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Don’t laugh – it’s so old it’s almost embarrassing – it was the Estee Edit Radiance Activator Prep+Prime+Glow. I don’t really use it as a primer since I rarely wear foundation so can’t comment on how well it works for that purpose but I love it as a last step after my moisturizer or sunscreen. It gives a really nice, natural but radiant glow to my face. It’s supposed to be good for your skin but I don’t really believe all the guff from when this first came out. But when I saw the whole line was on its way out, I stocked up on this and then found one marked down at Marshall’s. To me, it’s very much like Becca’s Backlight Priming Filter (also, alas, a distant memory!) – I guess it works well as a primer but I’m reluctant to put anything on top of it because the glow is so pretty.
I’ve almost finished my third bottle of the First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothie Primer. It’s been a favorite of mine since 2019 and I love the glow it gives! I have dry skin and find that I can use this to make a more matte foundation look more satin and with my dewy foundations, it adds a nice boost of hydration and makes my skin look amazing. I’ve been through two of these and will definitely be repurchasing (again!)
By the way Christine, I just wanted to say I am so freaking proud of you and how far you’ve come with Temptalia. I remember being a complete newbie to makeup back in high school and finding your blog was such a godsend. I have so much love and respect for you and I hope you know that you deserve nothing but happiness. I’m glad you’re prioritizing yourself and your mental health first! I’m also so glad you have a supportive partner – shout out to Shaun! You’ve done so much for this beauty space and you are so appreciated and loved here. We completely understand why you need to take a step back. Sending you, your family and those adorable little puppies all the love and support!
PS would love to hear later on what makeup you end up loving and using when you get the chance to really dig into your collection and rediscover old favorites, new loves, stuff like that ❤️ anyways, get some relaxation in girl! You have been killing it for almost two decades and absolutely deserve a break. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you’ve done in the beauty community. Your blog is such a great resource, and I look forward to seeing how it changes to suit your new goals. Christine, you are so beautiful and amazing and you’re such a strong woman! Never forget that ❤️
Thank you so much, Annika! 🙂 Shaun is absolutely my rock, so I will let him know he was mentioned, haha.
Oh, I’m going to have to try that technique, Christine! UD All-Nighter has been an absolute lifesaver in our super hot, foundation destroying climate. Never thought to use it as a primer, but now I will!
My last one used, it’s been 3 weeks without makeup, I believe was Elf Putty Primer? I like it for times when I know that I will be in a vehicle for my traveling instead of waiting for a bus. This severe high heat wave has mainly kept me housebound, though. I’m thinking about trying the new liquid-cream version of the Putty Primer, too. But, yes, time to get more UD All-Nighter!!!
Actually, I wore a primer yesterday! I have, for a long time, used the original Nude by Nature Airbrush primer. The brand has now reformulated the product into several different types: one for evening out skintones (which is what I buy), to illuminate your complexion and a few others.
However, I still prefer the original primer made by the brand. A small amount is needed to cover your face and eyelids. After leaving it for a couple of minutes, you then apply your foundation. I find the primer lengthens the wear time of my foundation by a couple of hours and my eyeshadows do not fade on my lids until I wash it off of a night time.
LOL – when I first read your comment, I thought the company made a special primer to wear on an evening out – you know, romantic, candle-lit glow to your face sort of thing… but I quickly realized what you meant (though I like the idea of a primer that makes you look 10 years younger and all glowy and magical for an evening out!) Shoppers Drug Mart here carries Nude by Nature but I’ve never tried any of their products. I should look and see if there is the full range of primers available here though I really dislike the idea of having to wait a few minutes for a primer of any kind to “set” (I live in a 3 storey house and it would hold me up time-wise to have to stay upstairs and wait…). If we lived in an all one level home it would be different….
I have combination/oily skin so I try to minimize the number of layers I apply to my face. This year, I’ve been leaning on Anessa’s (a Shiseido company) Perfect UV Sunscreen Skin Care Milk SPF50+/PA++++ as my primer. It applies with a glowy finish but dries down to a natural finish so it actually helps my complexion products last longer (thanks to talc and corn starch, most likely). Key skincare ingredients include Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Green Tea, Glycyrrhizinic acid, Water-soluble collagen, and Yellow Flower Extract. The sunscreen has what’s called “Thermo Booster Technology” with which the UV protection veil strengthens with heat and ”Aqua Booster Technology” with which it’s strengthened when in contact with sweat or water. Its UV Filters don’t sting my eyes if I sweat and include some of the best-performing filters on the market: Zinc Oxide, Octocrylene, Homosalate, Tinosorb S (UV filters), and Titanium Dioxide. There’s a soft floral fragrance but so far I haven’t experienced any stinging on sensitized skin from using tretinoin. My nose pores love to pool pigment and this sunscreen helps avoid that for most products I’ve tried. I order mine from Yesstyle but it’s available from other online retailers as well. Looking forward to reading others’ recs!
Paula’s Choice SHINE STOPPER Instant Matte Finish with MICROSPONGE Technology. I got it to take a break from the Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30 (which I much prefer). It’s good, keeps shine under control under the summer hit a little bit better without looking too matte or clogging my pores… but it’s nothing special. I guess I have too much of a special relationship with the Smoothing Primer that I can’t love anything else. 😆
I think it must be Benefit Porefessional, the original. I used the very last of it last week. (I don’t always use primer on my face.)
I hadn’t used it for a long time and remembered it as a good one. Maybe it was due to age, it didn’t stop my foundation from settling in my pores and that is the thing with it, isn’t it.
Anyway maybe it was just too old, though it smelled and felt as it has always done.
I find primers a bit difficult, there are so many and they all “do” their thing(s), I rarely see the thing they do do, though.
I’m going to read all other mini reviews, maybe I’ll find one more suited to my oily skin with large pores.