Optical Illusion Complexion Primer

This one is tricky.When I first got it I tried to use it with moisturiser under it and it was just a massive no. It wouldn't work - it was streaky and patchy and just horrendous.So I have to use it straight onto my skin. My skin is a pain because it's dry at first but then gets super oily.So when I pat this stuff onto my skin it feels horrible. So dry. Also you have to move FAST because it will dry quickly. (Don't rub it in or it goes white and steaks/settles round your pores, then when you put your foundation on parts go way dark brown and some parts go white)Then when I put on my foundation I have to use an awful lot of it because once it touches the primer it will.not.move. There's no blending because it immediately sticks and doesn't budge.For some reason no matter how careful I am it creases horribly under my eyes, and as it dries so quickly there's no option for blending.Also when I then try to apply my powder highlight, it won't stick. I have to use a LOT and really be aggressive with it to get it on there. That means sometimes the highlight looks scaly/cakey.Do NOT get it in your eyebrows. It makes them sticky and any powder or foundation that gets anywhere near them will stick and it makes them really hard to do.It also oxidises like crazy. This may depend on the foundation used, I use UD All Nighter in 0.5. It is JUST pale enough for my skin but with this primer it goes orange. It's not subtle at all.The positive is that it does make your foundation look flawless if it's used properly (apart from the eyes). It will go on like a mask and stay like it. And for some reason when it's first applied it looks a little crazy but it seems to 'settle' after a while. Because of my oily skin, after I've been out and about for a while my makeup will just slide off my face, goes patchy and horrible. With this primer, that does not happen.I basically use mine when I go on nights out because it's dark so that way you can't see that the eyes are a little weird or that it makes my foundation go orange.Basically if you have super oily skin, I would recommend trying it. The bottom line with this stuff is that you have to play around with it a lot before you find what makes it work. If you get a sample I would thoroughly recommend trying it out. Less

My skin:-fair to light with yellow undertones-very combination- tendency to dry and flake around mouth and nose, but oily forehead.Currently my skin is relatively unproblematic- only minor acne, generally not too oily or dehydrated, not too much discoloration.I'm always after 'perfect' skin, so I love the idea of full coverage foundations. The problem is, almost no foundation sits well on my skin. My skin texture ends up looking worse for the sake of some evenness. Therefor I tend to look for blurring and illuminating products that can 'perfect' my skin without much color pigment.This primer does exactly what it says!-diminishes pores-evens tone-slightly mattifying-makes face texture smootherI also love that it makes my powder products - bronzer and/or blush - go on much more smoothly. My face looks more smooth and even.I use it on it's own, or mixed with a green primer, or mixed with Becca liquid highlight, or mixed with Becca Backlit Primer.I had NOT tried it- and will not try it- under foundation.Although I normally can't stand silicone products (all standard Smashbox primers), this one has a slight mattifying effect that makes the initial silicone feeling quickly dissipate.Cons-it does feel grainy when spreading across face-initially feels like very liquidy siliconeThis probably won't work for darker skin, very flaky skin or very oily skin.I look forward to putting this on my face every day! « less

I bought the travel size of this on a whim while waiting to checkout one day. I'm in my thirties and have found myself struggling with dry skin and some new texture issues since having my children. I maintain a strict skincare routine, have tried dozens of primers and foundations with no relief. I had pretty much given up hope that I could ever get any foundation to lay nicely on my face. I didn't expect much from this but it blew me away. It's a very thick consistency, much thicker than anything else I've ever tried. It did concern me initially that something that felt so heavy would irritate my skin but when I applied it to my face, I was shocked by how light and nice it felt. It also helped conceal some of the redness I've been experiencing in my textured areas but most importantly, my foundation looked incredible over it. It filled in my pores, smoothed over my texture and it made my makeup last the entire day! I've always been skeptical about whether a primer is really necessary but this one really delivers for me. I'm still using the travel sized bottle a month later but I've already gone out and purchased the full sized one for when it finally does run out. Fantastic product. « less

I’ve only had this primer on for an hour so far, but if anything changes I will edit my review. So far, this primer went on smooth. I was a bit nervous that it would feel thick on my skin, as it feels thick when you first put it on, but it smoothies out, leaving your skin feeling like velvet. My pores look smaller, and my complexion looks better than with my usual primer. I feel confident in this primer. Would highly recommend

I have a medium-deep (Indian) skin tone with yellow/gold undertones. I don't have a lot of redness or acne but I do have some blemishes and dark spots. I don't like to wear foundation, bb/cc creams, or tinted moisturizer so I was looking for a primer that would even out my skin tone and minimize my pores and fine lines. After trying a lot of primers, I hadn't been able to find one that could even skin tone and mattify/minimize pores. So, I was completely shocked when this did both. Not only is this primer so easy to apply and blend out (a little goes a long way), it is so light weight and natural-looking and DOES minimize your pores. Now, I'm saying that this is a miracle worker, but for me it made my skin, well, look like "my skin" but better. I know that some people have voiced issues with it leaving a white cast or washing women of color out; however, it did neither for me. You only need to use a little (because it does spread easily) and really blend it out--just really work it and massage it into your skin. I do this and add the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder (Medium/Deep) and I'm good to go for the day. I could not be happier with this products. If you have really large pores, I would suggest using something like Benefit POREfessional on those specific places if you don't get enough coverage/minimization from this product. I would definitely recommend this primer to people looking for a natural look. For evening skin tone, it is much better than the Mally Neutralizing Primer. « less