Sephora • Smoothing Primer • Primer/ Corrector

Where To Buy?

chinkci on 4/5/2013 12:50:00 AM more reviews by chinkci

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I don't usually do product reviews but after using this primer, i'm HOOOOKED! About a month ago, I bought the CoverGirl 3 in 1 Stay Fabulous foundation because everyone was raving about it. I usually apply my foundation with just moisturizer on the bottom. I currently use Trader Joe's face moisturizer. The CG foundation looked disgusting and made my face look like the Mojave Desert because it emphasized all my dry spots. I was really disappointed because I really really wanted to like it. I decided that the CG foundation was a flop for me... UNTIL I went into Sephora one day with intent on buying a face primer. I looked around and settled on this one because I liked that it had a pump. Needless to say my CG foundation looks flawless with this baby underneath and on top of my moisturizer.

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cmscheidt on 3/30/2013 12:41:00 PM more reviews by cmscheidt

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Other    

I absolutely LOVE this primer! It is one of my favorites. I paid $15 for it. It makes my make up last all day and my skins super smooth and makes it easy to blend my foundation. I'm on my second bottle of it and will buy again when this one is gone.

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materialface on 3/19/2013 12:02:00 PM more reviews by materialface

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

**Updated review**:
So I got a sample of Smashbox's newest face primer with dark spot correcting in it. However I was surprised when a sales associate said that the dark spot correcting will only work in hand with a face serum. It did make sense, and since I finished my sample and didn't fall in love with it, I've gone back to my HG primer, sephora's smoothing primer. I just purchased my 4th bottle. A lot of beauty gurus rave about Smashbox primers but there are other alternatives that will do the job, like this one.

I've gone through 2 of these and I'm quite satisfied with it. If I don't use a face primer, foundation doesn't go on smoothly at all and I am oily within an hour or two. the price point of $18 CAD for this product is OK, and one bottle lasts me 3 months. That is pretty good for a product I use everyday, only on my t-zone though. I've heard many great reviews on smashbox's primer that apparently improves redness and acne scars so I'll probably try that one since i'm running out of my sephora one. However, I will be repurchasing this one

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DonDiva on 3/17/2013 11:22:00 PM more reviews by DonDiva

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I like this primer, its silky smooth and i have a few scars on my face but this helps my makeup glide right on. it keeps my make up on but no pore perfecting :( E.L.F makes a dupp IMO and its cheaper at 3 bucks but still i like this. it works and works well for me and my skin. Bought it on sale for no other reason than it was on sale lol its worth the buy though if you want it. the bottle is cute ( yes the way the bottles look play a major factor in catching my attention on the sales tables ) i like its chic design. I would buy again if I cant find the elf dupp in my area.

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qcardsforclass on 2/23/2013 2:33:00 PM more reviews by qcardsforclass

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

I just bought this a couple days ago and I love it! It makes my face soo smooth and contrary to some other reviews I find that it does not break me out. Before this I used to put on moisturizer and then foundation, but I found that the foundation never really went on smooth...Now it does! I only have to use a dime sized amount on my whole face! Only 4 lippies though because, as many people mentioned before, it doesn't do much to smooth out pores (but I don't have huge pores so that's really not an issue for me...)

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TropicalKissesxx on 2/16/2013 4:36:00 PM more reviews by TropicalKissesxx

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

this was the first primer i ever used.. i never really had any issues with breaking out, i would normally just use my facial moisturizer then apply my foundation which i never had in issues with pimple wise and longevity wise, but i was recommended to try a primer and i did and for some reason, i dont know why, i got pimples from this, not a huge breakout, but i noticed when i took it off that there were a little small blemishes there that werent there before... I like the consistency of this product, and it does make your makeup last, but i wont buy the full size because i really dont want to breakout. I gave it an overall rating of 3 just because i like how it makes my makeup look and the lasting power it helps with, but the pimple situation is the only reason i wont buy it :( maybe ill try it again though... see if there's any change..

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saramae23 on 2/16/2013 4:26:00 PM more reviews by saramae23

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This is actually a review for the silicone-free primer. I LOVE it . It's not greasy feeling and a little goes a long way. I have tried so many primers and they all made me break out or didn't make my makeup last. This is the first one that keeps my skin clear and helps my foundation (Bare Minerals) last the whole work day. It's not super cheap and the container is small, but it lasts a long time and works great!

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jackiii18 on 2/4/2013 9:49:00 AM more reviews by jackiii18

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This is an alright primer. I don't really have a problem with making my makeup last all day so I just use primer to minimize my large pores and help my foundation go on smoothly in the winter when I'm super dry. This primer did make my makeup go on more smoothly, but it did nothing to help my pores look smaller. I actually think it exaggerated the size of them around my nose and cheeks, which is why I won't be repurchasing.

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jaycarr on 1/10/2013 2:37:00 PM more reviews by jaycarr

Age: Unknown   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium Brown   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This primer is surprisingly good! I have a very oily t-zone (and entire face in humidity) and this held my liquid foundation well. It's a lotion-based consistency, so its not drying. The key is to use a tiny amount. Start with a pea-sized dot for where you most need primer and spread it to the rest of your face. On my incredibly oily days I did start to bleed through after 4-5 hours, but if paired with a decent sheer HD setting powder you could go even longer without a touch-up. I would buy this over Smashbox Photo Finish primer. They hold up about the same. It's not my favorite primer of all time but it's definitely an underrated product. Worth the $16 bucks!

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amanda1313 on 12/28/2012 3:04:00 AM more reviews by amanda1313

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

It feels so greasy on my hands it drives me NUTS. That alone makes me not want to buy this product. I am not crazy about it.. It's fine, but I don't like it as much as some higher end primers. It seems too greasy for me and it doesn't have the pore coverage I am looking for. If you're going to spend 30 on this, you may as well buy a better one for a bit more. Not worth it..

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AlPi on 12/20/2012 2:56:00 PM more reviews by AlPi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff is amazing! I have super oily skin, and this actually works to help my make up stay on all day whether it be my foundation, or bb cream. I use half a pump for my entire face and that's enough. It has a cooling effect and it smells great. The price is also pretty reasonable when you compare it to other primers at Sephora. Best part is that this is PARABEN FREE which is a huge part of why I think this is amazing. It's a good price, good product, and does not contain harmful chemicals. Most definitely a re purchase.

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*TOP REVIEWER* AllThatGlittters on 9/14/2012 4:13:00 AM more reviews by AllThatGlittters

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

This primer really smooths any lines or acne scarring, and creates a great base for liquid and powder foundation. It makes my foundation glide and smooth on much better and makes skin feel soft to touch. It's kind of a clear gel-like primer, it's not heavy and feels really light. I only use one pump to cover my face, concerntrating where scarring is the most prominent. I don't know if it makes my foundation last any longer throughout the day but for easier, smoother application it is excellent. I would recommend this to any skin type, I have combination skin and it works fine on me and doesn't clog my pores and it's never broken me out like most skin products do. It's similar to Lancome La Base primer, in fact they are almost identical products however this one is much cheaper but gives the same effect.

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rockandlove on 7/4/2012 5:43:00 PM more reviews by rockandlove

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This primer felt very good while applying it. I have normal skin, and the product did have a super moisturizing effect that made my face feel very soft and smooth, and it definitely filled in the few and light fine lines that I have. The downside is that is took a *lot* more foundation than I've found necessary with other primers to provide coverage. Any makeup I tried to apply after putting on this primer just disappeared from my face. It didn't extend the life of my makeup (which is what I primarily look for in a primer). The worst part is my entire face turns sunburn red the a day after using the product. In addition, I'm not a fan of pump bottles as I think it's hard to control the amount that comes out.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Euphoria93 on 7/3/2012 5:37:00 PM more reviews by Euphoria93

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

So I got a sample from Sephora on this primer and bought a big bottle because I liked it. It's lightweight, doesn't clog my pores, leaves no base color on the face and smoothes my skin out before I apply my mineral foundation. The only downside is how it gives my face this weird red color right after I apply it on my face. I have never experienced something like this with a product before, and even if it doesn't sting or anything it's still kind of unsettling. I don't have anything to compare with, and this does work beautifully with my acne prone (but normal) skin, so it is a HG item for now. But I will try to replace it because of the redness my skin gets after applying it. It's just not normal, and it's not only my skin that reacts that way since other people have mentioned it.


The price is a bit stiff, especially considering the small amount you get and the fact that it's not Guerlain, Dior, Chanel or any other higher end product. I will hunt for another product when I start to run out, but for now this works great with my skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* NYCBeauty99 on 6/22/2012 4:34:00 PM more reviews by NYCBeauty99

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is a good primer. It makes the makeup last. However, this is very expensive. Most primers that I've used come in 1 oz packages. This is $15 for 1/2 an ounce (or $30 an ounce). I think that it way too expensive for Sephora brand primer.

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starlessartemis on 6/12/2012 7:07:00 PM more reviews by starlessartemis

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Smooth finish, feels light, and good for applying make up on subsequently. However it clogs my pore and I'm more prone to acne after wearing it. So I wouldn't buy it again.

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seharden135 on 5/3/2012 5:48:00 PM more reviews by seharden135

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I'm not sure I would buy this product again, because, even though my makeup lasted for a few hours, it was so frustrating to put on. First of all, the pump only squirts out a tiny little drop, and it literally squirts it out. It would take me five minutes to put it on because I kept having to squirt more out. But other people seem to love it, so maybe there was just something wrong with my bottle.

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*TOP REVIEWER* bloodymerry52 on 3/13/2012 10:28:00 AM more reviews by bloodymerry52

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This is my HG primer! I absolutely love it! I use about two pumps all over my face. Someone else commented on how red it makes your face after application -- I totally agree. It almost looks like a sunburn on me, but the redness goes away after I apply my powder foundation. I set my makeup with Skindanavia setting spray and everything lasts 12+ hours! The primer also makes my powder foundation apply so nicely. The price is affordable because I've been on the same bottle for about 4 or 5 months, so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. I used to use MAC Matte gel, but this product gives you the same, if not more, product for cheaper.
I have a lot of scars from years of horrible acne. This actually sits on top of the skin to prevent makeup from settling into any scars or wrinkles/lines. I've seen YouTube videos where people sometimes use two thin coats to "blur" the scars.

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thiebautrenata on 2/14/2012 3:46:00 AM more reviews by thiebautrenata

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I haven't used another brand to compare, but I'm quite happy with it. It's smooth, and helps the makeup to stay on. I'm not sure about minimizing the visibility of my pores.

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dawnsch on 2/7/2012 12:23:00 AM more reviews by dawnsch

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I've tried lots of pricey primers, and none of them did much for me -- they didn't extend the life of my makeup or cover pores/fine lines. This Sephora primer does both, and for just $16. Granted, my skin is drier than that of some younger skins who don't like this product (I'm 40), but I can still get greasy with the wrong product. I just a tiny bit of product (even less than pea-sized) and apply just to my nose and cheeks. My Dior makeup glides on smoothly after the primer has set for a minute, and it still looks good many hours later. It may be that I'm not getting greasy because it's winter -- I'm curious how this will work in summer -- but right now, my skin is looking good with the primer.

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