Prime Example

Currently listening to: War at Home by Josh Groban

Greetings all,

Hope you're having a lovely day and are enjoying the fact we're more than half-way through the week :-)

Today I want to talk about primer.

I first became aware of face primer thanks to the blogosphere and decided it was a product that would be very useful for me as I do often suffer from areas of dry skin on my face which are still visible when I apply make up. I ended up purchasing E.L.F Mineral Infused Face Primer and was definitely glad I did.

Here's the product decription from the E.L.F site:

"Transform your face into a flawless and smooth canvas with the mineral infused face primer. Developed to combat excess oil, flaky dryness, enlarged pores and fine lines to result in a natural and youthful looking radiance. This clear mutlipurpose skin primer will prepare your skin so makeup goes on evenly for a lasting finish".

The directions state that you should "apply to clean skin prior to makeup application. Use a small amount and blend evenly over the face for a smooth and flawless base". Personally, I find their claims slightly over-rated but this is a definite go-to product for me as my make up slides on much more easily and looks better. I was asked by a friend for some feedback on this product and before that request, I hadn't given any great consideration to the benefits of this product, I just knew it was a welcome addition to my make up kit. However, after doing some experimenting, I can now say that without primer, my make up feels a lot stickier. It really doesn't glide on and it's obvious where I have dry skin. One thing the primer doesn't do though is make my make up last longer.

The E.L.F primer contains 14g and sells for £6. My one criticism of the product is that it's difficult to get your money's worth due to the packaging. A pump dispenser bottle is used and a lot of the product is left at the bottom of the product, out of the dispenser's reach. If you have the right tools, you can cut the bottle in half to access the remaining product and put it in a different container but I simply untwist the lid every morning and use the product which is left on the stick. It's not ideal but there's no way I'm throwing my bottle out when I know there's still a lot of product left inside.

I'm almost finished my second bottle now and I'm thinking of trying a different brand, possibly No7 so I can use my voucher although I know many other companies also have primers in their make up ranges. The only thing that worries me is that the E.L.F primer is a clear gel whereas some other primers are coloured.

Do you use primer? Are there any brands you would recommend?

Bye for now,
Laura