Philosophy • Never Let Them See You Shine • Primer/ Corrector

Where To Buy?

missmelodya on 10/5/2011 7:33:00 AM more reviews by missmelodya

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

this primer does not agree with my sensitive combination skin. it started to burn my skin after several weeks of use, and in those areas where it burned it caused pimples to form. nothing about my skin care routine changed while i was using this so it's definitely down to the product itself. the SA at sephora assured me this would not happen despite the "oil controlling" factor of this primer, despite my concerns as my skin is sensitive and this seemed a bit too strong for sensitive combination skin.


i followed the sephora SA's instructions to the letter when using this, and when it started causing problems i went back to sephora to be told by a different SA to keep using it so my skin would acclimate. this did not happen.


i now have 2 completely unused tubes of this stuff and one half full tube. i'll use none of it again.


this is one of the 3 shopping experiences i had with sephora that made me realize that asking for samples in-store is imperative before making purchases - clearly the SA's aren't all as knowledgeable as they should be to make such recommendations.

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Shizuku2 on 6/2/2011 2:24:00 PM more reviews by Shizuku2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

A very basic, under-performing primer. First thing you'll notice: it has a very medicated smell, almost like Ben Gay or something. Luckily, the smell doesn't linger for very long on your face. The texture is also more runny than i'd expect from a primer. Even though you'd expect it to eliminate shine on your face, it didn't seem to do a better job than any other primer. Also, it says it provides a "smooth, velvety, matte finish to the skin", but i didn't notice this to be true. I find that the Monistat Chafing relief Powder Gel to be much better as a primer in all aspects. The only thing that's better is that this one has antioxidants in it (ginger root, ginseng root, lavender oil, etc), so it's better for your skin. It didn't make me break out (but most things don't), and it did seem to keep my makeup on all day (like most primers). Overall, i still like Monistat better and it's like half the price of this, and you get more. Plus, the Monistat really does make your skin feel velvety soft and smooth.

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*TOP REVIEWER* chiodokeller on 2/26/2011 10:32:00 AM more reviews by chiodokeller

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This was a waste of my hard earned money. I have an oily T zone. This product does absolutely nothing to help me. I feel like I don't even have it on, and my oiliness immediately shows through. I hate wasting so much money on a bad product.

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jrm9086 on 1/2/2011 10:49:00 AM more reviews by jrm9086

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Worked well for what its used for, have been using it for about two months now and it keeps my skin smooth and evened out. It doesn't ELIMINATE shine, but it really does a good job at controlling it and that makes me happy. It's not super expensive so I didn't expect miracles!

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RicheleBarbie on 11/15/2010 5:59:00 PM more reviews by RicheleBarbie

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

this was my first makeup primer but I'm not sure if it even did the job. I like that it definetly helps soothe your skin & it's calming but that's abou it. my makeup had the same staying power, so I guess it was just a waste. maybe this is a really good primer just my skin is too oily to know? I'm not sure

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*TOP REVIEWER* Julia941 on 6/26/2010 12:29:00 PM more reviews by Julia941

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I gave this four starts, but it really deserves three and a half. The first time I tried it was a nightmare. I used a pea sized amount then applied Studio Fix on top and my makeup balled up and I had to wash my face and start over without it. The second time I used some BB Foundation stick only on problem areas and it didn't ball up, but I looked oily from the start and it only got worse and powder didn't help. I started looking around for any tips or tricks here and on the philosophy site and discovered I was using too much product. You only need an amount about the size of the head of a pin and then pat in on your skin, concentrating on the t-zone, then wait until it is fully dry or set before applying makeup. I then used a pressed mineral makeup (Le Metier de Beaute) with a brush and it worked beautifully. Smooth application, invisible pores, and I didn't need a touch up within three hours like I usually do. I tried it again with my foundation stick and it worked much better. I guess your skin can only take so much product and if you apply too much it just sits on top of your skin then mixes unattractively with your makeup? I don't know. I love philosophy skincare and this doesn't really break me out, so I'm glad I finally found a way to make this work.
*Edit - After using this for almost a month I found it performed okay, esp. with mineral m/u, but I have found it to be an unnecessary step in the morning because the pay-off is not that great. I have monthly hormonal break-outs and while it didn't make them worse than they might have been otherwise, I didn't like having an extra layer of something on my face. Moisturizer + primer + concealer/stick foundation + mineral mu or finishing powder = too many layers to be comfortable or look natural in the summer. My skin isn't that bad and I really don't need that much coverage. It looks and feels very unnatural on me. Perhaps that would be true with any primer and I just don't like that build up of product on my face. Also, my makeup seemed to get on everything (all over my phone - yuck!) and I think it is because it was just sitting there on top of two layers of other stuff. I returned it after about a month's use.

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starlit2100 on 12/30/2009 12:01:00 AM more reviews by starlit2100

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This product really didn't do much to control shine for me. I felt no difference in oil control. However, I think it made my foundation go on a bit smoother so the foundation looked nicer. This product it better suited for those who only get a little bit shiny in the T-zone and not for those with truly oily skin. It's also scented, which I could do without. At the very least, it did not break me out whatsoever.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Hollynla on 12/6/2009 10:16:00 PM more reviews by Hollynla

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I was extremely disappointed with this. I just didn't find it did much of anything. It certainly was not a foundation primer and it didn't control oil, so what did I waste my money for?

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*TOP REVIEWER* Tuts311 on 12/4/2009 9:26:00 AM more reviews by Tuts311

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

In love with this primer i have tried dozens and this is the only one that controls my oily t-zone finally i have found my HG primer. :)

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