Do you find that your foundation slips or goes patchy on your nose and forehead, where the skin is oilier? There are some brilliant primers for oily and combination skin available – used after moisturising (or straight following a hydrating serum, as you prefer) a great primer will create a smooth base for the makeup and help to balance and control oils which means that your foundation sticks around for longer.
As I’ve been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for about the past eight hundred years and so have a face that’s as dry as a prune, I set my friend Charlotte the job of testing out four different primers. Here’s her feedback…
Zelens Velvet Primer, lb42 from Cult Beauty here*. This oil-free primer claims to help control shine and create a protective barrier between the skin and the elements. All whilst being virtually weightless. It’s filled with powerful antioxidants, making this not only a primer – it’s a high-tech face protector with makeup-staying benefits. What did Charlotte think of it?
“This one is my favourite by far. It feels so nice luxurious to apply and almost seems like satin on the skin. The staying power is pretty good too. I can go for the majority of the day without having to re powder and even if I forget, I don’t wind up shining like a light bulb by the time that 6pm comes around. The only thing I would have to say is that the tube is quite small so not sure how great value for money it is as I can see myself utilizing it up quite quickly.” (Note, it’s 30ml, the same as the Estee Lauder one below but yes, the tube looks smaller!)
Estée Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer, lb30 from FeelUnique here*. A classic – pore-blurring, skin-smoothing, oil-controlling primer with an oil-free formula. I have to say that this one is an old favourite of mine – I used to use it when filming under hot studio lights to prevent shine and keep my makeup from melting off! There’s is a newer version of this, which i've – I will do a comparison post when I get a chance. At first glance it looks to become very similar, which is no bad thing. Charlotte’s verdict?
“That one was my second favourite. It had the texture of a night cream and was quite thick however it took no time at all to use. Staying power was OK – wasn’t quite as good as the Zelens one at keeping shine away but not a bad little primer.” (The new primer is called The Mattifier and is lb25 here*.)
Suqqu Treatment Primer – usually stocked at Selfridges here* but it’s showing as unavailable. I have tried this primer and that i liked it a lot – soft and silky, slightly pinkish in tone and with an SPF that you’d never guess was there. I don’t actually believe that this one is for oily skin whatsoever (sorry Charlotte, my bad!), however in true Suqqu style, it’s almost impossible to find details online. What is the “treatment” part of it? What kind of skin is it formulated for? I have no idea. I shall endeavour to find out, though it has sold out in the only UK stockist so perhaps there’s little point! Moving on…what did Charlotte make of it?
“I had never tried anything with this brand before so was intrigued. Just a little went a long way with this and so i imagine it could last you some time. I didn’t find that one very mattifying though and it appeared to have a bit of a shimmer to it which I wasn’t a massive fan of. It might be quite a nice option for an evening out though.”
bareMinerals Blemish Ready Mattifying Prep Gel, lb22 at LookFantastic here*. A very lightweight, non-drying gel with added anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories, I did rather like this the few times I tested, mainly for that ease with which is spread over my skin. However it but it didn’t seem to have the endurance of the others. What did Charlotte model of it?
“This one was so disappointing. It states be a mattifying prep gel but I’d started to go shiny again inside a couple of hours. It feels quite oily when applying too so doesn’t bode well for that mattifying capabilities! I was disappointed as I love the bareMinerals brand.”
Looks as though there are two clear winners, here, in the mattifying primer race; Zelens and Estée Lauder. I have to remember to test out all of the “pore-filling” primers I've lined up, too – they make for excellent close-up before-and-after photographs!
If you’re after a primer-and-base-in-one, i quickly couldn’t be more won-over by the Effaclar BB Blur from La Roche-Posay. It’s oil-controlling, pore-blurring, skin-mattifying, and if I have to put any more hyphens into this paragraph then I’m likely to cut my own fingers off with pliers.
Read the full review of the BB Blur here.
