little white truths

As you may know, I've wound up with too many primers over the past year or two - and I've spent a good deal of time attempting to get through them via Project Pan.

Unfortunately, though, I appear to have gathered a few more this year so my collection is still too large, and this is the next primer I want to pan. Why? Because there's nothing in particular to commend it, so I want to remove it from my collection and focus on other things. More on that below.

The Ordinary claims/product details:

• Uses advanced adaptive silicones to act as a matte, hydrating, blurring primer for makeup that looks higher in definition and adheres for longer
• The formula can also be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator that reduces the looks of pores and imperfections
• Ideal to use alone for a naturally perfected finish, or under makeup to improve longevity
• RRP $8.80 AUD for 30ml, but do shop around

Verdict

This primer is ok but it doesn't do much for me so I wouldn't recommend it.

It's a white product that's a cream/gel hybrid in texture, and it applies and spreads well. It feels smooth and silky on the skin, and while it does dry down, it doesn't leave a tacky finish behind and I think that's why it's not great for makeup longevity.

I've been using mine on and off alongside The Ordinary's High Spreadability Fluid Primer for over six months now, and I definitely prefer the High Spreadability: it really smooths out my skin and creates a great base for makeup. I'll look forward to reviewing that one soon.

As for this High Adherence primer, I'm not sure that it does much at all. Yes it smooths out the look of my skin so I do think you could just wear this alone if you wanted to and blur the look of texture a little, but as a primer? It doesn't do enough for me personally.

What I've found is that my makeup tends to slip over this a bit because the finish isn't tacky enough so makeup doesn't adhere as well as I would like (there goes the product's title ; )). While this doesn't matter too much for my dry skin, I can see it being an issue for those with oily skin. Plus it doesn't help my makeup last longer throughout the day so there goes that aspect, too.

It's also not hydrating, despite the product claims, and I find that it coats my skin and seals in my other products, so I need to make sure that I'm hydrated underneath it - otherwise my skin will get dry throughout the day and nothing will penetrate through this primer to relieve any discomfort.

The other thing worth noting is that it doesn't change how my makeup looks, so while my skin does look and feel smoother when I apply it on its own, this doesn't translate to how it helps with the look of my makeup. In the end it's just another layer of product on my face, and I need my primers to add some benefit - otherwise there's no point in using them.

Overall I reckon this product is ok but it doesn't do enough for me personally so I don't recommend it. Still, it's super cheap and readily available, and it's had some reasonable reviews (see eg adorebeauty) so you may as well try it if you've had your eye on it because it won't break the bank.

Not for me.