Though I have a foundation primer that I love, it was the holidays and I at that time I always love trying new things rather than ordering staple beauty products over and over again. I was curious about the Bare Escentuals line of primer mainly because I liked the idea of a possibly "more natural" approach, and also because at the time I was wearing a powdered foundation - and I knew that Bare Escentuals knew their stuff when it came to powder.
I put a bottle of
Bare Escentuals Barevitamins Prime Time on my Christmas wishlist and a friend picked it up for me!
I received a very large printed white with black lettering plastic bottle with pump top and cap. 1 ounce of this product costs $21.00. That is in the same price range as other foundation primers I have tried, and possibly a few dollars cheaper than most.
From the company:
"Prepare your skin for the most amazing foundation with this preservative-free foundation primer that's great for all skin types.
Developed to combat flaky dryness, rough patches, fine lines, excess oil, enlarged pores, and uneven texture, this mineral-infused, satin-finish formula glides on seamlessly with no tacky feel to provide a skin-smoothing complexion prior to bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation application. Infused with soothing plant extracts, antioxidants, and nourishing vitamins C and E for added age-defying power.
Oil-free. Fragrance-free. Allergy-tested. Dermatologist-tested."
Overall I'd say my skin reacted well to this product. To use you just take one pump and a little clear "gel" squeezes out. It is soft to the touch and not sticky or tacky. You simply spread this all over your face and give it a minute to dry or absorb in. I quickly noticed that this product was not really "wet" and absorbed in almost immediately and provided a more matte finish. My skin felt super smooth to the touch. It really was "satin-y" as the product claimed.
Bare Escentuals Barevitamins Prime Time is designed to be used under foundation and it is supposed to "prime" your face. This means it makes your face not only softer but more even (I believe the Dimethicone helps with this), allowing the foundation to lay and wear better on your face. This would be a good product for people already using foundation who want a "smoother" look or notice their foundation seems to either seep into every crack and line in their face or run off their face quickly.
This product has not caused me any breakouts and is simple to both apply and wash off. The packaging is easy to use and light enough to carry everywhere.
I feel the
Bare Escentuals Barevitamins Prime Time worked great under foundation. I use a powdered foundation mainly and this product really made sure the powder didn't seep into every crack and bump and really made everything lay very smooth. I certainly saw a difference in my how my makeup looked both with and without the product.
I think that if this foundation primer were the first one that I had tried I'd be completely satisfied with it. It really has jumped to a very close to second to my still all time favorite foundation primer -
Smashbox Photo Finish. I feel that the Smashbox calms my skin better, and has more of the ingredients that I like. Though the
Bare Escentuals Barevitamins Prime Time really does work perfectly for what it says it's supposed to do, prime your face, I still slightly prefer my beloved Smashbox product. However, my Smashbox does weigh in at $36.00 now, so on a budget when I recently was looking for more face primer I did repurchase this
Bare Escentuals Barevitamins Prime Time as it really
does work well!
INGREDIENTS
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Silica, Magnesium Silicate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract
Other Primer reviews:
LORAC Aquaprime Oil Free Makeup Primer
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
Sephora
