My parents always said I was blessed with naturally pinky-red skin. Which means I always look like I’m blushing. They find it endearing, I don’t. So to cover my rosacea and redness, I rely heavily on my foundation to balance my skin tone. But because I am a little more liberal with the foundation on the cheeks, I discovered makeup primers to help foundation last on key parts of the skin and ever since I tried it, I’m a devout primer lady.
I used to use Smashbox’s Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer and while I liked it, I found out NARS also had a primer so I gave it a try and I haven’t gone back to Smashbox yet. And here’s why….
NARS Makeup Primer with SPF 20
How much it costs: $33
Where you can buy it: NARS retailers (Nordstrom, Macy’s, etc.)
What I like about it: First, it has SPF. I know, I layer SPF on my face from multiple products, but the fact that it has it in case I shake up my makeup routine one day, that is a little piece of mind. The SPF is also effective against UVA/UVB rays and is oil-free, which is super important to me and my sensitive skin. I also love that it is more of a cream too (compared to Smashbox) and it absorbs really well into the skin while reducing redness. Usually I’ll apply this to my cheeks (where I need the most makeup coverage) and then put on my eye makeup while this absorbs before moving to my foundation. Also, I know it’s a little pricey but honestly, this stuff LASTS. I’ve had a tube for more than a year because it spreads really well and you don’t need a lot of it. A thin layer over the skin is more than enough.
What I don’t like about it: The primer color is white (compared to Smashbox’s variety of colors based on skin type) so I really have to be careful not to accidentally put too much on otherwise it looks like I have white cheeks, but again because it absorbs so well, it’s not a huge deal. Also, it can feel a little greasy on the skin when you apply too much so that’s another thing to be aware of.
Overall though, after using Smashbox’s primer and NARS, I’ll stick with NARS. I prefer the moreso creamy base and have had better results with my foundation over this primer. Plus it’s similar in price to the Smashbox product so you break even that way too.
Do you use a primer? If so what one do you like and if not, why? Just curious :)
I am a big fan of the Tarte primer. It is wonderful and makes my skin feel so smooth.
The Rimmel primer SUCKS. It’s an orange-based color and if you have cooler tones in your skin, like pink, it really doesn’t look good, because it does seem like it adds color to your face, even though it’s supposed to absorb. I kinda felt like I had the streaky self-tanner look going. The other thing is I feel that the primer doesn’t absorb that well, and it’s slighly greasy. L’Oreal used to make a light, white cream-based primer called ‘Transformance’ and it was AMAZING. $15 at a drugstore, and I’ve yet to find anything better than it for the price. They stopped making it though! But I want to try NARS now, because my skin is sensitive and tends to get pink like Jess’s.
Interesting…I’ve been a fan of Smashbox primer for a long time. I haven’t tried anything else. I recently discovered that Rimmel has a foundation primer and I want to see if it works because if so, it’s a lot cheaper (though I’ll admit, I’m skeptical)