I’ve never thought twice about using primers, until this Summer hit and I was desperate to find a way of keeping my foundation on my face reasonably set. I definitely can’t call myself a beauty expert but I do have some opinions on two I’ve found to be on par with each other on the surface.
In the blue corner…cult favourite Benefit’s ‘Porefessional’
I’m sure you all have heard why there’s so much love for Porefessional already! Super light, silky smooth coverage and great pigmentation, it’s a cult favourite amongst beauty bloggers. It’s definitely more of a base product to target problem areas than an all over product, but it sits well under pretty much every single type of foundation I’ve got in my make up drawer. The downside is the price tag, £24.50 for 22ml for a primer can seem pretty steep!
In the red corner…from across the pond, Tarte’s BB Tinted Primer
A relative unknown from an up and coming brand, Tarte’s offering in the primer market is more of a tinted moisturiser than a base and because of this the pigmentation on this product is amazing. It’s also super moisturising, has a built in SPF30 sunblock and works as a great substitution for your normal foundation on days when you’re after a low key look. As it’s fairly moisturising it’s pretty perfect for dry skin, but not so great on oilier complexions – despite it saying it’s oil free! It retails at an ok-ish price, the full size bottle is about £20 [the one pictured above is their travel sized version which I think retailed at about £10 in Sephora], is slightly bigger than the full sized Porefessional, and comes in a range of different shades.
Despite the price tag you simply can’t beat the quality of Benefit’s primer. It works like a charm and feels like a better investment make-up product if you’re after something that will give you smooth coverage every time. Not to mention Glamour magazine usually give away a sample of it every year! That’s not to say Tarte’s primer isn’t great! If you want an all over/one stop shop type of primer, head to Sephora asap, but those with oilier skin types should be a little wary.
