Laura Mercier

Is a Primer Necessary?

Do you remember a time when your makeup look consisted of some foundation, a little bit of eyeshadow, some CoverGirl mascara, and lips topped off with gloss? It all seemed so simple and straightforward back then. However, that all seemed to change overnight with the development of products such as BB creams, CC creams, highlighters, bronzers, primers and so forth.

Primers in particular are of interest because of the premise that they can improve coverage and extend your makeup’s longevity. To be clear, there are primers for just about everything: foundation primers, eyelid, eyelash, and even lip primers. However, of those mentioned, I personally cannot live without foundation or eyelid primers. Without these little gems, my makeup would shift, smudge and wear out before you could scream “hot mess.” While I don’t like adding time or more money into my beauty routine than need be, I promise that primers are well worth it.

My Favorite Primers: Face

  1. Rimmel Stay Matte Primer ($6.99) – This particular primer is great for those with normal to oily skin.
  1. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer ($36) – This primer certainly hits the high price point range. However, if budget isn’t an issue, you will have an array of primers to choose from based on your specific need. Of the list below, my loyalty lies with the radiance primer because I love the embedded pearl tint which adds a healthy glow to any foundation.
  1. Benefit the POREfessional Face Primer ($31)

My Favorite Primers: Eyelids

  1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($20 $10)

This is my everyday go-to eyelid primer. A little bit of product really goes a long way and I appreciate the fact that they have other shades that can be worn as primer, highlighters or even shadow.

  1. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($26)

My Favorite Primers: Eyelashes

  1. Tarte Opening Act Lash Primer ($22)
  2. Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum ($28.50)

There are only two situations where I utilize eyelash primers. The first, is to lengthen and create full dramatic lashes. I find that using one is a viable alternative to wearing false eyelashes. The second situation is when I’m using a waterproof mascara. The additional barrier helps protect my natural lashes from the weight of waterproof mascara and helps expedite the mascara removal process.

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Sephora Play! June 2016

Included products in this month’s Sephora Play! bag:

  1. Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It (Full size, $31)
  2. BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer (Full-size, $28)
  3. Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara(Full-size, $24)
  4. BECCA Backlight Priming Filter (Full-size, $38/1oz)
  5. Tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (Full-size, $32)
  6. TOCCA Beauty Florence Perfume (Full size, $68)

First Impressions:

Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It:  I’m a sucker for hair products, especially those that claim to give a “laid-back, air-dried style (as per The Minimalists booklet included in this month’s bag).  So for those of you who have fine hair and are looking for an airy summertime wavy look, I would recommend giving the Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It a try.  Just simply work the product into wet hair and then proceed to loosely braid your hair.  Once your hair is dry, take it out of the braid/braids and you’re good to go. I added some hairspray to keep the waves in a light hold since this products will not withstand in a high humidity environment.

BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer:  Wow…just WOW!!  This bronzer is amazing.  As you all may know from a previous post, I’m a big fan of using a bronzer when looking for a summery glow.   However, I never entertained the idea of using a serum version of bronzer.  Well, I was really surprised with how natural and dewy the BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer is.  And while at first application the serum may look really dark, it actually blends into sheer tint.

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara:  This mascara needs no introduction because anyone who is a makeup fanatic will have heard of this gem. In fact, I recommended the Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara in a previous post.  So don’t think twice about it the next time you run out of mascara – run and purchase the Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara!

BECCA Backlight Priming Filter: I use a primer on a daily basis because it allows my makeup to stay in place.  At the moment, I use Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance ($36/1.7oz) because I love the illuminating effect it gives. I’m happy to announce that the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter is a great addition to my short list of recommended primers.  The overall finish of the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter’s finish is very similar to the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance, the only difference I found was that the BECCA product is a bit more watery compared to the thicker consistency of the Laura Mercier.  If you’re looking at the bottom line, then the Laura Mercier primer will give you more bang for your buck ($36/1.7 oz vs $38/1 oz). However, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter which of the two you use because they are that good.

Tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30: Of the group of products in this month’s Sephora Play! bag, the Tarte Tarteguard is the only flop of the bunch.  First off, it is extremely expensive for a sunscreen at $32 for 1.7 oz bottle.  The price alone puts this product at a severe disadvantage.  However, I was willing to put price point aside and focus on the product itself, but it didn’t get any better.  The Tarte Tarteguard is greasy in nature – like really greasy. It also has a very heavy scent that many would be turned off to. I mean, sunscreen is meant to be applied liberally. While, in theory, giving a sunscreen a pretty scent is a good idea, in reality it can be just too much and will ultimately keep consumers from using this product. Since most of us will be buying sunscreen this summer, I recommend you by pass the Tarte Tarteguard 30 Suncreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30.

Bonus Perfume

TOCCA Beauty Florence: Thank you Sephora Play! for helping me stock up on summer inspired scents.  The TOCCA Beauty Florence perfume is a lovely mix of violet petals and other scents which give a light and timeless scent.  While this is not a perfume, I would buy in full size because I tend to go for musky scents. However, the TOCCA Beauty Florence is a great addition for those days I want something completely different from the norm.

NOTE:  Every Sephora Play! bag comes with a Sephora Play! Pass which gives you 50 extra Beauty Insider Points with any purchase.

Final Verdict: MERGE

Kiss Kiss

Makeup Deconstructed Rating System:

1 Kiss = Purge: Only one of the products in the box/bag is worth keeping.

2 Kisses = Merge: Two to four products make this box/bag worth merging into your makeup collection.

3 Kisses = Splurge: All five products are amazing and worth splurging on!

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