Sophistication Sundays – Foundation Primer

Sophistication Sundays – Foundation Primer

My Sophistication Muse, Audrey Hepburn
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Sophistication Sunday revolves around my favorite beauty finds, techniques, fashion trends and anything else “pretty” that catches my eye. I look forward to sharing these ideas with you and hope to hear your suggestions and feedback as well! I am no expert at beauty or fashion by any means but perhaps that will make my thoughts more relatable. Simply put, I’m just a girly-girl navigating my way through the fabulous finds I come across.

As many of you lovely ladies have probably noticed primer has taken the makeup world by storm. Once a product only found in more expensive/high end makeup, you can now buy primer in most drugstore brands. Today I will review 3 primers I’ve tried. I know there are SO many more out there so if you use a different kind (that is reasonably priced!) please comment below and help a girl out 🙂
First off, if you haven’t heard of primer or don’t use it here is a little synopsis: primer goes on after the lotion and before your foundation (or mineral powder or what have you). Like priming a wall for painting, primer creates a smooth, even surface and extends the life of your makeup. If you haven’t used it give it a try and I bet you won’t go back!
When I went out to find primer I was looking for something that was inexpensive but worked. I read good things about Rimmel’s primer so decided to give it a shot.
Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer is relatively low-priced (sorry I can’t remember what I paid for it!) and you can find it at most drugstores (target, walmart, etc). This primer comes in one shade called apricot. Evidently it isn’t supposed to matter what your skin tone or complexion is; it’s supposed to work for everyone. It looks a little orange coming out of the tube but it doesn’t go on orange and blends well. I liked the fact that evened out my skin tone (something clear primer doesn’t do) and created a smooth palette for my makeup application. Cons: I didn’t feel like very much came in a tube. I’ve used other primers since and I seemed to go through this one much faster than any other. I also felt it was a little heavy. Primers I’ve used since this kind were lighter and didn’t feel as thick.
The second primer I tried was ridiculously expensive:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I was lucky to have it in a smaller size as part of a Sephora promotion. There is no way I would use it otherwise! It retails for $48 a pop – EEK! Sephora users give it rave reviews and say it is the best primer out there. I was hoping with the name of it that it would help minimize shine. Although I liked the application (smooth, light and fast absorption) I missed the tint that came with Rimmel’s primer. The tint of Rimmel’s enabled me to use the product not only as a primer but as something quick to throw on my face if I was running out to the store. This primer is “colorless” so aside from that downside I did enjoy how fast it absorbed into my skin. I didn’t feel like it helped control shine though and I felt like I went through the bottle rather quickly. So for this price I wouldn’t buy it again. One last note: I hear it is comparable to Sephora’s primer.
Most recently I took a chance and purchased E.L.F.’s Mineral Primer.
The primer is $6 (actually pretty spendy for an E.L.F. product!) and so far I’m happy with how long the product has lasted. One pump covers my entire face where I would sometimes have to 2 pumps of Smashbox primer. The application is somewhat in between the first two. It is thicker than the Smashbox primer but much lighter than Rimmel primer. Again it doesn’t have the color so I’m missing the tinting aspect. I haven’t noticed it’s helped control any shine but I would say it works very well for creating a smooth, even base for makeup application. I will probably stick with this one until (or unless) I find a reasonably priced alternative that controls shine and has a tint.
So do any of you use primer? If so, what is your favorite kind? I still don’t feel like I’ve found my favorite so I’d love to find one to add to my regular routine. I’ve been think about trying Physician’s Formula primer. And I’ve never ventured to green primer (to correct redness) – have any of you? I’d love to hear your feedback!
Have a great week 🙂
~Christi