Quest for the Perfect Primer

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May 6, 2011 in Hair & Beauty

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I have actually purchased or received samples of a whole slew of products recently, but primers are my main point of interest at the moment. My skin is very uneven, both on the surface and color-wise. It took me a long time to find a foundation that matched, and now that I have, my new mission is to make sure it is applied evenly and to ensure that it lasts throughout the day.

The past couple weeks, I've been primarily using Benefit's POREfessional. When I was searching for lip gloss at Macy's a little while ago, the guy at the Benefit counter gave me a deluxe sample of this stuff, and I have to say I'm impressed. My bareMinerals matte foundation adheres well to it, it lasts all day, and I don't get shiny. It is a little difficult to gauge the correct amount to use though, at first I was going a little heavy with it. When I was applying too much it worked fine, but it was definitely a waste since a smaller amount worked just as well. It is a silicon based product, which I know some people don't like, but I am acne prone, and this one didn't cause any breakouts. My only complaint is that I wish it did a better job of filling in uneven skin surfaces.

The Smashbox Photo Finish didn't keep the shine down as well as the POREfessional did. It seemed to perform as well as the the Benefit primer as a prep surface, but it wasn't smoothing, and after a few hours my foundation didn't look as good as it did for the same amount of time with the other. I would like to try the light formula and see how that performs, and it sounds as though it is better suited for my skin.

My third product, the Bare Essentials Prime Time was not good at keeping the shine down, but it was slightly better as a prep surface for their mineral makeup than the others. I didn't like the fact that as I got shiny, I could feel the makeup on my face. One of the reasons I like mineral foundation is because I can't feel it sitting on my skin, so this is a big deterrent for me. I also noticed that although it was easier to apply foundation over this primer, it didn't last as well over it, which was unexpected. The other two definitely looked much better at the end of the work day.

I still plan on trying the Too Faced Primed & Poreless, so I'll report on that later. =)

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Comments (12)

you will like the too faced... I'm always questing for good primers - my recommendation with the too faced is to just not too much - it doesnt need it - I wasnt a huge fan of benefit one either but I don't mind smashbox - my biggest complaint is that it doesnt last long enough throughout the night (they have other versions you should try - grab some minis from sephora instead of full sizes to sample) theres one with an anti aging ingredient in it (its pinkish) and it works quite well - keep me posted on your updates Report Spam Posted by sweetshorty at 8:42 PM on 05/06/11
I won't be that helpful since I don't use primers, but I have enjoyed Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel. It is supposed to be primer, foundation, and color corrector all in one. It is buildable, but I find that I still have to use concealer if I have a pimple. The biggest thing I don't like about it is that it is pricey! It is silicone based as well, but I haven't had problems with that. Report Spam Posted by elenalee at 9:13 AM on 05/07/11
Ok, I know this will sounds completely weird, but on The Pretty Life Anonymous (a blog I follow) they compared expensive products and a much less expensive item that worked as well/better. One of the items they reviewed was the Bare Essentials Prime Time. The cheaper item they paired with it for the comparison was Monistat's Chafing Relief Gel. I know...Weird and how in the world are they comparable, right? Apparently their ingredients lists are identical and, according to the girl who wrote the entry, the chafing gel works better as a primer than the prim time. I've never used prime time, but I decided that $7.00 wasn't too much to spend on the other gel to try it out. It actually worked pretty well. I haven't used it much, so I don't have much of a review yet, but you can see their original post here: http://prettylifeanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/04/real-steal.html Report Spam Posted by gregsgal at 9:25 AM on 05/07/11
:) Report Spam Posted by luv2kreate at 9:43 AM on 05/07/11
I've been using the Shiseido which also has sunscreen in it and I really like it for evening out skin tone, I'm not sure about texture because I gave up on mineral make-up being frustrated with how it got everywhere. The Benefit does sound good, though. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks. Report Spam Posted by lavabunny at 12:05 PM on 05/07/11
great topic I'm reading with interest. I've used both the bare escentials prime time and smashbox photo finish and of those two I like prime time better but I go very light on makeup in general and haven't noticed any shine or anything. Would like to try the Benefit product and the more expensive Smashbox product Report Spam Posted by kshoffman at 2:11 PM on 05/07/11
Thank you for the info maybe I should try it!!! : } Report Spam Posted by kelsjax at 4:25 PM on 05/07/11
I just recently began using primer. I use Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer. It's about $10 I think, so only need to use a little bit, and I don't have any problems with it so far. Report Spam Posted by sorapandora at 7:00 PM on 05/07/11
Thanks! I've been wondering about using a primer with my bareminerals. Report Spam Posted by alamode87 at 7:06 PM on 05/07/11
I use smashbox and I like it though I know its not for everyone. Thanks for these reviews good to know:) Report Spam Posted by naominh at 8:00 PM on 05/07/11
I've been eye-ing primers, too, so thanks for your reviews thus far. Report Spam Posted by agauthier79 at 7:00 PM on 05/08/11
I really like The Present from Philosophy. It's the only primer I've ever tried but I've never wanted to branch out and try others. It's amazing - keeps my skin matte, keeps my make-up on (I use Bare Minerals) and the lavender in it is supposed to be antibacterial. Report Spam Posted by x0xsharicex0x at 11:45 AM on 05/13/11