A while back I started a little review project called Pick Up Sticks, which I thought to be a very clever name, as the products involved were (1) in stick form, (2) pick-me-ups for your face, and (3) things you should pick up immediately at the store.

Smart, eh?

After reviewing DuWop Sub Surface and Tarte Rest Assured, it's time to get the ball rolling again. Next up: Smashbox Filter with Dermaxyl Complex. This newbie from Smashbox is a "clicky pen" filled with the oft-venerated Photo Finish Primer, plus the company's new treatment ingredient, Dermaxyl, which promises to minimize the appearance of fine lines.

At first I thought that this would be a very fun and handy product to keep in one's purse. Precise application, no mess, etc. Then, as I stood there testing it out at Sephora, I lapsed into somewhat of a philosophical, Socratic mood:

If the product in this tube is a primer, designed to go underneath foundation and other makeup, why would one need to carry it around in one's purse, necessitating the portable format?

Why would it need a mechanism for targeted application, again, if it goes on one's whole face and goes on first? The click-pen would not be convenient if one needed to apply a smooth layer evenly across the face.

Why do we automatically go gaga for anything from Smashbox that is remotely related to the original (and great) Photo Finish Primer?

What is our purpose on this earth? WHY ARE WE HERE??? (Just kidding on that one. But you see the point, I hope. I could not help but question the relevance of this product.)

I have no answers for these burning questions. But, I can tell you that unless you like to wear your Photo Finish alone with no makeup over it, there's no reason to have the Filter. Unless, of course, you just like the click-pen applicator, which I admit is kinda cool.

My recommendation? Pick up the newly formulated Photo Finish with Dermaxyl and UVA/UVB sunscreen (in the original packaging), or the original formula in the travel size tube. You'll save yourself a battle with the Great Questions of Life...and Spin-Off Cosmetic Items.