Battle of the: Face Primers!

Today's post is going to be covering the topic of face primers. For me, a primer isn't something that I use on a daily basis. I tend to use them when going out at night, or if I know that I'm going to be wearing makeup all day long.

In the last year, my skin has changed from being dry, to very oily, which means that I've had to completely rethink my base makeup routine to make it last on my skin. I've tried many primers, but I am still yet to find my holy grail (though I doubt the perfect primer for me would even exist!).

The primers that I have been trying out over the last few months are: MAC's Matte Creme, Hourglass' Veil Primer, Smashbox's Colour Correcting Photo Finish Primer (Purple tone), and Maybelline's Baby Skin. All of these primers have that silicone-slip feeling, which is just my personal preference. I like primers that make my foundation glide on smoothly and last all day.

MAC Matte - £15

This primer is the thickest of the four, which takes more work to blend. I also have to be careful when applying the product, as it is pretty easy to apply a thick layer. If used correctly, it feels great on the skin - slightly heavier than other primers, but still nice. It does what it says on the packaging, it is definitely mattifying when applied, though I can't say that it keeps my skin matte all day (no primer can so far). 

Overall, I'd say that this primer would be best for someone with skin texture issues. It is great for filling in pores and light acne scarring!

Rating: 3.5/5

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - £52

I have the sample size of this product, which I received with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. In the bottle, the product is a translucent white, but blends in completely clear on the skin. While it still feels like silicone, it is definitely thinner than others - I barely have to use any product at all! It feels great on the skin, foundation goes on beautifully over it, and wears well. So far this is my favourite of these four primers, but I'm not sure I can justify the price for the full size.

Rating: 4.5/5

Smashbox Photo Finish Colour Correcting Primer (Balance) - £25

I picked this up in Boots for £12.50 on clearance, which makes me wonder if this shade is being discontinued. I like this primer, but not for the colour correcting aspect. I don't really find that the tint makes a difference to how my skin looks, especially after foundation. It's a good smoothing product, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a good oil controlling primer. It feels thicker than the Hourglass primer, but thinner than MAC's.

Rating: 3/5

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - £7.99

Last but not least, is the cheapest of the lot. I'd compare this primer to MAC's. To me, they are almost identical! MAC's is possibly slightly more mattifying, but they feel very similar in texture. I wouldn't call this a lightweight primer like the packaging suggests, but it does help with makeup application. Definitely worth it for the price!

Rating: 4/5

If you have any suggestions for good primers, please leave me a comment!

Bee x

Another neutral palette?! Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

I know I don't need any more neutral eyeshadow palettes, but they just seem to lure me in every time! My newest addition is the Full Exposure palette from Smashbox - a brand which I (surprisingly) have not ventured into until now.

I don't have too much to say about the packaging, it's nice and simple - the text on the front is holographic, and the packaging itself is cardboard, and slightly bulky. Regardless, it does feel quite sturdy; I often travel with larger palettes and have yet to break one! Touch wood...

I love how the colours are laid out in the palette, warm shades on the left, cooler tones on the right, and different finishes on each row. The top row of shadows all contain very small specks of glitter, except for the middle shade which is a frost finish. The bottom row are all matte shadows.

Top row (please excuse my blindingly fair skin!)

The shimmer shades aren't the most pigmented eyeshadows, but they all have a good texture, and have a consistent colour pay off. I've noticed that these shades apply best with fingers, as a brush seems to cause the glitter to fall out.

Bottom row

The matte shades definitely impress me, I love the shade selection, particularly the cooler shades. They aren't super creamy like some shadows (Urban Decay as an example) but they aren't chalky either.

Along with this palette, comes a double ended brush, and their Full Exposure mascara. The brush has a blending side, which is extremely similar to a MAC 217. The flat end of the brush has 2 different sides, synthetic and natural hairs, which can be useful for different shadow textures. The mascara reminds me of Benefit's Bad Gal Lash; the brush is quite large, but it doesn't seem to do too much for my lashes.

Overall, I really do like this palette, mostly because of the shade selection. I can definitely see myself using the matte shades very regularly.

If you have this palette, please tell me what you think!

Thanks for reading. x