If you were even vaguely into beauty in the mid-2010s, there’s a strong chance Becca Champagne Pop played a supporting role in your life. It lived in makeup bags, on bathroom vanities, and — most importantly — on cheekbones at birthdays, weddings, festivals and first dates. Champagne Pop wasn’t just a highlighter; it was a cultural moment. A shorthand for I’ve made an effort without trying too hard — the kind of glow that paired perfectly with a sparkly NYE frock.
So when Becca Cosmetics quietly closed its doors in 2021, it genuinely felt like the end of an era. The glow era, to be exact. Beauty lovers mourned collectively as cult favourites disappeared from shelves, and hoarders smugly guarded their last cracked compacts like precious heirlooms. The lights, quite literally, went out.
Fast-forward to now (old news, yes. But, a perfectly timed rediscovery given that December 31 beckons), and consider this your festive plot twist.
Just when we’d accepted that some icons are destined to live only in our memories (and old Instagram selfies), Becca Champagne Pop — along with the brand’s Under Eye Brightening Corrector — has found its way back into our makeup bags thanks to Smashbox. And not in a “reformulated, kind-of-similar” way either. These are the same beloved formulas that once defined an entire aesthetic, simply reborn for a new chapter — just in time for party season.
It makes sense, really. Smashbox has always been a makeup-artist brand at heart — practical, polished, performance-driven. Becca, meanwhile, was all about glow that looked like good skin on its best day. Together, it’s a reunion that feels less like a marketing exercise and more like a respectful preservation of beauty history. Think less novelty ornament, more heirloom bauble you bring out every December.
Let’s start with the obvious star. The Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop still does exactly what you remember it doing. The texture sits somewhere between powder and cream, melting into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. There’s no chunky glitter, no disco-ball effect — just light, bounced back softly and flattering from every angle. It’s the kind of glow that works just as well for a long lunch as it does under Christmas party lighting, when candles, fairy lights and prosecco are all doing their thing.
What’s striking, revisiting it now, is how wearable it feels in an era obsessed with “natural” makeup. Long before “skin-like” became a buzzword, Champagne Pop nailed the balance between radiance and restraint. You can sweep it on lightly for a lit-from-within look, or build it up when the festive calendar calls for something a little more celebratory.
Then there’s the Under Eye Brightening Corrector — the unsung hero that makeup artists have quietly sworn by for years. It doesn’t promise miracles, but it does something arguably better: it makes you look like you’ve had eight hours of sleep, even if you’ve been up wrapping presents or staying out too late at end-of-year catch-ups. The peachy-toned, light-reflecting cream neutralises darkness without heaviness, sitting comfortably under concealer without creasing or caking.
There’s also something comforting about this revival arriving as we head into the most nostalgic time of year. Christmas has a way of making us reflective — especially when it comes to beauty routines tied to memories. Maybe Champagne Pop reminds you of your first “proper” makeup purchase, or the glow you wore to a long-forgotten holiday party. Either way, it still holds up.
This isn’t about chasing trends or pretending it’s still 2015. It’s about recognising that some products become classics for a reason. They work. They flatter. And, they make you feel a little more radiant when the occasion calls for it.
So yes, Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop brings a NYE icon back. Not louder, not flashier — just as luminous as ever. And heading into a season built on sparkle, that feels like exactly the right kind of glow