Prime Suspect #1

I was really excited and nervous when I got the news that I had been picked as one of the reliable eye witnesses of an on-going major crime investigation by BB. It was serious business when they called me to view the line-up of the suspects they had rounded up and now in custody. It was the most daunting task ever, but someone had to do it. When all the suspects lined-up, it was the most impressive line-up ever. First in line was Photo Finish The Original with all its variants, followed by Dark Spot Correcting; Hydrating; Luminising and Colour Correcting in Blend, Adjust & Balance in that order. To the far right was Pore Minimising; Blemish Control & Age Defying. It was nerve wrecking, because THEY all looked good for it! I had to take my time because BB was relying on me to deliver the smoking gun. So I closed my eyes and my mind raced to the scene of the crime. Yes, it was truly a horrific sight. Flawless foundation on application, a disappearing act by lunch time. Foundation seeping into the grooves of the skin resulting in a cakey, oily mess which looked like a glazed dry patchy wasteland. I was looking for the perfect canvas thus The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Oil-Free emerged as my PRIME SUSPECT #1.

The account of an Eye Witness:

I was over the moon when my Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Oil-Free arrived in the mail. I had been dying to try this primer as I had heard only great things about it. The primer came in a slim black and clear tube with a screw cap, which is not bulky. It had a protective seal on both the cap and nozzle. The primer is colourless and feels very light on the skin. It has a gel-like texture but it quickly absorbs into the skin leaving no residue. It does not have a noticeable scent. It blends easily into the skin providing a matte finish and all day shine control. It contains no Parabens.

I would apply my moisturiser and let it set for a few minutes and then apply my primer and let it set for a few minutes before applying my foundation. Care needs to be taken not to apply too much primer because a little goes a long way. This product did not break me out and it most definitely lived up to the expectations I had of it. It even out and smoothed my skin surface for my foundation, blurring out any fine lines, etc. It made my skin feel silky smooth and hydrated at the same time providing great oil control. It provided the perfect finish for my foundation and greatly increased the longevity of my makeup as continuously looked fresh throughout the day. The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Oil-Free really created the perfect canvas for my makeup application and frequent touch ups during the day are now a thing of the past.

Please note that this primer might separate and shaking the tube may be required to mix the gel and the water before use.

I now understand why builders prime the walls before painting. A high quality primer will help hide any small imperfections on walls. A good water-based primer is recommended on new drywall whilst an oil-based primer is recommended for walls that have heavy stains from water or smoke damage or panelling. This pretty much sounds like foundation primer selection criteria to me. The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Oil-Free has just done that for my face.

The price for this primer is a bit steep at R360. However, stores like Edgars do offer some great specials form time to time and this might be the best time to make purchases.

A Little nugget of truth:

According to Vogue UK 15 Oct 2013 online article, “ Primers do for your skin what lingerie does for your figure – they smooth, flatter, conceal and hold things in place, so that everything you put on top of them looks immediately better…. Priming is bridging the gap between skin care and makeup.”