REVIEW | Chanel Le Blanc Light Creator Brightening Makeup Base (Mimosa)

In Mimosa (supposed to help correct redness)

There's also a pink one that's supposed to be brightening

Pros

Helps a bit with redness

SPF 40

Semi matte finish

Not silicone-based (pro for me, see below)

Cons

Strong fragrance (pro for some)

Contains alcohol (4th ingredient)

Settles into large pores and clings onto dry skin

Doesn't help with oil control

Price

$55 for 1 oz / 30 ml

Verdict

The fragrance and texture of this reminds me a lot of the Vitalumiere Aqua foundation (review here), which was alarming bc that foundation sunk into my pores and did not last. Surprisingly, this primer did help my foundation last longer, and also seems to minimize the appearance of large pores initially, but after a while I could see it sinking into my large pores. I didn't really expect to like this due to its... Somewhat unreasonable price tag, but I do like Chanel enough to pay it. If you are willing to spend this much I think it's a decent SPF primer (one of the few I've seen that's not silicone based, which make me oily and make my makeup slip).

Repurchase?

Maybe

Would I recommend it?

If you like Chanel and can get your hands on it. I looked it up online and it seems like only the Chanel website sells it? I got mine at a Macy's counter.

REVIEW | Shu Uemura POREraser UV SPF 35 PA+++ underbase mousse

Pros

Reduces oil on my face more than anything else I've tried

Reduces appearance of pores

Matte base for foundation

Cons

Need to apply quickly, or else it dries too fast

Slight white cast

Feels drying with no moisturizer

Price

~$20 for 20g on Ebay

~$40 for 50g

This isn't sold on the American Shu Uemura website, I got it at the airport in Hong Kong

Verdict

I really liked this during the summer for the SPF 35 and oil-reducing qualities. I could wear this all day and my face would be barely dewy at night. However, if you don't use a moisturizer underneath this could feel very dry. And if you don't work quickly, the mousse dries on your face before you can blend the tint out. The pump is also a bit hard to control, I often get too much or not enough.

As far as a primer, I don't think it's amazing for foundation to go on, but it is my go-to if I'm going to be out all day and don't want to worry about blotting my face.

Edit:

One gripe I do have now that I am starting to get freckles, SPF35 doesn't last all day, I have to touch up with a SPF powder before hour 6 hits, so keep that in mind

Repurchase?

Probably not

Would I recommend it?

Yes.

Review: Hanskin Annapre Perfect Veil Luxury Makeup Base

Pros

- Green tinted

- SPF 15

Cons

- Whitens the appearance of the skin

- Not easily accessible in the US

Size

45 ml (around 1.5 oz)

Verdict

Unfortunately, this ended up looking incredibly white on my skin, which looked kind of ridiculous even after I put my L'egere BB cream on it. I guess white is better than looking green, but it also didn't seem to correct the redness of my acne scars too much. Luckily I got this as part of a prize package, or else I would've been severely disappointed by the product. I am not sure what I'll be able to use this for, maybe as a highlight for my eyes or cheeks.

In short, unless you have porcelain white skin, this will probably make your skin significantly lighter. Considering my face is already paler than my neck because of the SPF moisturizers I use, it did not look natural or blend in with the rest of my body.

Review: Rimmel Fix & Perfect primer

Hi everyone,

This is one of the few foundation primers out there, and I think one of the cheapest

L: Blended into the skin, as you can tell the tint disappears

Pros:

- Not silicone-based, good for people allergic to silicone

- Inexpensive

- Makes skin smoother for foundation

Cons:

- Isn't as smooth as silicone-based primers

- Tinted (might not blend flawlessly into paler skin tones)

Verdict:

I recommend this for people who want to try a foundation primer but doesn't want to shell out the $20+ that high-end foundation primers cost. However, this probably doesn't blend as well into the skin as silicone-based primers, so those with dry skin should try that first (drugstore versions include Revlon Beyond Natural, Palladio foundation primer)

Repurchase?
Probably not