Almay • Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer • Primer/ Corrector

Where To Buy?

1alexa on 6/14/2013 2:36:00 PM more reviews by 1alexa

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This product is a joke. What a gimmick and I fell for it. Luckily I could return it. The packaging looks cools and I like the pump and that was it. It made my face have a green cast even blended in well!!! The way it goes on your skin it was like slime. It never dried and stayed tacky and did nothing to prime my skin. Fail for Almay.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nikku506 on 5/29/2013 8:48:00 PM more reviews by nikku506

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I have no problem with this product NOW, now you might ask what I mean by "now" ? I will explain, the first time I used this product i broke me out bad with my foundation and with that I put it away, well I called Almay to tell them what happen and they said it shouldn't break me out and they told me to put some on my inner upper arm to see if there was any problems and I saw none. So I thought it was safe to put on my face and it was!!! I work, no breakouts no allergic reaction. So I thought to myself was it my foundation or the primer and then it hit me "IT'S MY FOUNDATION" sure enough it was but thankful I had replace that foundation with l"oreal bb cream. The only flaw is it doesn't hide the redness unless you leave green (don't rub it in tho) on the red area but other than that nothing else, it makes my makeup more vibrant and last longer

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AJ1415 on 5/28/2013 5:11:00 AM more reviews by AJ1415

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

Awful. I should have researched this before I bought it. It made me break out so bad and it does absolutley nothing. Do not buy!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

andraealynne on 5/22/2013 1:38:00 PM more reviews by andraealynne

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

For a higher-priced drugstore primer this is just... Not worth it. No discernible color correction, doesn't dry matte, makes all face products look cakey.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

pk23 on 5/7/2013 10:20:00 AM more reviews by pk23

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I loved the eye catching colours within the primer and curious to see how the colours could help cover redness.
I did not see a real difference in my skin using this primer and actually felt it created more lines on my forehead then it actually smoothed which is a major problem to me.
As far as long wearing, I didnt see any improvements. I used this for about 2 weeks before moving onto another one.
I wouldn't consider repurchasing this.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rs02 on 5/6/2013 7:18:00 AM more reviews by rs02

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is an average primer. It makes my makeup last longer but doesn't do much color correcting for the redness/ scarring on my skin. The smell doesn't bother me, and I like that it has a pump.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Lenright on 4/28/2013 6:17:00 PM more reviews by Lenright

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

this made my skin soo oily and feel disgusting. I tried this in the winter time so my skin was not oily, but a little dry. Once i put this primer on my face, it made all of my makeup come right off. I used it twice and its probably one of the worst products i have ever used.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ShashaLoveU on 4/12/2013 10:03:00 PM more reviews by ShashaLoveU

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

FIRST IMPRESSION : LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE the packaging! really eye catching. I like the pump, gets every bit of product out.

THINGS YOU MIGHT HATE: smells like NAIR hair remover (creme) and i really don't like that. But maybe some people might find it pleasant? When you apply it, it feels...uncomfortable. It's like a tight feeling but not the good type of tight feeling.
5-10 minutes after applying you might notice slight redness (depends skin type: i have very oily skin) and might feel tiny bumps on your forehead or chin, possibly both if you are really unlucky. Feels itchy, especially around the lips and eye area. last up to 4-5hrs and when I went for a "bathroom mirror break" and blot my face, my foundation came of ( I put only 1 layer of foundation and no concealer) so that's pretty much a down side.

THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE: The packaging, the price (got it for 8$ i think? I used a gift card so i don't remember :/ sorry). you might also like how well it can fade a tiny bit of your uneven skin tone and scars. That's all i got

NOTE: this is not for oily skin... lets face it, primers are not meant for us super oily skinned people (except urban decay: HUGE TUMPS UP)

WILL I REPURCHASE? : sadly, no.

Hope this review helped~

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cblazer973 on 4/8/2013 3:32:00 PM more reviews by cblazer973

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I thought this was a cool primer when I first saw the commercial late last year. I had really no experience with primers and at that point I needed something with some correction and priming to keep my makeup looking good all day long. I purchased and then mysteriously lost it. When I finally found it I was ecstatic however I should have saved that happiness for something else. Packaging is really what sold me because of its unique look and its convenient pump. However, the product does nothing as far as correction, it peels off as I apply foundation, and it makes my skin shinier as the day goes on. I love Almay's smart shade products, but this is a fail.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ElizabethCML on 3/29/2013 10:30:00 AM more reviews by ElizabethCML

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

1st Almay currently test on animals. The packaging is good looking, easy to use, and gets the last drop out. But the product leaves a slippery feel to your skin, that dose not help for keeping your foundation on. As for the color correcting claims... I guess the green slightly cancels out any redness, and the purple dose NOT brighten you complexion.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

VictoriaLauren13 on 3/27/2013 7:53:00 PM more reviews by VictoriaLauren13

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Not the worst primer but definitely not the best! Biggest thing... It smells AWEFUL!! It does go on nicely but doesn't give as smooth as finish as other primers I have used! I won't be buying it again simply because of the smell!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

morgann on 3/23/2013 4:07:00 AM more reviews by morgann

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this today and used it on my skin to test it out and it irritated and burnt my skin which is weird because Almay is supposed to be formulated for sensitive skin. I'm not sure if the product would even work very well even if it didn't irritate as it is a very thin primer and feels slightly tacky on my skin. I live in New Zealand and this was a ridiculous $29!! I'm much better off investing in Smashbox.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Chevygirl14 on 3/19/2013 12:35:00 PM more reviews by Chevygirl14

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I'm surprised at all the negative reviews! I just bought this last week and have used it almost everyday. I love it!! It blurs imperfections, and makes my skin glowy :) I don't think the smell is bad or overpowering. Smells like a normal foundation to me, even though it's primer.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

DonDiva on 3/17/2013 9:44:00 PM more reviews by DonDiva

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

I love how pretty it looks. That's all the good i have to say about this one :( It smells funny, its dry and the purple and green flakes off on your skin during application. it does not make my foundation stick, which i need because i have oily skin, does not control oil.. (before i leave the house I'm covered in oil already)... but its cute so i keep it in the cabinet.. will not buy again, because decoration never gets used.


Overall grade? F+

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

frostygrrl on 3/14/2013 1:14:00 PM more reviews by frostygrrl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

Wow, I'm really surprised by the negative reviews of this product! Then again, this is the first primer I've ever used. I'm pretty fair skinned with acne scarring and skin that tends to be red, especially on my cheeks underneath my eyes. I've only been using this for a few days, but I think it's great! I put it on and my sister and I watched the redness on my face disappear. It doesn't dry sticky or greasy and it didn't make my face oily either, and I swear, I have the greasiest face ever. I don't even wear any kind of cover up or foundation or anything on my face anymore because after an hour or so it will start sliding off. So to my pleasant surprise this product didn't make my face greasy at all, and I didn't really notice a smell either. It's probably not something I will use every day (I don't like to be too dependent on make up) but as long as it continues to work the way it does, I would definitely buy it again.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* UrbanObsession on 3/13/2013 2:05:00 AM more reviews by UrbanObsession

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Curly   Eyes: Blue    

This primer made my face feel like a greasy bag of chips and it smells like it too! Normally, I enjoy products with color-correcting properties, which is what intrigued me to buy this on a whim. My skin is ruddy and uneven, very oily, and a few acne scars for reference. I applied this to my freshly washed face with a small amount of moisturizer underneath and was repulsed by the scent which is potent and reminds me of potato chips--so gross! The texture is really thick and I felt like it sat atop my skin without absorbing into it like good primers do. A half hour after application, my skin looked so greasy!! I didn't notice an improvement in the way my skin looked and this junk felt so tacky on my skin...it broke me out after one day and I haven't used since.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

MoodySunshine on 3/4/2013 8:02:00 PM more reviews by MoodySunshine

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Ok ladies, this is probably the worst primer out there. 1) It smells absolutely awful. 2) It made my skin feel and look oily. 3) It for some reason brought out the redness in my skin instead of concealing it. Even when I put the foundation over top it still felt sticky. So I will never buy this product again!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

christinaMF on 1/31/2013 7:43:00 PM more reviews by christinaMF

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

absolutely horrible. it does nothing for oil, colour correcting, or staying power. it smells like urine, as another post below says. total waste of money. i will put it on, and it does nothing for the smooth application for my foundation or anything. the only thing it has going for it is the packaging.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

swirlpeace67 on 1/25/2013 7:31:00 PM more reviews by swirlpeace67

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Other    

meh, 2 thumbs down. didnt bring out the oil in my t-zone,
it had an dewy feel, not satiny like smashbox,
the concept was great,
but the SMELL, dear lord, worst product smells on earth,
it literally smelled like rotten eggs, so not cool.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* AllAboutMe83 on 1/18/2013 9:03:00 PM more reviews by AllAboutMe83

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight   Eyes: Green    

I just want to start off by saying that I don't use Almay products so when I purchased this primer I really didn't know what to expect, Im a sucker for any "swirl" looking products in general LoL.
Im really surprised at the many negative reviews because I think this primer lives up to my expectations. I must agree it's a very light primer and so in very humid/hot weather conditions it won't deliver.
I also don't think this primer is suitable for oily skins, I happen to have drier skin so it's fine for me. I wouldn't use this primer if I were looking for like an 16hr lasting effect I would reach out for my Smashbox primer in that case.
As far as any tone correction, I didn't notice much but it does have a slight luminizing effect which I also like. (hate a matte look)
I use this mainly with my Olay Tone Correcting Tinted Moisturizer for a no makeup day. Overall Im very pleased with this primer because it's not heavy or silicone like, non irritating and does not clog my pores.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No