If you've read a beauty magazine lately, you've probably seen some of the recent uproar about primers. Primers have been around for years, but until recently, it was hard to find a formula that felt smooth and light on the skin and didn't turn you a sickly shade of yellow. Also recently, there has been more buzz about the perks of using a separate eye primer formulated just for your lids in addition to a foundation primer.
For those of you not yet sold on the benefits of using a primer before foundation, let me tell you, it's a worthwhile investment. A good primer should (1) perfect your skintone; (2) minimize visible pores and lines; and (3) help your foundation glide on smoothly so you end up using less product. Your skin should feel smooth and silky after you apply it, and it should NEVER feel sticky or like you have layers of goop on your face. It's one of those things that you decide to try one day and then wonder how you ever lived without it.
Smashbox
Now, most beauty insiders go straight to Smashbox Photo Finish, and I can't blame them. It's a solid primer and it's available in several shades from colorless (which is my personal preference) to skintone-correcting shades like green to minimize redness and lavender to minimize yellow tones. My only real gripe with Smashbox primer besides my hankering to try something new is the price: it's $36 for one ounce, and with the economy being what it is, I went in search of a budget foundation primer to substitute for my old standby. And I figured while I was at it, I may as well try to find a good eye primer too.
Arbonne
First up, I tried Arbonne's liquid primer. My soon-to-be sister-in-law is a rep for Arbonne and kindly sent me a sample. Arbonne is an organic vegan Swiss skincare line available online and through reps. The primer was a nice smoothing liquid, and it smelled clean and fresh (always a plus). I liked the texture a bit better than the Photo Finish overall, although I found that the products are actually very similar in that they do all the things a primer should do: smooth the skin, minimize pores, and make the foundation look flawless. My only complaint is that like the Smashbox primer, Arbonne's primer costs $36. But considering it's made with good-for-you organic ingredients, it's a great find. And for those who are looking for a good organic and/or vegan beauty line, Arbonne is a wonderful option.
Laura Mercier
Next, I tried Laura Mercier's Mineral Primer. This is supposed to be a liquid-to-powder finish. It felt good going on, but I found that it dried too quickly as I was trying to spread it on. Because of this, it made my makeup look uneven and spotty (quite the opposite of what a primer is supposed to do). At first, I thought maybe this was a user-error and I needed to be faster on the draw in applying it. So I tried it again the next day, and though I had some improvement with speed, it still gave a really uneven look to my foundation. Both times I has to wipe it off and start fresh with a different primer. I think that this one is a big disappointment. I shouldn't have to race against the clock to get my primer on and blended before it dries into a cakey mess. And even though it's a good price at $30 for a 1.7 ounce tube, I would never buy this product.
L'oreal
On to the drug store find: L'oreal's new and much hyped Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base. I got sucked into the commercial and since I was in the market for an affordable primer, I immediately ordered it on drugstore.com. Other beauty-addicts must be on a similar quest for affordable smooth skin because it was on back-order, but it was restocked and shipped to my door within a few days. It comes in a little pot and is a bit thicker than the liquid primers I'm used to. But the formula is still airy and light when you apply it and gives the silky smooth finish I'm looking for. It also has a slightly iridescent pink glow to it that gives the skin a nice healthy look. Overall, I like it. But the problem is that because it's not a liquid or anything close to a liquid, it doesn't spread as easily and I ended up using for product to get full-face coverage. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem except that the jar is only half an ounce at $13, so I'd need two to equal the size of my Photo Finish, and I have a feeling that because the formula requires that I use more product, I would go through 2 and 1/2 to 3 jars in the same time as a bottle of Photo Finish, so it might not be a real money-saver after all. It's a shame because it really is a great over-the-counter product. This just goes to show you that you have to check out the prices per ounce when trying to save at the drug store. Sometimes you can find a great deal, and other times, the price per ounce is really the same or even more than the department store equivalent.
Korres
Next, I tried a Korres silicone-free face primer I got as a sample in my Sephora order. At last, we have an affordable winner! This 99% natural primer loaded with good-for-your-skin antioxidants. It is very much comparable to the Smashbox and Arbonne, only it weighs in at $28 per ounce, saving me a bit of cash. Other than the savings, I also prefer this primer to Photo Finish because it's in a tube rather than a pump, which I find allows me to get every last bit of product easier. I've spent many a day trying to scrape the last of my foundation, primer, or whatever out of the bottle with a q-tip, so a squeezable tube is a welcome alternative package.
Hourglass
Finally, I tried Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, another Sephora sample. This one has a few additional features to the standard primers: it has SPF 15 and it's designed to absorb excess oils. Now, all the other primers will smooth shine on the skin and make it feel a little less oily. But this is the first primer I've tried that actually seems to suck up all the excess oil on my summer combination skin. I'm impressed! Bonus feature: I also found that my foundation stayed on better than ever with this primer, even after being in the hot July sun all day. The SPF is not a big deal to me since both my moisturizer and my foundation have SPF 15 and SPF is not layerable (so SPF 15 plus SPF 15 does not equal 30; you only get the SPF benefit of the highest level SPF product you have on). But the oil absorption is something to think about. I was sold until I looked at the price. $52 for one ounce? Yikes! I'm tempted because of the staying power and the oil-control, but I think that's just because it's summertime. In the winter, when my skin is dryer and I'm not glistening in the hot sun, those features would not be worth the extra cost to me. I may rationalize this purchase as a summer primer and use the Korres during the other 9 months out of the year. Damn you Sephora sampling program, you've done it again!
(check back soon for Prime Time Part Deux: Eye Primers)
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