The POREfessional is on the left compared to the new Hello Flawless foundation on the right.
Benefit The POREfessional pore minimizing Pro-Balm - £23.50 at Benefit counters
I always wonder why anyone would use a primer over make up. The instructions always say something like ‘use alone, under or over make up for silky smooth skin’ but I thought the rules of a primer were to use before applying foundations so that your make up would stay put all day. That was until the day I spent fifty quid at a Benefit counter in Boots in order to receive my eye cream freebie – desperate times. As I mentioned in my last post, I patiently awaited the release of the Hello Flawless foundation and when that day arrived, the little blue plastic was used and my best friend caught me as the Benefit lady handed over my bag of goodies into my slightly psychotic –gimme gimme – and clammy hands – busted.
Sales techniques worked on my poor naive little brain, and I fell for the ‘I’ve been wearing this foundation since last night at like 10PM and it’s STILL on 7PM TODAY. You NEED the primer, I’m telling you’ line. Oh em gee, fifty pounds later and I was the proud owner of three new Benefit items. Proud until the moment I realised I’d spent a month’s worth of travel, on approximately 55ml of coloured liquid. However, luckily for me, the products actually do what they say they do. Of course, the obvious thing happened and the thing that I originally wasn’t too bothered about, was actually the thing I grew to love most.
I apply a pea sized amount of The POREfessional over my t-zone and cheeks with the Real Techniques buffing brush, and even before applying foundation over it, the difference in my skin is already visible. My pores are smoothed and my face looks brighter. In terms of how long my foundation lasts with this compared to without, I couldn’t tell you, what I’m most impressed about it this: you know there comes a time of day when we look in the mirror and foundation has begun to crack –!?- and cling to areas of your face where quite frankly, you wish it would not. At this point, we’d usually whack out our powder, concealer and foundation and get buffing. Three weeks down the line and we’re due a new foundation –who knew all those ‘touch ups’ would require so much foundation? One day, I followed the Primer recommendations and buffed a small pea of primer onto my cheeks and over my nose. Amazingly, it smoothed out my foundation and I looked like it was 8am and I’d just applied my whole face.
Next time you leave the house, leave your foundation at home and instead, take your primer – if you use one, as I’m sure they all do the same thing really. Only I decide to spend almost twenty five quid on one…. hm. When that time of day comes just gently sweep over some primer with your foundation brush and see if it works for you. I’m amazed with my new discovery, and I am sad to admit that I will be spending my money on this again when I run out.
To see my skin when wearing the primer check out my most recent FOTD here and I tend to upload a lot of facey photos to my Instagram and Twitter – @inordinateplush for both.
