review

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I’ve always been one to keep things basic in my eye makeup routine, which is why I rely so heavily on mascara to make a difference. And while I have certainly found some mascaras I’ve sworn by, they all seem to fail the same way by the end of the day—falling and flaking. Major buzzkill.

So when Smashbox launched its Photo Finish Extension Nourishing Lash Primer that promises to sculpt, stretch, and condition lashes, I had to get my hands on it to see if it could give my eyelashes a lift and my favorite mascaras a second chance.

Ulta.

Smashbox Photo Finish Extension Nourishing Lash Primer

Other eyelash primers have worked well for me, namely, Lancôme’s Mini Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Primer, which I used for years. Smashbox’s primer is a few bucks cheaper which made my pockets sing—if we can get the same results (if not better) for less, why not give it a go?

I started curling my eyelashes with my trusty eyelash curler, starting at the tip and working my way down to the lash line. Once curled, I applied the Smashbox primer from root to tip, making sure to fan out my eyelashes the way I would want them to hold. I gave it a minute or two to dry, leaving it just tacky enough to then soak up my favorite mascara as a next step.

Image: Karalyn Hoover.

My go-to right now is Tower28’s MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara, but I’ve been throwing Florence by Mills’ Up A Notch Volumizing Mascara into the mix for a change. I applied the mascara normally and curled the lashes once more at the lash line to hopefully lock them in place, with the real expectation that my lashes would fall after an hour or so and flake throughout the day.

To my surprise, my eyelashes looked just as good after hours of wear time as they did when I first applied mascara; they were more voluminous than normal and held a curl much longer than I could have ever anticipated. Plus, the primer ensured the mascara wouldn’t smudge or clump, so I had not a single flake on my cheek after the entire day.

Safe to say, I’m absolutely obsessed and have every intention of using this primer to the last drop. Smashbox—you’ve outdone yourselves. If you’re like me and constantly feel like your mascara never seems to last, you’ll certainly see a difference if you incorporate this primer into your routine. It’s so good, I’m not sure how long this tube will last, so make sure you add Smashbox’s Photo Finish Extension Nourishing Lash Primer to your cart ASAP.