Review| Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing

I'm not an advocate  (hell, not even a shady spokesperson!) for primers but the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing ($36) does exactly as it says and more.

Since my skin is now on the drier side of normal I don't need help with making my foundations last. What I refused to acknowledge for the longest time, however, were the pores on the sides of my nose. But pores?? I'm not oily skinned? Of course, pore size increases as we age, regardless of skin type or the climate we live in. It's gravity people! The cool thing is that pores make your skin look human rather than humanoid. 

I had been using Benefit Porefessional primer before, which definitely blurred my pores out before I applied foundation. Smashbox's version doesn't blur. It hides every single little pore completely until I take off my makeup, upon which I weep silently in front of my mirror at my porous orange peel face. (Not really. I doubt anyone really notices my pores except me.)

Compared to Porefessional, this primer is:

1. Thicker in consistency but blends out with the same silicone-y feeling. 

2. Not tinted.

3. Not scented. 

4. Better at erasing pores and preventing foundation migration.

With these kind of products the proof is in the pictures. Ignore the giant bug bite on my chin and look to the sides of my nose. NO PORES.I also put a little into my laugh lines to soften them. 

  I'm a humanoid! #lifegoals

Nope, I didn't edit that picture. Crazy, right? 

Although it's a little steep in price, I don't need more than half a pea sized amount for my problem areas. If you want to prolong the wear time of your foundation and minimize pores I would still recommend using only a pea sized amount for the entire face. So far I haven't noticed any breakouts, clogged pores, or unhappy reactions with this product.

With the rate of usage, I can see this tube lasting me at least a full year before repurchase. A full year of beautiful humanoid skin? I'm down. Now, what to do with my ultimately inferior tubes of Porefessional...? 

xo Be

Review| Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

So what's the big deal with primer? It can prolong your foundation's wear time, minimize pores and fine lines, and generally help your base glide on effortlessly.

With so many primers available on the drugstore market, however, it's hard to see why anyone would rather pay upwards of 30 bucks for something that's almost an unnecessary step to some. For most days, I'm content with a good moisturizer (with SPF 30) and a foundation. In the summer, that's condensed down to an all-in-one BB cream or tinted moisturizer.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser is the cutest product I've seen that doesn't do anything a primer is supposed to do. In fact, it helps my foundation glide....right off.

For under 6 dollars retail, it's really not hard to pass up (a "why the hell not" product, if you will.) The squeeze tube packaging helps dispense the tiniest amount that you need for the entire face. I didn't smell anything too strong or offensive, and the clear texture is typical for a primer. I likened it to Tarte's Clean Slate primer or even Rimmel's Fix and Perfect 002 in terms of product resemblance.

 Upon first application, it definitely felt very silicone-y and slippery. This doesn't stop. In fact, the feeling of slip continued into the day every time I accidentally touched my face. Unlike Benefit's Porefessional, this primer doesn't dry down to a powdery or matte finish. It's definitely the biggest negative of the product, until I realized that it prevented my foundation from clinging to the dry patches around my nose and chin area. In fact, my skin had never looked smoother! I don't have super huge pores, but it did seem to blur them even if it did nothing to reduce the appearance of my laugh lines.

I think ultra-dry skinned gals or anyone looking to correct a dry patch or two would be really happy with this. Otherwise, even normal skinned people will be frustrated at the performance of this product.

Do you wear primer every day or reserve them for special events?

XO, Be