Face Primers - Quick Roundup Of Four Recent Ones I've Tried

I’ve been trying out a bunch of face primers recently, with a mix of hits and misses, so here are some quick thoughts on what I like and what did not work for me.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($18- $72; sephora.com) -   I hadn’t tried this for the longest time, but finally picked up a deluxe sample at Sephora. It felt nice and lightweight going on, but besides that it did nothing at all for me. I have dry skin and this one enhanced some flaky spots and left my face looking very lackluster. No big difference in the way makeup lasted through the day either. I don’t get what the hype is all about and I’m glad I did not splurge on a bigger size.

NARS Pro-Prime Light Optimizing Primer ($34; sephora.com) - Very moisturizing, added a nice glow and the texture is really nice for combination or dry skin. My makeup went on smoother, stayed reasonably longer and fresh. While not the best at pore minimizing, I still love it enough to want to buy a full size sometime soon.

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer ($52; sephora.com) - Felt like a typical silicone-based primer. I found that the gold flecks did not do much besides just add a very, very subtle glow that is all gone when makeup goes over it. It is good at pore minimizing, blurring and holding makeup on, but not sure if its worth the splurge since many other primers can do the same.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water ($16- $32; sephora.com; press sample) - This is a very different and a convenient way to prime. It is super weightless, no silicone-y slip and instantly makes my face look fresher and more refined. It is silicone & alcohol free and good for just about any skin type. The mist is fine and I need only a couple of spritzes for my entire face. It was quite good at keeping makeup fresh for a long time, can make skin look a tad dewy after a few hours, but I don’t have a problem with that since my skin leans towards the drier side.