little white truths

This is one of those products that I've owned and loved for ages now but I'm only just coming to review it - in part because I kept forgetting to photograph it and in part because I've been so busy panning primers that this one has been a 'treat' product for occasional use and I've only started using it more consistently in the last few months.

If you read this blog, you'll know that I'm a big fan of Becca products in general and this one is no exception. There's plenty of hype surrounding this particular primer and I'm pleased to say that it completely meets my expectations and then some. Woot woot!

I do love the frosted glass bottle and it also comes complete with a pump (yay) that dispenses a small amount of product that's exactly the right amount for the whole face. It's one of those products that just makes me feel special when I use it, which for me is one of the best things about high-end makeup.

The only thing I don't love about it is that, at $65 AUD a pop, it's more expensive than any other primer I own and I don't want to pay that much for something like this. Having said that, Becca is one of those brands that's available in Australia from plenty of online retailers and you certainly don't need to pay that much for it if you shop around.

There's a heavy and blended swatch, natural light (indoors):

Natural light again, outdoors:

And in indirect sunlight (I've left this slightly out of focus so you can see that it doesn't contain noticeable glitter, just adds a nice sheen):

Verdict

This is a beautiful product and I'm so glad I own it. I was very close to giving it an HG tag but I've decided not to for two reasons: first, it's not an essential because I find Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors (Liquid) more versatile overall; and second, it can present 'too shiny' issues in certain situations. More on that in a sec.

It's a beautiful, lightweight product that feels hydrating/nourishing on the skin and it absorbs instantly and has a smoothing effect. It does have a slight coconut scent but it's so faint that I'm only aware of it if I sniff my hands before applying the product and it doesn't linger on the skin - so don't discount this if you don't like scented products because you might be ok with this.

The texture is just gorgeous and it offers a sheen that's not glittery or overly metallic. I wouldn't necessarily say that it blurs imperfections as claimed, but it does reduce the look of fine lines because it's hydrating and plumps the skin a touch so wrinkles etc are less noticeable.

Now if you have visible pores like I do (they just keep getting bigger as I age ; )), this will make them even more visible due to the sheen this product offers so I personally wouldn't wear the product alone - but I guess you could do that for a bit of radiance if pores aren't a problem for you.

While I don't think this extends the wear of my makeup, I have dry skin so makeup tends to cling to my face anyway and it may increase longevity for those with a different skin type. Having said this, the product lasts for ages on my skin and it's still there when I wash my face at night - meaning it wears for a good twelve hours on me without budging.

And therein lies my one issue with this primer. I opt for lighter bases like tinted moisturisers and BB/CC creams, and these tend not to last as well on the skin as many foundations - even when set with a powder. What this means is that, as these fade throughout the day, my face looks super shiny because the primer holds fast and my base does not.

I can of course throw on a powder foundation to manage this issue, but having dry skin, powders usually dry me out and I can only apply a little if I don't want to look like a shrivelled prune - but with this primer, you need a good layer of powder foundation to manage the shine-factor so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The other thing to note is that, if like me you prefer lighter bases, you'll need one that offers a light-to-medium coverage or this primer will show through too much and you may look too shiny (and the pores sing again). And this is coming from a dry-skinned lass who's all about the dew, so if I find the sheen too much, I suspect others will too. 

As an example, I can't wear my Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Gel with this because the coverage is too sheer and the combo doesn't work, but I can wear something like the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser because that has enough coverage to 'dull' the effect of this primer while still allowing a nice sheen to show through.

Oh! I also wanted to mention that I prefer this to MAC's Strobe Cream because it's not quite as heavy on the skin. So if you like the effect of the MAC product but don't like how rich it is, this Becca one would be a good alternative.

So in sum, this is a beautiful product that generally meets its claims and I recommend it. As to whether or not I would buy it again, I might but as mentioned I prefer Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors and I'm also quite keen to try the new Becca First Light Priming Filter (that's the purple one), so I may just enjoy this while I have it and then move on to something else.

A beautiful product.