I'm primed and ready! ~Laura Mercier Foundation Primer~

Author's Rating:

Pros: Makeup goes on smoother, lasts longer with this primer

Cons: Expensive!

The Bottom Line: 
An expensive product but one that delivers and can make some cheaper makeup look better.

Author's Review
Foundation primers are nothing new but most women overlook this step in their makeup routine for the same reason I did: who wants to take the time to add another layer of makeup? I know I sure didn't, but out of curiosity, and perhaps to prove my theory that this type of product was a waste of time, I decided to try Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. Well, I guess I was wrong, or perhaps I just happened to use a real good one, because this foundation primer totally changed my views on this type of product.

Product Details

Foundation Primer came out in 1995 and has the distinction, claims Laura Mercier, of being the first product of its type. Its purpose was the same as a painter who primes his canvas: to "prime" and ready the skin for smooth, flawless application of makeup.

Laura Mercier describes their primer as a colorless gel. However, I don't really feel that's quite accurate. To me it seems like something that's halfway between a gel and a cream in its consistency and it does have a slight milky color.

This particular primer is deemed appropriate for normal and combination skin, and is fortified with antioxidants Vitamins A,C, and E to provide anti-aging benefits to this primer as well. The primer also comes in a hydrating formula for dry skin and an oil-free formula for oily skin types.

Like other Laura Mercier products it comes with a pretty hefty price tag - $30 for 1.7 ounce tube. It does seem atrociously high, but I have found with this product as well as other Laura Mercier cosmetics that they are very concentrated, with a little bit going a long, long way.

Usage

I apply Laura Mercier Foundation Primer after my moisturizer and sunscreen. For best results I recommend that you wait a few minutes to make sure any products you have applied first are fully absorbed before applying the primer. I dot it lightly on my face and blend in. As I mentioned earlier, you don't need a lot as it glides easily over the skin. Don't forget the eye area either!

After applying my skin feels super smooth and silky. It doesn't need as much time to set on the skin as a moisturizer so I can proceed with applying the rest of my makeup within a minute. For skeptics like me it's pretty amazing. Makeup really does go on smoother and I find I need less foundation, no matter what type I happen to be using--mineral makeup, regular liquid foundation, or a whipped mousse type makeup. The rest of the products I use, from eyeshadow to blush, go on more easily as well and really cling well to the skin. The results is longer lasting makeup that looks fresh all day!

Conclusion

I'm always on the lookout for makeup bargains. Obviously at $30 a pop for Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, this is not one of them. However, the benefit in using this product is that it can make some less expensive makeup look a lot better and wear longer. Most of the makeup products I'm currently wearing are from the drugstore, in the $5-$10 range and I find that they look much much better when I'm using this primer, getting the sort of wear I'd normally might only get from much more expensive brands. So I think it's a reasonable trade off and one that will motivate to continue using Laura Mercier. This tube has lasted me a good 6 months, so I figure $30 twice a year will actually save me a lot of money in that I can use some inexpensive cosmetics with great results. 5 stars!

Ingredients:

Water, Tridecyl Neopentanoate, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Honey Extract, Allantoin, Kiwi Extract, Grape Extract, Aloe Extract, Thea Sinensis Extract, Lavender Extract, Orange Extract, Palmarosa Extract, Jasmine Extract, Rose Extract, Geranium Extract, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lanolin, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, Fd&C Red #40, Fd&C Yellow #5.

Other Laura Mercier products:
Secret Camouflage