Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer was a bit of an impulse buy - I was already buying Maybelline's gel eyeliner (review to come!) and at the time Boots had an offer of buy one Maybelline product and get a second half price. Seemed a bit silly to ignore! So instead of paying the normal £8.99 for this, I got it for £4.50, which is a bargain!
This is my first time using a primer as I've only just branched into the world of foundation (a little crazy I know!). According to the Superdrug website, the primer claims to:
- Blur away imperfections
- Refine skin texture
- Create a perfect canvas for makeup application
- Can be worn alone or under makeup
In the 7ml pot you get a clear, gel formula. It looks very thick and gloopy, but once on your skin it smooths out nicely, has a velvet soft finish and feels very light. To me, it almost felt a little greasy when first applied, but I think this is partly pyschological (I get very nervous about putting new products on my face because of my problem skin), and partly because it just hadn't had time to absorb.
Once absorbed I noticed a slight reduction in the size of my pores around my nose, but I didn't think it blurred imperfections - it didn't make much difference to any blemishes or spot scars I had anyway. For that reason I personally wouldn't wear this alone without makeup. However it made my foundation much easier to apply- it pretty much glided on and blending it in was almost effortless!
Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer doesn't seem to claim anywhere that it will make makeup last for a X amount of hours. But I've been wearing this for about four days to work and I have noticed an improvement in my foundation's lasting power - particularly where I've concealed any spots or blemishes. Unprimed, my foundation lasts about 6 hours and primed I would say about 8 hours. However where I have pores on my cheeks around my nose, which is a bit of a shiny area, foundation didn't seem to last so well and the reducing effect of my pores had disappeared. So perhaps it doesn't deal so well with oily skin... not 100% sure on that one.
The primer contains very few ingredients and doesn't contain anything that I recognised as being skin clogging or pore blocking. But the jury's still out on this at the moment.
Summary
Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer definitely does the job in creating a smooth base for makeup and does seem to improve the staying power of foundation. I will definitely continue to use it unless I experience any problems with my skin. However I'm not sure that it's a "holy grail" product for me and I would still like to try Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer as per my recent wishlist post (which you can view here) to compare.
Have you tried Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer? What's your holy grail primer?
Beauty Bird xx
The smashbox one I've tried before and it was the best one I've ever tried. I'm currently using no.7's airbrush away primer which is really good, but quite expensive (about £19 I think) so for the few extra I could of gotten the smashbox one again. The benefit one is the worst I've tried (cant remember the name, the one in the blue tube?) sooo greasy on my skin! x
ReplyDeleteThe Smashbox one I really like the sound of, I'm going to have to try it! It's gets great reviews too. Was that the POREfessional? I think that's in a blue tube. Really interesting to hear your experiences,, thanks for commenting! x
DeleteGreat honest review!
ReplyDeleteAw thank you, appreciate the feedback! :-)
DeleteLooks like an interesting product, might have to give it try! xx
ReplyDeleteI think it's definitely worth a try if you're after a decent primer that's under £10.00! X
DeleteI was tempted to buy this last week but I wasn't entirely sure if it was an eye primer or foundation primer because it didn't say. From what you're saying I gather it is just a face primer, do you know of any good eye primers for oily eyelids?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't say anywhere that you can't use it on your eyes, but I haven't tried it. May be better to go for a targeted eye primer just in case, have you tried Urban Decay Primer Potion? x
DeleteI have and it does work well but it's really expensive and they don't actually sell it in my town :/ x
DeleteAw I agree, it is expensive. Not sure of a product that's just as good as that one but cheaper... I'll be on the look out though!x
DeleteHi :D I can reccomend a great eye primer.......'Clinique - all about eyes'. its the best I've ever tried but the only drawback is that its slightly expensive at around £22 for just a 5oz/15ml pot.....but I really do reccomend. X
DeleteLove this primer! Just purchased this yesterday :). Great review and cute blog girl!
ReplyDeleteWithlovex0-ploy.blogspot.com
Ploy <3 xx
Aw thank you! :-) x
DeleteI bought it yesterday, bu haven't tried it yet!! :) Good review!!
ReplyDeleteHope you like it! Thank you v much for the feedback! x
DeleteHi ya, I wanted to try a primer and I have never tried it before. Your review was really helpful. Guess what your blog inspired me to make my own blog, Do check it out. I am really new to this so fingers crossed :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely comment, thank you! Have commented on your first blog post! :-D xx
DeleteHi there! I'm not really in the blogosphere, but I tried this primer today and was looking for reviews- I opened several tabs, and after looking through a few sites I noticed the first review http://www.beautyheaven.com.au/make-up/foundation-primer/35399-maybelline-new-york-dream-smooth-primer here was the same as yours? Some of it was copied word-for-word, so if someone has plagiarised you I just thought you might want to know. :) Great blog, and hello to a fellow Kiwi!
ReplyDeleteHi Kitty! Thank you very much for your comment - I have looked at the link and contacted the website in question. I really appreciate you taking the time to inform me of this.
DeleteAlso I'm actually from the UK, but hello anyway! :-) xx
My holy grail primer is Youngblood mineral primer ;)
ReplyDeleteI've never tried anything by Youngblood, I'll have a look at this, thank you xx
DeleteI'm currently using e.l.f's mineral primer. Its ok, its not holy grail. I find it a really thin consistency but it does smooth my skin out ready for foundation. I tried a sample of this Maybelline primer and I quite liked it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried this one by E.L.F. I don't think I'm yet to find my holy grail primer!xx
Delete