Try it Tuesday: MakeUp Primer

Since I have become obessed with skincare and keeping my face moisturized, I have found that my makeup routine and needs have changed as well. I am not sure if it is age, hormones, the weather or all of the above that is causing my face to be so dry and flaky, but my need for moisturizer has greatly increased. I have tried several different brands and combinations and one consistent trend has emerged....a shiny face! No matter how much powder, blotting or touching up I do my face looks like one big grease ball by the end of the day. I wasn't exactly sure how to combat this problem and found myself making too many makeup purchases trying to find a fix. I didn't want to stop wearing moisturizer and I certainly didn't want to fill my drawers and cabinets with worthless products.

While browsing Twitter, I came across an article by Real Simple that examined different makeup primers. I was skeptical at first because I didn't want one more thing under my makeup in fear that it would make it look heavy and thick. An acquaintence of mine said she used a primer from Wal-Mart that had been compared to Smashbox ($38) but cost much less ($8) and loved it. My curiosity was peaked, and for that cost, of course I am going to give it a try.

So over the weekend, I made a trip to Wal-Mart and purchased Hard Candy Primer. They had several to chose from: sheer, skin illuminating, skin perfecting, etc. I chose the sheer primer simply because I wanted a basic primer to help with shine control.







I must say, I was surprised the first time I tried it due to it's color and texture. I guess I was expecting it to be tinted or colored in some way and to have a more "liquid" texture. This was not the case. It was white/clear in color and felt almost wax like when applied to my skin. It felt like a second skin was being applied to my face. Kind of weird, but very soft and smooth.



The directions say to "let it set" before applying foundation, but that took only took a couple of minutes, so it didn't add a ton of time to my makeup routine. After "drying", the only "foundation" that I used is a BB cream by Bobbi Brown and a loose powder by Ulta. While I thought the BB cream went on a little thinner while using the primer, I definitely felt like it went on with a smoother finish.

After a total wear of 8+ hours, and ZERO touchups, I had absolutely NO shine at the end of the day! I am simply amazed!! My makeup does not feel heavier in any way and required no continued maintenance throughout the day!
WHO DOESN'T WANT THAT??


I will give this primer two thumbs up and it has most definitely become a part of my makeup neccessities!