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

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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.

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

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   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.

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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.

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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~

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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+

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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.

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*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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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*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.

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annoasis on 1/17/2013 12:11:00 PM more reviews by annoasis

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

This is definitely a gimmicky product. The colour swirls do nothing to correct or conceal...My redness was still there...I have combination skin and this product, although it's moisturizing, after a bit my face gets really oily...This definitely is not good on my skin as a primer. I only suggest this product if you feel your skin is really dry and wanted to moisturize it, this actually leaves a nice soothing feeling. However, the product does not work as it claims and I would definitely not repurchase this...

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jessahorsting on 1/15/2013 6:22:00 PM more reviews by jessahorsting

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

Total waste of money. It does absolutely NOTHING. I have never really enjoyed Almay makeup but I went in on a whim and bought this product hoping that it would replace my Hard Candy primer. Big mistake. The price is super expensive for drugstore makeup coming in at almost $18 CAD. I do like the pump, but other than that everything else is just blah. It does not "perfect" nor "correct" in any way... just leaves a sticky film over my face. It sucks as a primer, my makeup smears off within a solid 4-5 hours. Glad it didn't break my skin out at least. I don't recommend and will not repurchase.

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PokeyPuppy on 1/13/2013 1:07:00 AM more reviews by PokeyPuppy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

Smells like urine!!!! That's a terrible scent for any where, but especially your face!!

I haven't tried many primers, but I really didn't notice much difference after using this. My skin looks a little nicer (there's a nice glow), but I had to apply a lot of product before I even noticed any difference at all. It didn't do much of anything for redness, in fact, it probably caused more redness because it made my face sting a little. I'm scared to put this stuff on my eyelids.

I imagine there are much better primers out there.

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aliengirrl on 1/8/2013 10:13:00 PM more reviews by aliengirrl

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Black, Curly   Eyes: Green    

Tried this product as it's a cheaper primer. It didn't correct redness. It did though make my skin very silky and smooth the first time I used it, second time I used this my skin did get oily and it caused me to breakout. Won't be buying this product again.

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