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The first big product launch of 2015 that's got the beauty world excited is Maybelline's Master Prime Weightless Blurring Primers. If you haven't heard of them, you will. They're being rolled out as you read this, and everyone in beauty is clawing to get their hands on them.
I realize that primers probably don't seem like the most exciting product we could be talking about, but they're important. Primers are something that you might not always wear, but you should, like seatbelts or condoms.
It's not like there aren't already primers available at the drugstore; there are. What makes these exciting is that Maybelline has formulated three different primers, each with a separate purpose: Blur + Smooth, Blur + Redness Control, and Blur + Illuminate (all $9.99.)
The "Blur" part of the names raised some questions for me initially. Pore perfectors, products that promised to "blur" imperfections, were to 2014 what BB creams were to 2012. Suddenly, every beauty brand came out with products that promised to blur fine lines and blemishes and reduce the appearance of pores. These products also happen to make great primers. I was wondering if Maybelline didn't just take the same technology and repackage it.
I was wrong. Master Prime is a completely new product for the brand. Think of them as a drugstore answer to the super successful Smashbox Photo Finish primers.
The consistency of the Maybelline Master Prime primers is very thin, as opposed to Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, which is almost Neosporin thick. Each of the three primers glide easily onto skin and dry down almost instantaneously to a smooth, almost primer-to-powder finish. A subtly mattifying effect perfectly preps the surface of your skin for foundation and helps extend its staying power.
I tested out all three primers with a few of my favorite foundations, and I found that across the board, they eased application (though I mean, how hard is it to apply liquid foundation? We'll tackle that another time) and did extend its wear. I also noticed that each primer, not just the Blur + Smooth, really did seem to blur (and smooth) the surface of my skin, making for a noticeably more flawless finish. I was going to use the word "porcelain," but I wouldn't do that to you guys.
So the breakdown of each of the illuminators goes like this:
Blur + Smooth: This is a solid choice for everyone. Apply this before your foundation and you're going to have a great base to build off of, smoothing out any imperfections on your skin and locking down your makeup, making it wear better for longer. You can't go wrong.
Blur + Redness Control: The text on this bottle is light green, which may lead you to believe that the primer will be as well, like so many primers that promise to balance redness and color correct. This is only vaguely true for this primer. When I swatched them all side by side on my arm, the redness control did lean noticeably greener than the other two, but only faintly.
When Blur + Redness Control dries, it feels like it has a bit more body than the other two primers. Not thicker, per se, but it provides enough a barrier to bounce light around your face to neutralize redness, meaning your foundation will look truer to its actual color rather than combating with your rosy skin.
Blur + Illuminate: This is the real standout of the trio. I've never met an illuminator I didn't like (well, wrong. I've met plenty that I didn't like, but I've never met one that I didn't try) so when I heard Maybelline was releasing a primer specifically to illuminate, I knew I had to be first in line.
This is the most versatile one of the collection because it can be worn alone, under your foundation, on top of your makeup as a highlight, or mixed in with your foundation for s custom, glowy finish. It's so good.
Fresh out of the tube, it's a very light pink champagne, pale peach, and applied to skin, it gives a subtle glow that's beautiful all on its own, or as a base for everything else. The highlighter doesn't have any sort of shimmer, so you're not going to look like you're wearing body glitter, which is a large downfall of many illuminators. Instead, it gives your skin the slightest, pearlescent glow, which, when paired with the blurring properties, achieves an almost flawless finish. The glow is buildable but still dries down matte, so you'll never look shiny.
I wore the Blur + Illuminate primer over the last couple of days and my face looked it like was glowing from the inside out, like I had been taking tons of vitamins or had found inner peace or something. Not so! But what I have found is an amazing primer.
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