The Premier Primer


There I was after a two month hiatus back in Sephora not knowing which way to go first. So many new products, so little time. I headed for Benefit where I found that they too had jumped into the primer parade with an entry called"that gal" brightening face primer.
While most primers are housed in a pump bottles or tubes Benefit's is presented in a plastic cylinder capped with a wide perforated top. When you twist the bottom of the cylinder a luscious petal pink cream wiggles its way out.

I headed for the mirror and smoothed it over my face on top of whatever makeup was left from earlier in the day. It had a cool silky feel and I looked brighter immediately. "But you know I still have some other makeup under it" I said to the sales girl when she complimented me. Not to worry, she said. The product could be used alone, under or even on top of makeup. But she still insisted it was a primer??? I had an almost full bottle of Smashbox primer at home so I didn't purchase the new product.
When I started to cleanse my face that night I noticed I looked better than I usually did at that hour which is most often, just this side of hagged. Then I recalled the label which read brightening face primer. Benefit is a bastion of brightening products. Witness their It Stick, High Beam (a favorite of mine)and Eye Bright. All deliver a brightening radiance. This latest product carries on the tradition and an almost full bottle of Smahbox or not I have to add it to my collection.
Cheers,
Barb

Does Smashbox Have Another Hit?

Well that depends on who is using it. Let me start out by admitting that I was a reluctant Smashbox user. I heard great things about their primer which is applied under foundation but didn't buy it. Much as I like looking good I don't want to devote too much of my time to the process . I strive to keep my required beauty products to a minimum and thus try to avoid any two step procedure.
Then my daughter Joan,also a beauty product junkie, gave me a sampleof the primer. Yes it does make a difference. Lines are diminished and makeup goes on more smoothly. It also makes thin skin look thicker. I save it for evenings out or those occasions such as meeting someone I haven't seen in a while, which raises the looking good stakes!
Then I heard about Smashbox's latest product, a blush that goes on over bare skin and adjusts to your complexion. It's said to give a natural,fresh from a run, flush. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Any product that even hints of natural speaks directly to me. Even as beauty products clutter my drawers and spill out of my medicine cabinet I try to kid myself that my looks are almost natural.
At Sephora I actually snatched the small tube filled with clear liquid gel out of the twenty something sales assistant's hand. I smoothed a generous amount over my cheeks and looked in the mirror. I had that healthy pink natural looking flush but interspersed were dots and patches of bright pink. I knew immediately what had happened and looked in dismay towards the sales assistant. "It's making my age spots darker. " Lets try a little less," she suggested. In my eagerness I had put on a large glob . She removed what was on my face and applied it more sparingly. The pink spots were not as bright but were still visible. I've had the same trouble with self tanners. My skin tone is just too uneven.
On the way out, after buying a new lip gloss to lift my spirits, I picked up the blush again. It's not for me but it's still a great product and if I were to bet I would say it's destined to become an even bigger hit than the primer.
Cheers, Barb