A Comparison Of Two Great Foundation Primers

I admit and have admitted before that I don’t have a lot of experience with makeup because I didn’t have a lot of exposure to it growing up. I really didn’t start getting serious about makeup until my late college years (kinda sad I know).

Before then I had dabbled with using drugstore foundations and wearing eye shadow or mascara every once in a while. Once I got more serious about makeup I wasn’t making the connection between skin prep and makeup application. So face primers were something I never used much less heard about.

A Comparison Of The Best Foundation Primers | A Relaxed Gal

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I added face primers to my makeup routine after a trip to Sephora several years ago on a foundation search. The salesperson went over the importance and benefits of creating a smooth base for your makeup by using foundation primers. Some of the benefits include

Making pores look smaller
Helping to smooth out skin tone
Reducing shininess and oil
Giving your makeup a smooth base
Helping your makeup stay on longer even during warm weather

Related read: 6 Ways To Help Foundation Last Longer On Oily Skin

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

The first face primer I ever used was the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. You can get this primer for about $36 + tax. When I originally bought it, it was about $28 before tax.

What Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer claims

Blurs imperfections by diffusing the light that hits the skin
“Helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores”
Makes your “makeup look better and last longer”
Has a “silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A&E, grape seed extract and green tea”

What I like about Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

It doesn’t make my face feel oily
My makeup applies smoothly
I can see how much product I have left in the tube
Despite being a one-ounce tube, the product lasts a while if you don’t overdo the application
The primer has no parabens, fragrances, or sulfates
It can be worn without foundation and it makes my skin look even
It doesn’t cause my skin to breakout

What I don’t like about Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

The price. It’s gone up since I last purchased it and I couldn’t justify spending $36 on a small tube
It didn’t provide any mattifying powers. So my skin would start looking shiny at the end of the day

I stopped using the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer basically because the last time I went to Ulta I saw the price had increased several dollars from what I’d last paid.

Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Under Make-up Primer

Because I wanted to find a cheaper but just as good makeup primer, I started looking at other primers in the store to see if I could find a primer just as good, but a little bit cheaper. What I found and decided to try was Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Under Make-up Primer.

See the benefits of using a foundation primer and which two are the best. | arelaxedgal.com

What Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Make-up Primer claims

“Minimizes the look of pores”
“Controls oil breakthrough”
Protects against environmental factors with vitamins A & E
Mattifies the skin

What I like about Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Make-up Primer

My makeup goes on smoothly
It doesn’t feel oily or greasy
The tinted color doesn’t show on my skin
It’s a bit cheaper than Smashbox at $32 before tax and you get more for your money – two ounces versus one ounce
It doesn’t irritate or break out my skin

What I don’t like about Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Make-up Primer

The tube isn’t see-through like Smashbox so I won’t be able to see how much is left in the tube.

Final thoughts

So which one is the best? For me, Laura Geller slightly edges out Smashbox. I feel that the Laura Geller Spackle Mattifying Under Make-up Primer performs just as well for less money.

What foundation primer brand do you use?