Brand Story

We live for lipstick. Get excited about primers. But most of all, we love sharing our makeup secrets with you. Why? Because we are a beauty brand born out of a real photo studio—the legendary Smashbox Studios in L.A.—and creating gorgeous looks is what we do here. It’s all about being your most kickass beautiful self at Smashbox.

Smashbox

noun /smaSH-bäks/

1: slang for a box-style camera introduced in the early 1900s as an affordable way to capture everyday life in what were coined ‘snapshots’—these box styles remain one of the most iconic cameras ever made

2: iconic photo studio and cosmetics brand known for empowering women everywhere to be their most kickass beautiful selves

Davis Factor in facts

Founder & Photographer

Early Ambition:

“When I was 6, I took my dad’s camera and posed him and my mom in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. That’s the moment I knew I wanted to be a photographer.”
Camera, Aside:

“If I wasn’t taking photos of rock stars, I would want to be one.”
The best thing about being behind the lens?:

“Seeing my vision come to life right in front of me, whether it’s a Smashbox campaign or a short film.”
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT SMASHBOX?:

“The spirit of the studio—creativity, community and collaboration—is in everything we do as a brand.”
Seeing red:

“There’s something about the perfect red lipstick. It’s classic. It’s sexy. I love our Legendary red because it really pops in a picture.”

LORI TAYLOR-DAVIS in Facts

global pro lead artist

She got into beauty because of her grandmother: “She was a complete beauty junkie—had wigs, lashes, everything. I used to play with her vanity instead of dolls.”
Leading artistry at fashion shows from L.A. to Europe has led to some, er, wild adventures: “Once they asked me to put lipstick on a llama. A live llama! I was like, ‘Are you serious?!’”
She actually wouldn’t mind being a cocktail waitress. Her drink of choice? A dirty martini with 3 blue cheese-filled olives.
Her favorite part of L.A. is downtown: “It’s almost a hidden treasure, super chic, very urban and smart.”
She can’t stand it when people say beauty is superficial: “Makeup has a healing element. There’s something about making people feel great that’s more emotional than material.”

1990

Smashbox Studios is founded by Dean and Davis Factor, great grandsons of Hollywood makeup legend Max Factor. Visionary photographers start shooting iconic pictures for major magazines, fashion campaigns and record labels from day one.

1995

Davis, a renowned photographer, hosts the first-ever Photo Assistants Show to spotlight new talent, turning Smashbox into a cultural epicenter and a modern-day image factory. The show is an annual industry event to this day.

1996

Smashbox Cosmetics launches. “All of our products carry out of the photo studio and into reality,” says Davis. “Because we know if it works in the tough studio environment, it will work in the real world.

2000

Our signature product, Photo Finish Foundation Primer, launches. The now-legendary formula was created to minimize touch-ups during a photo shoot, make makeup last longer and look better. It’s still our bestseller!

2003

L.A. Fashion Week debuts at Smashbox Studios and over the years, showcases designers like Jenni Kayne and Jeremy Scott. Anna Wintour, Cameron Diaz and other stars dominate the front rows.

2007

Our first transformer product, O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color, launches and garners innovation breakthrough awards from Sephora and Allure.

2011

We spot the BB Cream trend onset and act quickly. Pros were obsessed with its multi-tasking benefits, so we launched our own version—Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream—the first in a range of shades.

2013

International kicks off an ambitious expansion in markets such as U.K., Germany, Russia, Brazil and the Middle East.

2014

We win our first Clio Award with a digital billboard for the “Love Me” collection on Hollywood Boulevard. The sign stops traffic during Oscar week. Fans built their own billboards on Facebook, which were projected on the huge digital sign—putting our fans in the spotlight.

2015

On its 25th anniversary, Smashbox Studios reopens after a major facelift and celebrities, artists and legendary photographers return to the cool, creative space to shoot iconic images.

2016

You inspired us to think big—so we did! We expanded our Be Legendary Lipstick collection to 120 epic shades that swipe on brilliant color. Each was created and tested in our L.A. studio to stay put in photos and last throughout an all-day shoot.