Review: L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

I like primers because they are a quick and easy step in between moisturizer and foundation application. Since I have dry skin, what primers do for me is allow my makeup to apply more smoothly and evenly, providing a nice base. I was curious when L'oreal recently came out with their Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base. At first I was skeptical of this product, the packing is weird and it seems very different to what I am used to in a face primer. I saw Linda Evangelista's face on the advertisements (above pic is a little sample card I got in a magazine) and thought, she has a ton of makeup on, that is totally not her just wearing the base alone. Then I read glowing reviews on many blogs and decided to try it out anyway. This retails in Canada for about $13-$17 CAD, depending on where you get it. I got it for $8 with a $5 off coupon. What happened was the coupon suckered me into buying this.

L'oreal's Studio Secrets Professional Perfecting Base (which is really long name, I am going to refer to it as "base" in this review) is described on the L'oreal website as "instant smoothing results. Get the perfect skin texture, instantly and all day. The silky, lightweight formula glides onto skin and minimizes the look of pores and fine lines. Skin looks and feels smoothed and resurfaced. The result, a unifed matte finish that's flawless. Suitable for all skin types, dermatologist tested, non-comedogenic." Notice how it does not say that this base will help your makeup to stay on longer? I find almost every review of this product mentions how the user's makeup stayed on longer. I generally do not find that any primer actually helps my makeup to stay on longer, however, since my dry is dry I don't have the issue of my makeup disappearing or sliding off.

This product comes in a cute, small glass container, it's 0.5oz of pale pink whipped mousse consistency. The texture reminds me of cake icing. It doesn't feel like the primers that I am used to like Smashbox Photofinish, Gosh Velvet Primer, ELF Minreal Primer, Monistat Anti-chafing or Revlon Smoothing Primer, and also not like MAC's Prep and Prime lotion consistency. Here starts my first issue with this product, the texture of it and the size. Since this base is a thick mousse consistency it is harder to apply than a liquidy clear primer, at least for me. I have to work more at getting this even and blended, which bugs me. The packaging, despite being cute is not practical at all, I have to dig your fingers in to apply this, I would much rather a pump. I have short nails and even despite that, this stuff gets in my fingernails.

Second, the size, many reviewers have stated that this is affordable, cheaper than other primers on the market, I tend to disagree. The MAC Prep and Prime (non-spf version) is $30 CAD for 1 oz (on left), and this is $15 CAD for 0.5oz, so you're actually paying the same. I know it's deceiving. I feel like I am using more of this product than I should because I am digging my fingers in, and if I apply it with a brush, some of it gets eaten away. Whereas with MAC Prep and Prime I would do one pump (or two at most on extra dry days) and done, I know exactly how much I've used and need.

For dry skin, this just doesn't work for me, if I don't blend it in perfectly I notice that I get a film of it in areas of my face. As I said at the beginning of this review, primer should not have to take a long time to apply, and that's what bothers me about this product, it is tedious. Most of the reviews that I have read on this are from those with normal or oily skin, I would interested to see how other dry-skinned girls thought of this. In terms of performance like minimizing pores and fine lines, I think it did okay. Leaving my skin smoothed and resurfaced? It did feel nice on my skin, as far as resurfacing, I don't know how it could possibly resurface your skin. I would not re-buy this, it looks pretty in my bathroom amongst all the other products that I do not use. Nothing "magic" about this for me.

Have you tried L'oreal's Studio Secret Magic Perfecting Base? What did you think?