I'm pretty sure I sound like a broken record as I'm forever raving about the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I've been using the original clear one everyday for the past year and swear by it. I love it so much that I would say it's definitely reached that holy grail status! If you read my review of this product a little while back you will see that not only does this primer give you a flawless application when it comes to applying you're foundation and other makeup, it also keeps your makeup stay put all day. Ladies you honestly need to see it to believe it to see just how well this primer works.
I know the original primer has been a favourite amongst us beauty lovers for sometime now - Yes I was so late to jump on this train, but since the release of the original primer, Smashbox have released other primers with the same formula which suit different skin tones and create different looks on the skin. For Christmas I received the perfect little Smashbox gift set which contained three small sample tubes of the primer, including my beloved Photo Finish Primer. The other two primers included were the luminizing primer and the hydrating one, both which I have been loving and make me even fonder of the Smashbox brand.
The Hydrating Photo Finish Primer really took me by surprise and having oily to combination skin this is a product that I would never pick up at the shops or think to use. However it's the primer I've been reaching for pretty much everyday this year, which to me just shows how good it really is. Although I have that terrible t-zone that is prone to getting a tad oily and its the one place my makeup is guaranteed to slip during the day, I still suffer from dry skin - Weird right? As much as I don't want to put too many oily products on my skin, there are those days where my skin just feels thirsty and needs moisture put back into it. As soon as I apply this primer in the morning its like my face has had the ultimate hydration boost, my skin feels so amazing. So much so that as soon as this primer has worked into the skin, my eyes look more awake and I can see an instant change in the appearance of my skin - It looks healthy and glowy.
Whereas the original primer is more silicone based, the hydrating primer feels water based. A little goes a long way and it works into your skin very quickly. It honestly makes such a great base for your makeup to sit on and my foundation glides on whenever I've used this. As for staying power, my makeup does stay put pretty much throughout the hole day, not as well as it does using the original Photo Finish Primer - But I don't feel as though my makeup is running off my face at all. A quick touch up of powder around my nose and forehead is all I need to get my makeup looking perfect again.
If you have dry skin I would definitely recommend this primer, I promise you that you'll love it, especially if you're already a fan of the Photo Finish Primer. If you have combination skin like me, again this primer would be perfect for you, especially on those days your skin needs that extra hydration boost.
The Luminizing Photo Finish Primer has to be one of the prettiest primers that I've ever used and it creates that gorgeous glow fresh faced holiday skin look. This primer is a little thicker in constancy than the other two primers featured in this post and has a velvet like texture to it and can take a little longer to work into the skin. Once applied it leaves your skin looking so smoothed out and gives you a warm but ever so slight bonzed glow. You're skin really has that luminzied look to it, which makes it appear healthy.
This primer I know is going to be reached for a lot in the summer, and for best effect I would say that this works great under a foundation that's not too full coverage; One that gives you dewy skin would be perfectly paired with this primer as the gold shimmers would really shine though.
As with all the Smashbox primers that I've tried, I've found each one to prolong my makeup, fill those fine lines and smooth out the skin. They are honestly the best primers I've tried and I love how there are now so many in the range to choose from - Making them perfect for any type of skin tone and suitable for different times of the year. I would love to try the pore minimising one next, it sounds amazing and one to rival Benefits Porefessional.
I've you've tried any of the Smashbox Primers, please let me know what one is your favourite in the comments below.
Lots of Love
