BPGP: NARS Pore Perfecting Primer
Jun 15, 2011
Big news, ladies. I am switching primers. Sure, it’s not headline fodder, but since I’ve been a loyal Laura Mercier user for years, it’s a big change for me.
Over the years, my skin has been damaged by acne, injuries, the D.C. humidity, and just plain old aging. Some of these imperfections are easy to hide, others are impossible to cover. The unevenness can even be accentuated by powder foundations or thick concealers. So a primer that is oil free, light when worn and minimizes pores and other skin imperfections is genius.
I started using NARS ProPrime pore perfecting primer (Sephora, $32) as a sample I picked up with my Sephora VIB points last week. I immediately noticed that my skin looked smoother, especially my cheeks. And I also noticed that my undereye concealer seemed more even and seemed to hold on longer.
I have fairly shiny skin. Strike that. You could signal airplanes off of my t-zone on a humid day. However, this product, while not a miracle cure, does seem to minimize the shine.
I loved the sample of this product so much that I bought a full size before it even ran out. So if you’re struggling with uneven skin texture and/or shocking humidity, give the pore perfecting NARS ProPrime a try.
Belle, I recently splurged on Murad Oil-Control Mattifier ($40 from Sephora, cheaper on Amazon) and have had wonderful results. I have a fairly oily complexion, especially the forehead and chin areas. A small amount controls oil, thus shine, all day! Seriously recommend it.
Belle, have you ever used Stila's One Step Correct? I was recently told about it and have it in my Sephora shopping bag, but am wondering if I should go with this Nars product instead? Thanks!
Here's one to try – not a primer. Urban Decay's All Nighter. Keeps my makeup set from 4:45 am to 7:00 pm, even on 90+ degree days
I also grabbed this as a freebie sample with my Sephora points and I'm a bit torn on it. I just switched foundation (Mac to Bobbi Brown) and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I am classic combination – a little dry on the cheeks and a little oily in the T-zone. With my MAC foundation I was a big fan of this primer, with the Bobbi Brown I might as well not be using primer at all. Go figure. For what it's worth I do like the BB foundation better than MAC.
SB- I would run over to Sephora (Pentagon City, Georgetown, Tysons) and get samples of both and try it out. I would also recomment perfekt. It's really pretty fab.
Two primers that I like are the Bare Escentuals ID primer and also the Rimmel primer. Both are fairly inexpensive; the Bare Escentuals pick around $17 and the Rimmel around $8. Both of them make my skin super soft and keep makeup on through the work day into the night!
Danielle Honig
https://suittoimpress.wordpress.com
SB- I'm using the Stila One Step Correct and it works but it is nothing to write home about. I think I may go back to Smashbox's Primer in Blend (the peachy shade) i find that it smoothes everything out better and lasts longer. Another great one is Becca's Mattifying Primer. Love that one but it is really hard to get a hold of.
SB – i love all things stila. as perfekt goes, it really really broke me out each time i used it.
Thanks for the recs all!
SB- I would NOT going with the Stila if you have even slightly acne-prone skin. I have never used it, but I recently COMPLETELY eliminated all comedogenic ingredients from my beauty products (it's a long list & it was REALLY hard to do) and it did not pass the test…at all. Companies can put non-comedogenic on their label even if it contains clogging ingredients because it's not regulated by the FDA (lovely for all of us that have been struggling for years with acne). If you are blessed to not have that problem, go for it!
My makeup routine is very minimal (under-eye concealer, pressed powder foundation, blush, mascara)… but I’ve been thinking that I need to add a primer to the routine. My skin’s “shine” comes through the makeup cover after a few hours (or less). So, I came to your homepage, searched “primer,” and this post popped up. It’ll be the first one I try! Thanks!
Got it at Sephora… love it! It is working to “mattify” pretty well. That’s the main thing I wanted. I can see a difference using it vs. not.
Any chance you’ve tried the NARS Smooth & Protect Primer SPF 50? I can’t decide between the two products, and the ProPrime seems harder to find these days. Maybe they are phasing it out?