Is Smashbox Always On Skin Balancing Foundation worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 72%.

What is Smashbox Always On Skin Balancing Foundation's Guru Score?

Smashbox Always On Skin Balancing Foundation holds a Guru Score of 72%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.

Smashbox

Always On Skin Balancing Foundation.

Foundation

About this product

Smashbox Always On Skin Balancing Foundation is a foundation available in a range of shades including olive undertones, designed to even and balance skin tone.

Guru Score

72%

Mixed

3 experts · Moderate agreement

3Gurus

2Approved

0Mixed

1Skip

What they liked

Lightweight formula with surprising coverage
Stays put without settling into wrinkles
Adapts to different skin types

What they flagged

Shade range too limited

What the gurus are saying

Reviewers split on how well the shade matching works, particularly in olive undertones. Some found the olive option didn't align with their complex undertones as closely as competing foundations, despite the helpful range of shades available. Others, however, are drawn to how hydrating this foundation feels, particularly when applied with a damp beauty sponge, which brings out that extra moisture for the skin.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take March 2025

Type

Foundation

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

Opens a search for this product. We do not sell anything ourselves.

How it works Independent by design. Every take comes from a creator we have no relationship with. We do not ask anyone to review, and affiliate links never move a score.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved takes Critical takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Alexandra Anele

1.44M subs

~Approved

"I was obsessed with this. It was the only foundation I was wearing for such a long time. It really stays put but it provides that beautiful blur to the skin. This is the skin balancing foundation with hyaluronic acid and adaptogens. It is really soft, really smoothing. It's meant to really melt into the skin and mimic skin. It's supposed to work with your skin type. So if you are dry it's supposed to balance that by adding moisture, and if you're oily it's supposed to balance that by not absorbing the moisture. It's supposed to adapt to your skin type. My experience with this foundation has been nothing but positive every single time I've used it. Just wish the shade range was better."

All 8 takes from Alexandra Anele

I'm here to teach you how I make my makeup look like skinnn

"I'm going to use the Smashbox Always On Skin Balancing Foundation because I have been liking this. [...] I personally love to use a damp beauty sponge to apply my foundation. I just think that that extra hydration it just does something for the skin."

I'm here to show you how to get a flawless base over sunscreen bro

"The Smashbox Always On, I'm obsessed, obsessed. I love it so much, it's so good, especially if you get oily anywhere throughout the day. It's so good, it's like the only one that prevents it. [...] In my experience, SPF really creates a really really nice grip to the skin, like if you have a little bit of that tacky feeling after you apply your SPF."

Y'all asked for my current favesss

"Still continuously loving the Smashbox Always On. I'm holding two because I mix these two colors, mostly this one and then this one. Usually I go in with F10 O and then F30 N, but honestly I have F20 W and sometimes I throw that in there too, so it's just how I'm feeling, how yellow am I feeling today. Still the foundation that I've been obsessed with and I'm wearing, and that hasn't changed. [...] I've been super happy with my skin, it's fantastic. I'm not going to change that anytime soon. [...] That is still my foundational choice."

Recreating AI Yearbook photos

"I have three shades of Smashbox Always On Foundation [...] and I just don't know what to mix to get my perfect shade, so I'm just going to do a combination of a couple of them."

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If y’all need a go to makeup look THIS is the one. Just sayin.

"I've just absolutely been loving the Smashbox Always On Foundation. It just wears so beautifully and it works with my skin so nicely. I've been recommending it to a lot of people. If you've been interested I would check it out and see if they have your skin tone. I've been mixing a couple of shades and they have some nice olive tones."

Y'all guess what we're doing todayy

"I'm going to use a teeny bit of my Foundation, which is Smashbox Always On."

The products I recommend in REAL LIFE

"The Smashbox Always On Foundation, the formula itself is pretty thin feeling, very comfy, very lightweight, but it also provides a lot of coverage, like a surprising amount of coverage, but nothing about this feels heavy in any way. It's very lightweight and it just looks beautiful on everybody no matter what. No matter what state my skin is in, if it's too dry, if it's too oily, if I've [...] got some irritation, this just adapts to my skin no matter what. This has been the foundation that I've basically been recommending to everyone who asks me."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Skip

"I bought this in an olive shade, which is a good selling point for me since I have a difficult skin tone to match with some green and gray undertones. But comparing it side by side with another fair olive foundation, it's shocking how different they look, and I am absolutely confident the other one is a way better match for me. I'm still glad I bought the Smashbox to realize this doesn't work for me."