Beautry Product Review: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

In my quest for the appearance of flawless skin, I started researching online to see if there were any products that could help me achieve that goal. During my research, I came across Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Truth be told, I had never even heard of foundation primer. But Smashbox claimed that this foundation primer "helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish". Wow! When I read this, I got very excited. I thought I had finally found what I was looking for. So I headed out to my nearest Ulta store and purchased it for the hefty price of $36.00.

The primer is clear and comes in a small bottle with a pump dispenser. When you first feel it in your fingertips, you'll notice the silky smooth texture of the primer. It really is velvety soft. And just one or two pumps is all it takes to apply it all over your face. After applying it, you're skin will feel extremely smooth and soft. The smooth texture of your skin makes it much easier to apply liquid foundation because the foundation is able to spread more smoothly, which, as a result, allows you to use less foundation.

To be honest, though I loved the way it felt, I didn't notice any change in my appearance. Granted, I don't have a lot of fine lines or wrinkles to hide (yet), I still didn't notice my skin looking any different when using this primer. Maybe my expectations were too high, or this product isn't made for my skin type, but for $36.00, I was expecting more than just the feel of smooth skin.

So I checked out Smashbox's website again and found that they do have three other foundation primers. Smashbox has three different color-correcting foundation primers: BLEND is an apricot-colored primer that is supposed to help even out skin tone and neutralize discoloration and dark spots; BALANCE is a lavender-toned primer which claims to "brighten dull or sallow skin"; and ADJUST is a green-toned primer designed to reduce redness. Based on these descriptions, I think that Smashbox's "Blend" Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer is probably a better choice for my skin needs, and I will try that one next.

Bottom Line: For me, it was not worth the money. Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer is a whopping $36.00, which is way too much money to spend on something that does nothing for your actual appearance. However, the product does live up to its claim that it creates "a perfect canvas for foundation application". So if you're just looking for something to make your skin feel smoother and make foundation go on easier, then this would be a good product for you. Just don't expect a dramatic change in your appearance.

Check back for my review of Smashbox's "Blend" color-correcting primer!