Smashbox • Photo Finish Primer • Primer/ Corrector

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TopNotchCherrii on 6/1/2012 5:44:00 PM more reviews by TopNotchCherrii

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

It has been a while since i reviewed anything but this just made me so frustrated!
I had been talked into getting this primer by a mua working at ulta. I told her I needed a new primer (ran out of mac prep/prime) and i needed somethng to help the foundation from settling in the lines around my nose. She said that this was her HG primer and that it helps with all her imperfections so i decided to go for it.
Its under 40 dollars which is okay if it would have worked i guess. To me its no different than MACs Matte creme (ok so Smashbox's is a little thicker in consistancy) Honestly real talk its nothing special in my opinion. Far from loving it and on the verge of hating it. Everytime i look at it, it just feels like im looking at wasted money.. i wish it would have worked for me, guess ill just keep looking :(

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SamanthaJo19 on 6/1/2012 4:05:00 PM more reviews by SamanthaJo19

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

I can't say there is a big difference between this primer and other more affordable primers. I'd save your money, and buy a different one instead of spending 30 dollars!
Pro's:
Keeps Makeup On
Silky, Smooth, & Light Weight

Con's:
Smells AWFUL! (usually I hate when people say how a makeup smells bad, but this really smells bad!)
Made me break out more
Price is Awful

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KatDeClay13 on 6/1/2012 4:12:00 AM more reviews by KatDeClay13

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

Okay my skin is extremely oliy and I get dry patches and I have rough textured skin but after using this it seems to work amazingly perfect for my kin type and smoothes everything out. I only use a pea sized amount and it seems like it would be a problem for anyone who has sensitive or oily skin. As for my skin type it worked wonders. And it gives my skin a matte finish which is what I go for. I just use it when I think I absolutely need to though cause its crazy expensive!

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deamber on 5/25/2012 4:07:00 PM more reviews by deamber

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Blond, Curly   Eyes: Grey    

I bought this because I thought it was going to be gentle for my oily and sensitive skin but sadly that was not the case. If I wear this 3 days in a row I tend to brake out, what I was looking for was something gentle that would work. When I apply this my skin feels soft and smooth and foundation does seem to go on easily but this has no effect on the lasting power of foundation. It actually makes my face a bit more oily. This might be perfect for gals that have dry skin. Its to expensive for a product that barely gets the job done.

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*TOP REVIEWER* msmarielliejellie on 5/25/2012 2:22:00 AM more reviews by msmarielliejellie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I normally don't wear face primer, as I have very dry skin. However I bought this because I want to even out the texture of my skin since foundation often highlights dry patches on my skin and wears off on those places faster. Now this is only the 2nd primer I have in my collection, the first one was the Magic Studio Base by Loreal--which is an utter failure because it comes off in little flecks and hardly even does the job. So I guess this one is a better replacement for that since it doesn't rub off in small specks and it does stay on my fave prior to foundation. In terms of the wear, It helps prolong my foundation, but I would still have to touch up along my T-zone at least once. I would say I'm in the middle, I neither like it or hate it but that's also partly because I'm still skeptical at this point. But one thing's for sure, I'm glad to be using this other than my Loreal one.

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iBain300 on 5/25/2012 12:41:00 AM more reviews by iBain300

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

I got the mini version of this product at sephora for $17 and was displeased. The only reason I opted for it was because I purchased it with a giftcard. The best thing abt it was it's packagaing, it was mini so great for traveling but unreasonably priced I can only imagine the full sized product price. It's expensive for no reason, my foundation transfered more with it and I got twice as oily using it. I know pleanty of drugstore primers that do a better job at half the plrice.

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jaecikae on 5/23/2012 11:24:00 AM more reviews by jaecikae

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I have normal-to-dry, sensitive skin and this product is seriously great. It makes my skin feel incredibly smooth. I've been using it almost daily for a month and I swear that my skin is better even without makeup, as though it also serves as a moisturizer. Doesn't make the skin greasy -- leaves a powder smooth foundation for your concealer, powder, foundation, whatever. Makes my pores and fine lines invisible. Definitely HG for me.

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plasticbambi on 5/21/2012 6:33:00 PM more reviews by plasticbambi

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

This stuff really makes me loose faith in primers. I've never found one that works! This one like others just doesn't do anything for me. My pores are just as big. My foundation lasts the same amount of time (if not less). I have dry skin and less makes my skin look sooo shiny. I mean my skin's dull but, I don't need straight up grease. I'll go without primer before using this.

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kas7686 on 5/17/2012 5:37:00 PM more reviews by kas7686

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This primer works really well for my skin. It doesn't break me out and helps to minimize the appearance of my pores and lines. It doesn't have a smell that I've noticed and leaves my face feeling very soft.

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paneradfisk on 5/3/2012 8:31:00 PM more reviews by paneradfisk

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Packaging:
The one I have comes in a clear, plastic tube and it's easy to squeeze out the amount you need, and no product will be wasted as you can get everything out, and you can see how much is left. The cap is a screw cap so it won't leak.


Formula:
It's made of silicone, so it is thick at first but feels thinner after you rub it between your palms. Feels slippery and smooth. It's easy to spread over your face and it won't feel thick or nasty. It can feel a little greasy after you applied it on oily skin, but for dry skin it's great. It doesn't have any particular smell and it has no colour, it is like a clear silky gel.


Price:
This is very expensive but lasts quite a while as you don't need much each time. For me it lasts 6 month.


Personal opinion:
This is the only primer that prevents foundation from creasing around my chin, mouth, nose and under eyes. I love the silky smooth feel of it, and my makeup stays on all day until I take it off. Using other primers like MAC Prep + Prime my foundation creases and fades during the day. It is expensive, but worth it considering it's the only primer that works for me.


Advice:
Get a sample or travel size. The full size is expensive and if you happen to dislike it, it wouldn't be a huge loss if you got the travel size.


4/5, would get 5 if it costed less.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Uglyashley on 5/1/2012 6:22:00 PM more reviews by Uglyashley

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This primer sucks horribly. Like previous reviews stated, it melts my foundation off. This doesn't help with the durability of it at ll. It feels amazing when you apply it at firsts, a nice silky texture. But does absolutely nothing to keep your make-up on longer. It's caused me to get tiny, under skin pimples all over my forehead and leaves me looking oily within 3 hours.

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dallas2456 on 4/25/2012 2:55:00 PM more reviews by dallas2456

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I tried this primer after hearing so many good things about it. After several applications and many different attempts to mix and adjust to the product, the product failed for me. It feels smooth and silky on my skin. That said' I am currently looking for a friend who might enjoy mine for free.

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*TOP REVIEWER* karissajean on 4/21/2012 7:46:00 PM more reviews by karissajean

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

This primer is just not worth the time and money. It's your basic silicone-smooth finishing primer... you can find a dozen brands who do the same for much cheaper. To Smashbox's credit I do like the finish of this (it sets more matte than some cheaper versions) but the consistency is thicker and in general I'm liking the silicone feel less and less. I tried a generous travel size of this in the "Try it Kit" (don't buy it trust me), and it took me such a long time to use this up partly because it doesn't require much (very nice) but also because I hardly reached for it. It just didn't "Wow" me in any way, and honestly for me to spend $20 or more on a product that has more competitors than a spider has legs, it needs to impress me.

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meganxloveee on 4/21/2012 12:35:00 AM more reviews by meganxloveee

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Dry, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I LOVE this primer. It leaves a nice smooth finish to your skin. I did my cousins makeup once with this primer and she was hooked. It really does help with products lasting longer. I've never found a better primer. I suggest it to anyone. Also, I have very dry skin and it kind of works as a moisturizer as well as a primer. Love it. <3

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Eastend_Snob on 4/20/2012 9:15:00 AM more reviews by Eastend_Snob

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

It's ok. Initially, I really liked this primer despite the funny silicon-like texture and thought it helped my makeup look flawless. However, I started breaking out without realising the cause until I stopped using the primer temporarily due to laziness. My skin instantly cleared up. So no go for me ever again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* SkullGlitter on 4/16/2012 8:26:00 PM more reviews by SkullGlitter

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

While I appreciate the product for liquid or creme foundations, it's useless for powders and is just too expensive for what it is. I've found ELFs studio primer works better and is about 1/4 the price. I have an oily t-zone and eyelids but extremely dry everything else and eczema flares around my nose and spots around my chin area, so I need a primer that latches foundation to these areas while keeping the moisture in my skin.

The upside? The sample in the squeeze bottle has lasted me about 5 months of constant use plus sporadic use, if I can't find my ELF primer. Granted, this works really well for it's intended use with pictures, as long as you use concealer and foundation also suited to this purpose.

Bottom line: I'd buy it for liquid foundations if I didn't care about the price, but ELF studio primer works identically at 1/5th the price and works better with powder foundations, slightly.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mrrelle on 4/8/2012 3:02:00 AM more reviews by mrrelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Best primer in the world. My skin can be super dry but when I apply this, it smooths out my face within seconds, it's like magic. I'm not happy about the price though, way too expensive..so I bought the travel size bottle first. BTW i only use a drop. Even though this primer has not broken my skin out, I wouldn't use a lot of it. I took one lippie off because of the ridiculous price and the fact that the travel size bottle does not come in a box. I'm not too happy about that, but i'm still satisfied with this wonderful product.

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Vibrant77 on 4/7/2012 1:27:00 PM more reviews by Vibrant77

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I agree with the good and bad reviews on this product.


The trial size was included in my Smashbox complexion kit. I'm not a primer gal, but I decided to test it out with the smashbox HD foundation and powder from my kit. It certainly does give a smooth texture to the skin, feels velvety, but I can see how it would have foundation "slide off".


I only used a pea size. If you use more, that's where the problem lies. Its like trying to paint a silicone or lacquered surface.Knowing how to apply makeup products is more important than the product itself.


I wouldn't recommend buying an entire bottle, get a trial/sample size first and test it out.

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*TOP REVIEWER* amnahp12 on 4/6/2012 4:59:00 PM more reviews by amnahp12

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I hate to leave a short, undetailed review, but long story short: this makes my makeup fall off my face. I have dry/dehydrated skin. It doesn't 'smooth out' my skin and provides a less natural finish as I can't buff anything into the skin. Nope ... nothing going for this one.


But seriously ...how can a primer make your makeup fall OFF your face? If anyone has an answer, I'd love to hear it.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* italiana800 on 4/3/2012 12:09:00 PM more reviews by italiana800

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I usually use this primer in the "light" version (which is white). I've been using that one for about 3 years now, & I love it. I decided to give this version a try to see what the difference was. First off, I like how matte this leaves my face after I apply it. The light version does that too, but this one seemed like it left it a little more matte. I also like how smooth & silky my face feels after I apply this. My foundation also went on really well, & most importantly...STAYED ON. All of these good qualities are also true for the "light" version as well, so I was kind of expecting all that anyways prior to using this. One thing I have to say about the Smashbox primers is that this stuff makes cheap foundation look like a million bucks. When I use this underneath drugstore foundation, it makes the foundations from Chanel (which I've tried in the past), look like crap. Not many primers can say they do that. That's why I'm so amazed by this stuff, & why I manage to take deep breaths to calm myself down as I pay for the hefty price tag of this. This hasn't broke me out....yet. (Hopefully it won't). That's the reason that I've never had the guts to try this one out, & I always stuck with the "light" version to be safe from random pimples. That's why I don't know yet which version I prefer. If this one breaks me out, then obviously I'll never buy this one again. If it doesn't, it may just be a tie breaker. But, this is definitely worth trying. The only thing that kind of bothered me about this one is that it took FOREVER to dry. The consistency of this one is different than the others. This version is more "gel" like, which sits on top of your skin. The other one absorbs into the skin almost like water. I honestly don't know which one I prefer, because they honestly both worked for me. So it's really a matter of which one doesn't break me out & which one seems like it controls oil better. Only time will tell, so I'll update:)





**UPDATE:** This never broke me out (knock on wood), BUT, the photo finish "light" primer (the white one) controls oil better. So, I will continue to buy the light version. Glad I tried this one out though so I could see the difference.

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