It's not that long ago when putting your makeup on in the morning involved applying a bit of moisturizer followed by foundation and maybe powder or blusher.  Now though, we are urged to use more and more products, applying layer upon layer over our facial skin to hide all traces of whatever’s lurking underneath. One of the most recent additions to our cluttered makeup bags is a primer. Revlon have produced a primer as part of their Age Defying skincare range which caters for dry skin as well as normal to combination skin.


A skin primer is another layer of makeup applied to your face. The easiest comparison is to think of it as a base coat, such as you’d use underneath a top coat of paint. In this case the top coat is your foundation. Its purpose is to provide a smooth and even canvas for your foundation by disguising uneven skin tone and minimizing fine lines, pores and wrinkles. As well as this, it should help your foundation last longer throughout the day.

Not having used a primer before, I was suitably persuaded that using one would solve my quest to achieve the ‘flawless’ look that my foundations always promise. I wasn't prepared to spend a great deal just in case it was a waste of money. However, I figured it was time I found out whether all the hype was true.

Searching for primers isn't easy. Not only do they vary enormously in price they also come in different colors. They come colored green, orange, white and some are actually the color of skin!  The main factor in my choice for Revlon's primer was the price. In fact it was the cheapest I could find. Plus I know and trust Revlon products.

It's packaged in a compact squeezy tube and holds 1.6 fl oz. It says it's an instant firming face primer with Botafirm. I've no idea what this is but it sounds good, though probably made up by the skincare company because it's got the first part of the word ‘Botox’ in it.

Using it is very easy. After applying your moisturizer you must wait a few minutes then dot a small amount on the centre of your face and blend outwards. Easy as that. Well, since I’m using a serum, eye cream and moisturizer, I had to wait for all these to sink in first. The cream is pure white, very light and glides easily over the skin, leaving no trace of any residue or oiliness. That part was fine. However, it smells like a moldy dishcloth that was now covered over my face. Not pleasant.

Once it dries, it leaves a nice sheen. However it doesn't hide my pores or uneven skin tone and makes no difference to my fine lines either. My foundation went on easily enough and looked the same as usual.

At the end of the day, literally, I can't say I noticed any difference in the staying power of my foundation. Most foundations nowadays boast of their durability as well as their ability to cover flaws anyway. I simply don't see the point of primers apart from skincare companies using it as another way of extracting more cash from gullible consumers. This may work for some people but not for me.