This is a new-ish primer from Revlon that is supposed to do more than just one thing. It can be worn by itself for a smooth poreless finish, under makeup or even over makeup to prolong the makeup wear and minimize shine.
I knew what it was from the beginning - solidified silicone balm, which is not exactly a revolutionary thing. Silicones have played a major role in the cosmetic industries for many years now. They smooth, prime and mattify whether they are added in something (foundation, powder, blush or almost everything including skincare) or on its own. I am saying that Revlon Photoready Prime + Antishine Balm does the job.
The problem for me was that I couldn't fit this in any place of my makeup routine, neither under nor over.
I must credit the very original of all, Benefit Dr. Feelgood. When it first came out, we were all wowed by it's silkiness ("what kind of sorcery is this?!"), although it is basically the same thing - solidified silicone balm with talc (we didn't know that back then, did we?). At least Dr. Feelgood comes in an adorable retro tin (I love tins. Have I told you that?). The Revlon comes in an ugly. It is long-ish and awkward looking and contains a rather useless sponge. Oh, and the compact catches lint like there is no tomorrow.
I've tried it over a sunscreen, and it worked fine and does not seem to mess with the sunscreen layer. My skin feels smoother and pores look smaller. It isn't a significant difference that I would choose this over a tinted moisturizer or foundation, though.
And because I have been wearing lots of sunscreen lately plus my sunscreen and foundation already contain some silicones, I don't feel this additional step of priming is necessary. I don't particularly suffer oily skin is another thing.
When worn over makeup, I was actually surprised to see that Revlon Photoready Prime + Antishine Balm did a good job smoothing out and mattifying the complexion. Unfortunately the sponge applicator isn't useful and I have to use my fingers. Mind you that I have a pretty powder compact that does the same job and this doesn't require me to use fingers.
It isn't a complete loss because I enjoy quite a bit wearing the balm under my eyes after applying sunscreen. This will help the under eye areas look smooth throughout the day.
Like I said, it does what it's supposed to do. I just don't see this is a must to be included in my daily routine in any way. For the same reason, I doubt that the more luxurious version, YSL Blur Perfector would be worth splurging. I mean, I would rather buy the HD Translucent Powder if I want the pretty YSL packaging.
Thanks for reading!
Have you tried a balm type silicone primer? What's your experience?
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