perfect primer

the perfect foundation is undeniably important, but without a good base it can rarely look its best. for me there are three main reasons for finding a decent primer;

• to create a smooth finish before applying second base
• to stop shine and mattify skin
• to conceal open/visible pores

just as i have tried out zillions of foundations, i have also gone through my fair share of primers. and the most recent of these are POREfessional by benefit, DIOR skinflash, lancome LA BASE pro and SAMPAR glamour shot - in general, they each had their own pro's and con's but it was obvious which were the more beneficial products...

1.) the POREfessional by benefit
it claims to be:

• an oil-free base
• lightweight
• translucent
• silky texture

overall, i definitely agree with benefits claims. i love this product for so many reasons. firstly, before even applying the primer to your skin, it has a gorgeous smell and it definitely is of a silky, smooth texture. you also only need a small amount to cover the majority of pores, especially around the t-zone area and it is definitely a light enough base to wear under any make-up be it a light coverage or heavy coverage foundation. therefore, it tends to last quite a while, i have had mine well over a month now and have been using it daily and there is still over half left. it is retailed at £18-£23 which i think is pretty reasonable, most primers i have tried under this price have been pretty useless. the only negative is that it is slightly drying, but i tend to wear it under bb cream as well as foundation which means the bb cream offers moisture after application of POREfessional.

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/?ext_id=ppc_0893_benefit&gclid=CIHRztXkkbECFa4mtAodKn5ylw - check out the benefit website, it is so pretty
they also have their own blog - http://blog.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/

2.) DIOR skinflash primer
it claims to:

• promote anti-dullness
• promotes radiance
• smoothes complexion

this is definitely a pricier option retailing at between £26-£31. however, it does seem to be a more 'all-areas covered' primer compared to POREfessional which focuses mainly on concealing pores (its name gives it away...). again it is a very pretty smelling primer, and it is also a more liquidy based product compared to many other primers which means it makes skin mega soft without the need to apply further moisturiser. it also highlights very well, it creates a glowing dewy effect on skin which has a pinkish hue to it which looks really pretty under make-up. pore-wise it does conceal the majority but for me the best feature of this primer is its highlighting effect. the one negative is that it doesn't last too long, again you dont need a lot, but even still it only lasted me around about a month and it is quite pricey to buy monthly. but perhaps if you only used it for evening wear it would be worth it.

3.) lancome LA BASE pro
it claims to be:

• oil-free
• skin 'smoother'

i can't rave about this product as much as POREfessional or skinflash, even though it does create a very soft base for make-up and makes foundation very easy to apply - these seem to me it's only pro's. in general, it is too thick for a primer, it is almost a stodgy liquid and i hate having that kinda thickness on my face. it doesn't paticularly create any kind of radiance it almost dulls your skin, which is obviously never a good thing, there is no glow or highlighting tone to it at all. it also smells almost plastic-like, which isn't very pleasant at all and being priced at £27, i really expected more from this product. overall, if it is simply a soft base you are looking for then this may be worth it, but for me that one pro doesn't outweigh the con's.

4.) SAMPAR glamour shot
it claims to:

• minimize wrinkles
• minimize pores
• all under one minute

unfortunately, this product also didn't appeal to me. there are some pro's, it certainly does erase the majority of imperfections and the packaging is quite pretty, the ingredients used are also good and well-known skin-aiders but the pro's end there. it smells really strange, it smells quite strongly of alcohol and not in a clinical/clean way but in an unpleasant way. it is also a really thick liquid, which is much more stodgy than the lancome primer and the thickness means it doesn't apply very well. it also looks horrendous under foundation, make-up appears bitty and streaky - not a good look at all. furthermore, i havent used a lot of it, for all of the reasons above, but the amount i have used, i can tell that it isn't a very longlasting product. therefore, it may work well without putting any make-up on top, as it does hide pores and imperfections, but as a primer it is rubbish! and at 39euros (not available in the UK yet) it is most definitely overpriced.
rant over.

overall, i would recommend POREfessional the most out of all the above products, as it works superb as an everyday primer and isnt too costly. for a treat and to create a pretty evening base, DIOR skinflash is also worth it. lancome LA BASE pro is a good first base, but that's where it ends, as a general primer it works but is perhaps to pricey a product if thats all it can offer. and as for SAMPAR glamour shot, just avoid...

thanks for reading,

many, many kisses.
lucyx