Its All About the Blur with Stila

Recently I picked up the All About the Blur Primer from Stila. Back in the day I loved the Lingerie Soufflé Primer that Stila made. It came in a beautiful jar that made me want to keep it out all of the time just to look at it. And because it was out all the time, I used it more than anything else, because it was already there. It was a whipped formula with a pink tone. It evened the skin tone and provided a smooth canvas for the rest of the makeup to be applied.

Now if it was discontinued, you may ask why I am waxing poetical about it.

Don’t worry I didn’t get hit with the nostalgia stick. I am talking about it because the Stila All About the Blur really reminds me of that primer. It comes in a lovely tube that in it’s own way is aesthetically appealing as the jar. Personally I like the square ended rectanular plastic lid as it means I can store the product standing up. Plus there is just something I find appealing about the rectangle lid attached to the tube. Not sure why, but I like it.

It is practical too as it can be stored standing up and it is easier to tell how much product is in the tube. The only thing this primer doesn’t really have in common with the older version is the whipped texture. This is very much a cream that has not been whipped.

The primer is light weight, easy to apply and helps even my skin tone. It does help keep foundation from sinking into the corners of my eyes. It is okay at keeping the foundation from sinking into the lines beside my mouth. Part of that is that the lines by my eyes are affected when I squint, which I don’t tend to do a lot during the day. (it is also why I keep a pair of reading glasses within easy reach, thank you ThinOptics for always being there). I do tend to talk a lot during my day.

It is primarily movement throughout the day that will as products to sink into the lines by the side of my mouth. While this primer won’t conceal them completely, it does lessen the effect. And honestly the less I talk in a day the better it looks so it really is movement affecting it. The primer does it’s best.

Where it shines is in keeping the foundation from emphasizing the larger pores on the cheeks and nose. That is it’s strong suit and on the flat planes of the face it is a fantastic primer that really helps foundations look their best.

Which to be honest is fairly good. I would actually give this primer a nine out of ten. I would just like a slight bit more pore filling and then it would be full marks. As it is a nine is not bad. It is certainly better than average. I really enjoy this Stila Primer and will certainly be repurchasing it when this tube runs out. They have a stick formula of this as well, which I want to try out, but that is a post for another time.

Using the Pink Lipps Soft Matte Primer

I think we all know by this point that I love primers. And the balm style ones are a particular favorite formula of mine. I like the control that style gives actually. i can concentrate on placing the product where it needs to be and then blend it outwards so that it covers everything that needs to be covered.

I know this can be down with liquids, and I do enjoy many liquid primers, but I do find that this gives me a greater control. And so on to the Pink Lipps Soft matte Primer.

With the Pinklipps formula, control is actually very important. According to the brand website…

Pink Lipps Soft Matte Primer will keep your foundation looking fresh and pristine all day with this velvety mattifying primer. It glides on smoothly and helps disguise the look of pores and imperfections for a flawless makeup application.

It is a very soft formula. It is mattifying and it blurs out pores. On me it evens out my skin tone taking down the reddish tones and allowing me a more neutral and unified shade to my skin so that my makeup is even. I will even say that it does help extend the life of my makeup.

However, it is a bit more of a waxy feel than many of the balms I have tried before. I’m sure this does help it’s spread-ability as it is a formula that can be easily spread across the skin without needing to be warmed up. And when it is used in moderation it does blend out well and feels weightless.

The key is moderation. When I went in too heavy with this primer, it felt heavy and waxy. I also had issues with it feeling greasy throughout the day and as a consequence I had to reach for my compact more often. If I went in light, then i was fine. For me I used the back of my nail to scoop out a portion,. and then dotted it on the parts of my face I wanted to blur out the pores and then I blended it out. The few dots I had covered my entire face but given the way I aplied it special attention was paid to the areas where I wanted the product the most.

The trick is really moderation in application. If you don’t apply too much it is a nice light formula, albeit slightly waxy. If you apply too much, it is a waxy and greasy mess. I will probably use this product until it is gone because it is nice enough that I have no problems using it. And since I only use a little at each go it will take me a while to work through. However the waxiness isn’t y favorite thing. In addition i am testing this out in the winter when my skin is the driest, It’s tendency to become slightly greasy does not auger well for summer time use for me. While I will use it since it is here, I doubt very much that I will repurchase this Pink Lipps Soft Matte Primer.

A primer from AOA Studios

I am a big fan of balm style primers. They are actually my preferred version. Don’t get me wrong, I will use just about any style of primer, because I just love primers. And that is a love that just grows the older I get. If you have fine lines, primers can be your best friend.

I also love a good deal.

I periodically dip into the Shop Miss A website and pick out things to try. It is interesting. For those of you who have never been to the Shop Miss A site, it is an on-line dollar store. Most items are between $1 and $1.88. Some of the items are well worth the price and others I would give a pass. Oddly some of the things I have ordered from Shop Miss A I thought were not going to be good but when they arrived I was just amazed by. I was actually amazed by the quality of their makeup brushes for example.

AOA Studios is one of the brands featured on the site and I picked up this primer on my last order just to give it a try. It is about the size of a single eyeshadow. And to be honest, the product is about as deep as a single eyeshadow pan.

When I initially took the product out (I used the back of my nail to get it out) it was a little crumbly. With the heat of my hands it melted and became an easily spreadable consistency. It is white in the pan, but on the skin it goes invisible and there is no white cast remaining. It is listed as a blurring primer and it did really well filling in fine lines and blurring out pores. it actually worked better than I thought it would.

In fact I was very impressed by how well it worked. However, I did find I needed a little bit more primer than I might with another balm style primer, Like the Tatcha Silk Canvas. And there are no skin care benefits.

This AOA Studios Blurfection Primer was however only $1 as opposed to the $52 Tatcha Primer. So I wasn’t expecting the same skin care benefits.

Because you need a little bit more of this primer, it does not last long. I was worried about it potentially drying out in the shallow pan. The truth is that it isn’t a concern. I used this primer for one entire week and there is almost no product left in the pan. $1 for one week’s worth of a good primer isn’t that bad. I would definitely order this again. In fact I could see making this a travel staple. It is small enough to go into a travel makeup kit and as long as I wasn’t going to be gone more than a week, it would serve beautifully. I don’t know how long it would last in the pan on it’s own without drying out so I don’t think I would pick up a bunch of them to stock, but i could definitely see myself picking this AOA Studios Primer up before my next trip to take with me.

Using the Stila One Step Color Correcting Primer

You know I love primers. I think anyone who reads any of my posts regularly knows I love primers. They are a great way to even out skin tone so that the rest of your face products don’t have to work as hard. I have in fact had a good primer make a not so good foundation better. (It isn’t a miracle worker, but it can sometimes give a much needed lift.) I find primers can also help prevent some foundations from sinking into fine lines, which I appreciate more the older I get.

This primer’s specialty is in skin tone correcting and Brightening. It is the Stila One Step Correct Skin Tone Correcting and Brightening Primer. So what it does is really in the name. But just so we are all clear on what this primer is supposed to do…

Primes, color-corrects, brightens, and nourishes skin for a flawless face with no fus. Transparent, priming perfector creates a radiant canvas for your makeup. So it’s your skin, only brighter. Helps reduce imperfections and improve skin texture. Hydrates, balances, and nourishes the skin. Contains 3 color-correcting pigments to even out complexion. Designed for all skin types and skin tones.
Stila

I have enjoyed many Stila products over the years. My favorite product from the brand was actually a primer (Lingerie Soufflé Primer) which has long since been discontinued. I kept the jar around for a long time after it was empty because it was so pretty. The product was even better than the jar, but that no longer matters as it is gone now. But because I really loved that Primer I had really high hopes for this one. Plus it was really nice to see a product from a brand I once really liked reappear in my world.

The look of this in the container is quite fun. It reminds me of those marshmallow rope candies you used to be able to buy. Perhaps you still can, I just can’t recall seeing them recently. And I can see where the pink, green and purplish colors were chosen. They are the classic color correcting shades. You will find them in pretty much every color correcting palette.

Curious to see how they all played together I dispensed the product as I would any other primer and applied it to my face. For me this means pumping it out onto the back of my hand, dotting it onto the spots where I need priming the most (Usually across the bridge of my nose and cheeks, along my chin and around the fine lines around my mouth (on the sides, and yes I use primer like fine line spackle to fill in the lines so my foundation doesn’t go in there.) and then I blend.

when dispensed the colors blend together into a grayish paste. I applied it and there were streaks of green and pink. I was feeling particularly red on the day I took these photos. I am not normally that red but allergies were striking. So I thought it the perfect time to try this out for it’s color correcting abilities.

I found it very interesting. The primer went on very wet and needed time to dry down. The color correcting was fine until it was blended out and then the redness didn’t really go away. There was a slight improvement but it wasn’t major in the color correcting department. My skin did feel hydrated and smooth. Makeup application over this primer was really nice. Products applied more smoothly and looked great. It also filled in my fine lines well and had a lightly glowy kind of look to it. The color correcting was minimal at best. However as a general brightening and smoothing primer it worked well.

I did think that maybe I didn’t apply enough to get the color correcting benefits, but when I applied more the same thing happened. It is a wet formula and does take a while to dry down. The more you apply, the longer it takes to dry down and the more likely it is to look greasy instead of glowy. It is also only a minor color correcting formula. While I don’t think that this would do much good for anyone looking to blend out rosatia or major discolorations, it does some minot corrections. It also create a nice surface on which to apply the rest of the makeup and it did, over all, make my makeup look better and last longer. which makes it a pretty good general primer. Just remember to use sparingly and let it dry down before continuing with the rest of your makeup and don’t expect too much color correcting out of this Stila One Step primer and you will be fine.

Using the Pores No More Luminizing Primer from Dr. Brandt Skincare

If you have followed my posts for any length of times then you probably know two things about me. (you probably know more, but we’ll go with two for now.) I love primers and I don’t like to look too glowy. I think there is a point where glowy looks just greasy, especially on me. Some people can pull it off, I am not one of them. It drives me a little crazy.

I do like a little bit of illumination underneath my foundation though as i think it does help make the more matte foundations look a little less mask like. Finding that balance often makes me feel a bit like Goldilocks. This Dr. Brandt Luminizer Primer actually strikes a good balance for me. It brings the glow, but it is so much more than just the glow.

It is from the Pores No More Line of Dr. Brandt products. I’ve tried several products from this line in the past and in fact have a cleanser from the line slated to start after my current cleanser is finished. All of the products I have tried from this line I have really enjoyed. So before I started, this I had high expectations.

And spoiler alert, this primer met and even exceeded my expectations.

The scent of this primer lets you know it comes from a skin care brand. It very much has that skincare/makeup combo scent to it. I actually like that scent but I just don’t have a better description for it. There is squalene listed in the ingredients list and I think that is part of the skincare scent, at least it is similar enough to many other squalene based products I’ve tried that it is the scent I associate with squalene. I’ve never actually scented squalene on it’s own.

According to the description on the website…

pores no more® LUMINIZER PRIMER is a lightweight silky cream that creates a glowing, flawless complexion with or without makeup, blurs the look of pores and imperfections, provides a smooth canvas for seamless long-wear foundation application. For clients concerned with enlarged pores, lack of radiance, skin color and texture imperfections. All skin types.
Dr. Brandt

The cream of this primer is slightly tinted which helps with the blurring of the pores. And it does blur the pores really well. The slight tint is also really good at taking down slight redness and uneven skin tone. It isn’t a thick coat, it is a subtle shift. I don’t have the red of rosatia to my skin, just a slight ruddiness I like to blend out when putting on makeup . For me this worked really well. It also covered the slightly darker spots on my skin as well. For me it was all I needed at the moment. I wanted it to mostly blur out the pores which it did well. In essence this primer provides a really good neutral base on which to put your makeup.

Which let’s face it, is mostly the point of primer. So job well done.

One extra benefit I noticed was that there was not a lot of clogged pores with this primer. While I tend to only wear makeup for about six to eight hours a day, during the holidays all of my makeup wear time gets extended. This primer was able to go under long wear foundation, and look beautiful well past the length of time i usually wear my makeup. So I was well pleased with this Dr. Brandt Luminizer Primer and will happily continue to wear it.

25% Off Micro and Cleansing – all about being clean for the new year

Trying out the Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

I have been a big fan of the Tatcha Silk Canvas primer for a while. It is a balm type primer and in addition to making my makeup last longer and look great, it also makes my skin feel good both while wearing it and after removal. With my last Tatcha order I received a sample of the Liquid version of this primer and I tried it out. As the sample was a foil packet, the product was enough to interest me, but not enough to let me know if I would actually enjoy this primer for a longer period of time.

Plus with foil packets I find my use is never how I would normally use it. Sometimes I over use a product because I don’t want to make a mess with an open foil packet. Plus they are a bit unwieldy so sometimes product is just wasted. Luckily for me, Tatcha has this primer in a travel size. Since I also wanted to try out the Silk Powder for longer than the foil packet allowed I also picked up the travel size of the loose powder. But that is another story.

This was an interesting primer to use. I couldn’t help but compare it to the balm style. Which is both understandable and a little silly. The silly part is that balms should be compared to balms and liquids to liquid. The understandable part is that they are from the same brand and are pretty much the same product in different formats.

This primer has the same scent as the balm version which is a slightly floral, slightly skin care kind of scent. It is light and it fades out fairly quickly so it isn’t much of an issue for the scent minded. I think the scent is slightly lighter in the liquid version than the balm, but that could also be a factor of format. when you open the balm, the entire pan is exposed and scent wafts up, whereas with the pump you only smell the scent of the small amount you pump out of the bottle.

I found one pump was enough for me. since my largest pores are my noes and cheeks I tend to apply the most product there and then blend outwards towards other areas. Also my nose is where I tend to lose makeup first so a little extra primer keeps it more in sync with the rest of the wear on my face.

primer blended out. slightly mattifying in nature

It is quite liquid when dispensed. It isn’t runny but it is liquid. I knew it was because it is a liquid primer, but the scent hit me first and my brain thought of the other primer so it seemed surprising at first. What was interesting was that once applied, it simply smoothed over the face like a slightly lighter version of the balm. It almost stiffened up with air and skin contact.

It was almost like they made it just liquid enough to be able to smoothly come out of the pump before it did it’s best to turn from liquid to balm. It didn’t quite get there but it did it’s best.

So how did the Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas perform?

Beautifully. It is a great product. It performed just as well as the balm version. It applied easily, made my makeup last longer and made my skin feel great. To be honest, the only real difference I found between the two is the fact that one is a solid and the other is a liquid. They are both fabulous products and if you are looking to choose between them then the only thing you need to think about is whether or not you prefer your primer in liquid or balm format. The liquid is quick and easy to grab in the mornings when you are rushed, but if you are traveling the balm won’t spill because it is a solid. There are benefits to both so it is just going to come down to personal preference. I will still use the travel size off and on because I am curious to see how long it will last. After two weeks of dedicated use it is still more than halfway full. I will add it into rotation and use every last drop before a refill is purchased.

Primed for that Unicorn Glow

I love primers. I know I have talked about them a lot. Perhaps i spent too much time with the oil paints but i do love the idea of prepping the canvas of my face before applying the paint of my makeup. For me a good primer can take out some of the redness or unevenness of the skin tone so that you have to use less concealer. It can help blur out the look of pores and it can extend the life of the rest of my makeup.

For me using a good primer means I have to use less concealer and less foundation, which helps those products last longer in the bottle. It also keeps the makeup on my face lighter and in many cases it enhances the look of the foundation. If it is an overly matte foundation, put an illuminating primer underneath. Love the foundation but know it has a tendency to dry you out? how about a highlighting primer. Notice that this particular foundation has the habit of sinking into fine lies towards the end of the day? Why not go with a porefilling primer underneath?

please ignore the multitude of bug bites. I sprayed everything with bug spray except my hands before I went watering in the garden.

A good primer can not only even out your skin tone and get you ready for the rest of your makeup but it can form a power couple with your foundation making good products even better. Of course it can also go horribly wrong if a couple is just not meant to be.

This particular primer is the Unicorn Glow Long Wear Primer. It is…”Formulated with skin loving ingredients, this nourishing primer instantly creates a smooth glowing canvas for flawless long-lasting make up while providing coverage for fine lines and pores.”

My version is a sample sized tube that I think was paired with something else I ordered from IPSY a while back. I think I specifically ordered the other item and then just put this in the drawer because it was a duo. I took it out of the drawer as I am attempting to use up a lot of my sample sized products and see if they are worth picking up as a full size. I suspected this would only last a few days. However the tube was chock-a-block full and not a lot of product is needed for each application. In fact you shouldn’t use too much of this.

When dispensed the primer looks really light and I was concerned the color would be light on the skin. The color fades away as you blend it out across the skin. I chose to use the small dots across the face for my application of this because it helped ensure i didn’t apply too much. The Unicorn Glow Primer is a thinner consistency than many primers, almost the level of a water cream. Maybe slightly thicker. if used sparingly it blended in beautifully and looked great. It had a slightly sticky texture which I like for holding on to makeup longer. Apply too much product and it takes a while to absorb and can look a little oily. So when applying start sparingly and then add more on the spots you think might need more attention.

It did a pretty decent job of minimizing fine lines. It wasn’t the best for pore filling, but the fine lines it really seemed to work well in covering, especially the ones around my eyes. It is slightly hydrating but despite the name Unicorn Glow, it is not a glowy/dewy/illuminating primer. I didn’t have a problem with any of the foundations i paired it with and will happily keep this tube in rotation until it is empty. which may take a lot longer than I anticipated. Just remember to give it a minute to settle in (which is good advice for almost every primer) and it will work well covering up fine lines. This Unicorn Glow Long Wear primer retails for $12 and I will definitely consider picking up a full sized tube when i next look to buy primers.

Using the Rodial Glass Primer

If you’ve read my posts for any length of time you know that I am a huge fan of primers. Perhaps it is a hold over from my art days but I like the thought of prepping the canvas before applying the paint. Or my face before the makeup.

In general I go for pore filling primers. The older I get the more I find that the blurring and pore filling primers not only blur and fill pores, but they conceal the fine lines that my skin care is currently battling to defend against.

I also find that primers can do a lot more. an illuminating primer can give you a lit from within glow or it can add depth and dimension to a matte foundation, making it look less mask like and more like real skin. Some primers have skincare benefits to them now so I like to think of it as an extra layer of protection between the skin and potentially pore clogging makeup.

This is the Glass Primer from Rodial…

Discover a radiant glow with Rodial’s Glass Primer, a sheer formula that promotes a flawless, glass-skin effect. Boasting ultra-hydrating ingredients, the primer utilises light-scattering technology, packed with microscopic glow spheres to help illuminate the complexion.
The lightweight formula is enriched with crambe abyssinica seed oil, seeking to leave the complexion feeling supple and soft. A multi-tasking hero, the nourishing primer can be worn beneath makeup or alone for a healthy-looking glow.
Rodial

First off for those wondering crambe abyssinica seed oil …

is both hydrating and protective, with a velvety, non-greasy texture. An active lubricant and emollient, it is a natural alternative to mineral oils and silicones, promoting soft skin and a protective barrier to prevent skin dryness. For hair – it restores shine and gloss, conditions hair and reduces breakages.
Botani Website

I’m okay with skin softening benefits. I’m not entirely certain what the light scattering technology is but I know how it looks on the skin. We’ll get to that in a second.

When dispensed the primer is a light tan. The tan fades so it can be worn by all skin tones. what is more prevalent than it’s color is the scent. It is a very menthol scented primer. There is no getting around it. It smells like menthol. It is strong when you first apply it and even though it fades a little as you wear it, all day you will turn around and catch a faint scent of menthol. It is with you as long as this product is with you.

The right side of the picture has the primer on it but the left side does not (I put primer on half my face – a little more than half on my nose) The light source is directly in front of me it is much more visible on my cheeks than it is anywhere else if you are looking to zoom in.

On the skin it gives you a bit of a rainbow hue. I am guessing this is the light scattering technology at work. It feels nourishing. It is brightening and there is some pore blurring. It is mostly brightening.

While it claims it can be worn alone, I would at least put some powder over it. When worn under a foundation it just gives a soft glow to the skin. Without foundation, it has an odd rainbow look to it that I just can’t get past.

I do like this but when I wear it, I generally avoid highlighters as they are relatively pointless. The primer keeps light focused on the high points of the face. There is no need to add a highlighter if you are after a subtle glow-y look. If you want a brighter section it is easier to add just a tiny drop of this primer over the foundation in the high points of your face instead of reaching for a separate highlighter. However I may feel that way because I don’t have a highlighter that has the same tones as this primer, so I felt that not only was the highlighter excessive, but is sort of clashed with the primers highlighting tones. If you have a highlighter that is in the blue/purple range, it might work out better for you. The straight up silvery highlights as well as the more gold toned ones just looked wrong with this primer.

So in my opinion it would be better to just use a smidge of this primer in lieu of highlighter if you need a highlight. I personally thought that the primer was enough. It caught the light where I wanted it to in just the right ways.

In general I really did enjoy this Rodial Glass Skin Primer and will continue using it. My one issue is the scent. The menthol is strong and it lasts as long as the product lasts. Since this primer lasts all day (and was really good at extending the length of time my makeup could be worn) that means a full day of menthol. I never really got used to that during my trial. While it is a good product, I will have to see how often I reach for it now that the trial is through and how often I decide not to use it just because of the scent before I can decide if i would repurchase. If you are looking for an illuminating primer that does not look greasy and lasts all day, this would be a good one to try out. Just be aware of the menthol scent.

Let’s talke about the Lorac Light Source 3-in-1 primer

Recently I have been trying out the Lorac Light Source 3-in-1 Illuminating Primer. For me, this was a little out of my comfort zone. For any of you who have read my posts for any length of time may realize, the dewy, glowy look is not really for me.

I like the depth a good illuminating primer can give to a matte foundation and I do like a little bit of glow to my skin. But there will always come a point for me where the dewy look goes too far and glow just looks like grease.

However I am always willing to try new things and on occasion I do like the lift that an illuminating primer can give to the skin. Plus I realized that while I love the eyeshadow formula from Lorac and I really enjoy their lipsticks, I had never tried any of their face products. since I have liked what I have tried, I thought it time to branch out with the brand.

I don’t know if anyone else does that but I have this tendency to mentally pair brands with products so I’ll think of one brand as ‘the lipstick company’ or another as the company whose face masks I like and not think to look at their other products. In my head Lorac is ‘the eyeshadow company’. I had one of their pro palettes that I used down to pan. it was quite disreputable (and expired) when I finally let it go.

So, to the Lorac Primer. It is a 3 in 1 product. It is a Face Primer, an illuminating additive and a highlighter. I did get the shade Dusk rather than the translucent. I simply thought the golden tones would play better with my skin. And I was right, they worked really well. The gold suited my skin and provided me with a good glowy look. Even before I added foundation and other products on to it, the glow wasn’t too much. I looked brighter but i didn’t look greasy or wet.

for all over under the foundation, dot on the skin, then blend

It is however a slightly wet formula and after applying you need to let it sit a moment and settle into position on your skin before applying your foundation, otherwise it will just mix in with your foundation. While there is nothing wrong with it mixing, and I actually did add a drop to my foundation instead of using it as a primer a few times. It is just a different look. I tried it as a highlighter over the foundation and it wasn’t bad, but I have far better liquid highlighters. This is an under the foundation subtle glow rather than a true liquid highlighter.

while i liked it mixed in for an over all glow, I tended to use it on the high points of my face. It turned out like a subtle under the foundation highlighter. which to be honest I really enjoyed. It was more subtle than a dramatic highlighter and looked more natural, as though my skin was just looking good and had good lighting.

I was actually quite impressed with the glow.

While this primer did have blurring elements, I tend to prefer a more pore filling primer. This was not pore filling. The blurring was nice, but not really enough. I think that in the future I will end up using this more like an under the foundation highlighter, applying little drops over a pore filling primer and using it in small amounts on my cheekbones and nose as a subtle highlight. i find this especially nice as it worked equally well under full coverage foundations and tinted moisturizers. Which means I can get use out of this primer year round, just more as an illuminator and less as a primer.

Testing out the Figs& Rouge Blurring Primer

This primer came to me in a recent Glossy box and I was thrilled for several reasons. First off, it is a full sized item and I am always happy when Glossy Box has full sized items. Second it was a makeup item and not a skin care item. Third, you know I love Primers. And finally fourth I heard of Figs and Rouge before but never tried anything from the brand, and i am always happy to find new brands that i want to use.

I have to also say that the pink and gold just looks really pretty as well, especially with the thin font they used. Very classy.

But as we all know, it is not just about the packaging. (Although this one’s packaging didn’t hurt.) Since it was new to me, I poked around on the website before I started to use it, trying to find out what I should expect.

Satin Soft Blurring Primer. Fixes Foundation & Finishes complexion for complete Matte Perfection

+ Micro-blurring silicone free formula blurs imperfections & banishes shine.

+ Liquid blotting ‘Finishing’ Complex, absorbs excess oil for sheer Matte Correction.

+ Smooths skin & ‘Fixes’ foundation to keep complexion freshly flawless.

+ Pore minimising & Anti-blemish action reduces skin impurities & breakouts with daily wear

KEY SKIN BENEFITS

Marshmallow Roots Extract: With a unique & natural anti-inflammatory & antibacterial action. Marshmallow Root keeps skin energised & flawless.

Arctic Cloudberry extract: Packed with Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids & with vitamins C, E and A. This skin loving powerhouse ingredient helps soften & condition.

Hyaluronic Acid: Skin wonder ingredient (HA) Perfectly plumps & maintains moisture levels throughout the day.

Beta Hydroxy Acid: (BHA) Naturally clears congested skin, reduces breakouts & unclogs pores for a clearer & refreshed complexion.

Figs and Rouge website

I know that is a lot for a primer. And maybe I was a bit hasty in saying it wasn’t skin care. And it does have a lot of claims. So lets break it down.. First off I only used this about two weks so there aren’t going to be any major skin magic reveals. However I didn’t have any real breakouts while using it so I can say it didn’t clog the pores.

Just the primer on bare skin, applies wet but dries/absorbs quickly

The first thing that you have to realize when using this primer is that it is a very wet formula. Before you use it, shake it up to make sure it mixes in the tube correctly. Basically treat it like you would an oil foundation from Kosas and just shake it really well before using.

Normally I apply a primer to the back of my hand and then use my fingers to dip into it and apply it to my skin in dots before blending it in. That ways I know it is evenly distributed. I could not do that with this primer. I had to dispense it into the palm of my hand and then rub my hands together as though I was applying a moisturizer. It is a very wet formula.

However it does dry down really well if given a minute. And you really need to give it that minute. It is not a primer to reach for it you are racing to get out the door. Once it dries it is fine. It pretty much disappears into the skin like a serum.

While I felt that it did okay in the blurring department, it wasn’t the best blurring primer I’ve tried. It also has a very strong scent. I am about 90% certain that scent is the Marshmallow root. Mostly because it reminds me of smelling marshmallow root at a health food store my mother used to take me to when I was a kid. I always sniffed the bin containing the root thinking it would smell like marshmallows and it never did. The scent is not unpleasant but it is strong and it does linger for a bit.

To be completely honest I think this products strength is in it’s skincare ingredients. My skin liked the way it felt but each time I used it, the primer felt more like a pre makeup serum than an actual primer. In truth I may actually try using that. I think my skin did benefit from this primer, but it didn’t have the pore filling, pore blurring strength that I wanted. I may actually give this a test as a pre-makeup serum and use a primer over it to see if that works out. that will be an additional test. For now I can say that my skin had fewer clogs and in the past two weeks my skin has looked really good.

As a primer, this Figs & Rouge blurring primer falls into a mediocre category. I’ll test it further as skincare to make certain and to see if it is really worth a purchase. However if evaluating it as a primer it does fall short. The skincare benefits may cause me to change my mind and purchase it for a different purpose, but i wouldn’t buy this as a primer if I was expecting a high level of pore blurring. That just isn’t it’s strong suit. It tries to straddle the line between makeup and skincare, but it just doesn’t quite pull it off. As a primer, this is a no for me. There may however be some redemption in the skincare department. So for now it stays on the dressing table and begins a second round of testing. Stay tuned to see how it performs in test number two.