I tried The Present first. It is billed as a "clear foundation" on the front of the package, but then the directions on the back say to apply as your last step in your skin care routine before applying foundation. Wha? Whatever. So I squeezed some out of the tube (a pea sized amount) and smeared it all over my face. I was met with a faint lavender scent that smelled vaguely of old ladies. Not great.
But how did it look? Well, if you're trying to cover up any redness or imperfections, it's not gonna do that. I mean, it's clear, right? So no coverage. It did make my skin look a tiny bit smoother and after I let it dry (about 2-3 minutes) it made my skin slightly matte. That's all fantastic, but if I wanted a "no make-up" look, I would just apply moisturizer and loose powder and get a better result.
But how did it look? Well, if you're trying to cover up any redness or imperfections, it's not gonna do that. I mean, it's clear, right? So no coverage. It did make my skin look a tiny bit smoother and after I let it dry (about 2-3 minutes) it made my skin slightly matte. That's all fantastic, but if I wanted a "no make-up" look, I would just apply moisturizer and loose powder and get a better result.
Next, I tried applying foundation (Lorac Breakthrough Performance) over The Present. It looked pretty good and seemed to make my skin less oily, but I still had to blot throughout the day.
Now, onto the Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer. It is clearly a primer and not a "clear foundation" or some confusing nonsense like that. It has that unscented smell, that really isn't a smell, but yet, kind of is at the same time. However, it is not offensive. It is slightly white, but goes on clear. My foundation went on pretty well over it, but it didn't feel like it spread as smoothly as over just moisturized skin. It also seemed to make my skin slightly less oily.
I didn't have any breakouts or adverse reactions to The Present or the Laura Mercier primer. They both kind of made my skin look smoother and they were both easy to apply. I didn't hate either of them or throw them in the garbage.
But would I buy them? I definitely wouldn't buy The Present. It smells like old lavender sachets and I prefer unscented facial products. (But, I'll probably use up the sample tube.) However, I am on the fence about the Laura Mercier primer. It's nice, but I just can't tell if it makes that much difference. It retails for $30 a tube at Sephora. Is it worth it? I'll find out when I run out of the sample and we'll see if I feel the need to hustle my bustle over the Sephora or Nordstrom to purchase some more. I'll keep you posted.
So, do you use foundation primer? What kind?
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