having quite a combination skin, I’ve always struggled with some oiliness in the summer, especially right above my laugh lines and right next to my nose. my skin has the fabulous ability of only glowing where it shouldn’t, basically.
yes, of course I’ve tried the Benefit The Porefessional primer. oh, that thing looks absolutely stunning: everything airbrushed and blurred to perfection, no pores, soft skin… for 10 minutes. after that it starts to slide and break down, and it sinks into the pores it was supposed to be covering, making them look more deep than they naturally are, and making my foundation look just gross and blotchy. now there’s a look for you! I can pull that one off easy peasy, I don’t get why it isn’t a trend!
I tried it under and over foundation, thin and thick layers, applying foundation right after, or letting it set. to no avail. it only looks good (still, for 30 minutes, tops, then it disappears), on bare skin. it’s pretty good for simple bare-skin photoshoots if your subject already has a pretty good skin to start with – especially for guys who don’t like too much gunk on their faces.
ever since, I’ve given up on heavy silicone primers. I find that they actually don’t work on oily/combination skin, oh, the irony, because the natural oils make them move around and break down like crazy. my makeup seems to last even less than usual with these, it looks even more greasy than usual quicker than usual, and it does not fade with dignity.
so, with summer closing in, I was on the hunt for a good primer that actually did what it said on the bottle: mattifying and minimising the appearance of pores while making my makeup stay in place for a bit longer. I was almost losing faith in finding something that didn’t feel like silicone, until I tried and fell in love with this Make Up Forever Step 1 Mattifying primer.
it seems like a gel instead of a silicone paste, and it feels fresh (not minty-tingly) when you apply it. you need the tiniest amount – a pin-sized amount for each side, for me. once it sets, you can see right away that the area is matte, and it won’t move around or interfere with the foundation – it just lays thinly on your skin, creating a smooth surface that doesn’t feel or look fake – it’s absolutely invisible. I advise you to apply it in small sections, because it sets really really fast.
as far as longevity (being that I don’t apply it all over my face, so I can’t vouch for making foundation last that much longer), I can say that it lasts as long as my foundation, and it doesn’t fade in any weird/greasy/lumpy way nor feels like it’s clogging my pores or anything. from a moment on, it just isn’t there anymore.
on the other hand, I don’t feel my skin too dry or tight after using it at all, neither I feel that it is overproducing oils to compensate any dryness. but remember: I only use it on small sections, not all over.
I’ve used it with liquid and mineral powder foundations, and it worked as well with both.
it is an investment, as all MUFE products, but this one, for me, is a staple. if you suffer from any grade of, let’s say, shine on the wrong places, give it a try.
the freevolous 