40 Days and 40 Nights of Primer Reviews

When is a primer not a primer?
Primer #28.

When is a Primer not a Primer? I'm asking this question today because I found out something very interesting last night at the counters of two of the most successful cosmetic companies in the world. Our Annieytown and I ventured out to check for primers at Lancome and Estee Lauder. Both of these companies take prime real-estate spaces in any store where they are sold. I asked SA's at each of the counters if I could try their primers. At Lancome, my favorite SA told me that Lancome does not make a primer, but only recommends a good moisturizer as all I'd need under my foundation. At Estee Lauder, again, no primer. But my Lauder SA said that the company suggests using their Idealist Skin Refinisher as a primer. That surprised me because I had thought of Idealist as a treatment product. But, in the name of research, I dug out my bottle of Idealist to see if indeed this product works well as a primer.

First of all, I'll say that the list of ingredients includes just about everything you can imagine in a face-care product. Silicones and peptides, extracts of grains, fruits, and herbs, not to mention caffeine, cholesterol, mica and titanum dioxide (although this product does not offer any SPF.) So, can the contains-all-things Idealist also do-all-things? Let me tell you what I found in my testing.

Idealist is a beautifully smooth thick liquid product that has a milky appearance but smooths out to be perfectly clear on the skin. It felt wonderful, soft, and silky. But then it stung a bit, nothing serious, just a teeny tingle is more like it. It smelled very fresh and clean, and dried quickly to a glowing finish. I liked what I saw. Before I applied my foundation I checked for lines and pores. There seemed to be a bit of a filling effect but nothing nearly as thick as my Smashbox. But Idealist felt comfortable and I proceeded to apply La Prairie Concealer Foundation over top. It took a bit more foundation to cover my face than with most of the other primers I've tested. That was a surprise to me. My foundation did go on easily with no 'gripping' --but it did seem to take just a bit longer to get a smooth, even application.
I waited. The tingly effect remained even after I had applied foundation over the Idealist. I don't have sensitive skin so it did not worry me.
Idealist as a treatment worked ok on me in the past, but I had stopped using it when Lauder introduced Perfectionist CP+ in their skincare line. (My love of that product is legendary! I've raved about it so much that I even got tired of raving about it.) But Idealist as a primer is first-rate and a wonderful surprise! I think that the touch of mica gave my complexion a pretty glow under my La Prairie. My skin felt comfortable and looked luminous but not oily or greasy. My pores and lines were softened, and there was no foundation sinking, cracking, or wearing unevenly. Idealist gave my face a freshness and even -- dare I say -- a youthfulness, which had me wondering about plumping properties or ingredients in the formula. Could this be the treatment qualities at work? Can a treatment be a primer or vice versa? Yes it can! I'm thrilled to discover Idealist as a primer. I'm happy to see the treatment results too.
Product rating, 9.

Photo from fashionroadkill.cjb.net
Review by cavewoman
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer.

Latest impossible lemmings: The Hermes enamel bracelet. The pink enamel has long been my favorite. I should have caved when they were less expensive.
http://usa.hermes.com/discover/060331NLHOp.html

photo of Siouxsie Sioux from gettyimages
lyrics from She's a carnival

mosaic eye, gypsy eye
glowing as it dazzles
she's a portrait of a poison
for you to quench your thirst
a portrait of a poison...

1. She has a fountain of youth in her backyard somewhere.

2. Cavewoman could be her twin

3. Now this is a woman who should have a revlon contract

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Review by cavewoman
Photo from Sephora

Primer #27 takes us from Cult to Cute.

As an artist, I shop with my eyes. I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging, and pretty things will always attract my eye. The first time I ever saw the Paul & Joe line of cosmetics, I was enchanted with the girly pink compacts embossed with flowers, the elegant frosted bottles with raised chrysanthemum designs, and the sparkly powders in vanity jars that looked like something my Grandma may have had. I bought many things that day, including the Paul & Joe Foundation Primer. I also bought a liquid foundation from the line. Oh, and a few eye shadows. And a compact of pressed powder. A lipstick. Two of them. But as lovely as the containers are, it's product performance that counts.

I've used this primer only with Paul & Joe foundation so far, but for our research here, it was time to test it with the La Prairie foundation. I was curious to see how it would perform in comparison to when I use the Paul & Joe foundation, so I did something I have not yet done. I tested the primer with the La Prairie foundation on one side of my face, and the Paul & Joe foundation on the other.

This primer is a very thin milky-white-pale pink product that does not fill in lines or pores, but leaves a definite lightening, whitening effect on the skin. I had to shake the bottle very vigorously, because it seems to separate in the bottle, and if not shaken, it can be watery and clear. This can result in an uneven application and even some areas of the face can turn matte while other parts seem glossy, even oily. I believe there must be both talc or clay in this formula as well as oil. It is definitely not an oil-free product.

There is a slight luminosity to the primer, and it felt comfortable and moisturizing without feeling heavy or thick. It dried quickly, it has a slight fragrance that actually smells like a pretty perfume, which did not bother me but it might not be for everyone. I applied both foundations over top and checked a while later. The whitening effect was more obvious on the P & J foundation side, but the primer did not change the shade of my La Prairie. And so the side with the P&J foundation appeared just a bit lighter. Other than that, there was little difference between the two sides, both appeared luminous, glowing, but not oily or greasy. I could see a softening of the areas where my pores are larger, and lines were also softened. Nice effect.

I went off to meet Annie. At first she didn't know what I had done, but when I told her, I asked her opinion on which side looked better, and I did not tell her which foundation was on which side. She chose the La Prairie side. Later in the evening, I noticed a bit of wear on the P&J side, but my La Prairie side was looking as soft and pretty as when I had first applied all the products. Both sides of my face seemes slightly oily. At the end of the day, the P&J side showed bare skin, blotchy areas, some caking, and a rather nasty oil slick around my nose area.

I find it interesting that the product applied over the primer has affected the primer wear itself. It makes me wonder if I am now going to have to test every primer with every foundation I have. That could take years! I was reminded of a fine-art photography project that I did as a student, testing different developer chemicals with different printing papers. I discovered then that art and science can't be separated. You need one in order to do the other. The same applies to my primer project. I'm not sure why the primer worked differently for each of the foundations I used, but I am sure it has to do with chemistry. It's the art and science of beauty, I guess. I will test the Paul & Joe primer with other foundations in the future, because I like it under the La Prairie. I may never really finish this entire project!

Product rating, 7. Packaging, a perfect 10!

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #26

What makes a product a "cult favorite?" Is it because the product is hard to find? Comes from some odd, weirdly named foreign company? Is used by hip, downtown types who write for the Village Voice? Gets buzz through word of mouth? And what happens to the cult image once the big corporate-owned magazines start talking about it? Is the cult status gone?

I'm pondering all of these things as I write about primer #26, agnes b. Apricot Complexion Enhancer. I'm not even sure why I think this product is a "cult favorite" but I am pretty sure it is. Please be sure to pronounce it as "ahn-yayz-bay" as you read this review. Do not scream out as in childbirth as you read. You might want to cruise your own holmes to find other cult-type products. I'd love to hear about yours, too.

This product is interesting and I have to say it was a pleasant surprise. Part primer, part moisturizer, part fake-bake-ish, the product is the color of a creamsicle and at first glimpse of the cream, I did not even want to try it, let alone review it. But again I sacrifice, set aside my hesitation, and I test.

The product is light in texture, a thin cream, but it has a strong scent, just so you know. When I started to apply it to my face, it actually seemed to intensify in color as I spread it across my cheeks, but it smoothed out nicely without streaking. I was left with a very orangey-looking face, glistening with sheen, but it felt wonderful and moist and comfortable. After a minute or so, I checked to see if I'd gotten any more orangey. I didn't. It was not so scary now. Do I look like I just came home from an island holiday? It seemed as if my face looked -- no, not actually tanned -- not fake-bake orange-- healthy! My Long-Ohio-Winter pallor was gone, and replaced with a pretty, youthful, healthy glow!

I applied my La Prairie foundation over top and wondered how the apricot might change the appearance of my foundation. It didn't. The glow came through, but not the orange. I can't figure out how this happened. There is no pore-filler-line-filler silicone quality to the agnes b., but it has more of a moisturizer feel, and there were no flakes, no cakey areas, no cracks, no tight feeling, just that pretty glow.

Totally against my will, I was really liking this product! My brain kept saying "no, this is not for you" and "you do not like color on your face, you like being pale, you like your pallor" -- yet, I felt so strangely attracted to this new look that the product gave me. The next day, on a clean face, I applied the agnes b. on my cheeks and across my nose, almost like a bronzer. The sun-kissed effect was beautiful. There you have it. I've been seduced. I'm a believer. Say a prayer for me so that I can come to my senses.

But shhh, don't scream!
Product rating, 7.

Review by Cavewoman
Image by cacheviewimages.com

3rd day of Fragrance challenge:

I wore Acqua di Bella Janca in Mary's honor.
http://whereisgoodservice.blogspot.com/

Notes are:
Florentine iris, peach, tamarind, mandarin, lime blossom, osmanthus, magnolia, cardamom, musk, cedar, patchouli
*from luckyscent.com

It was the first true day of spring in Ohio. The janca choice was perfect.

What scent did you wear today? Was it a good choice?

*photo was from fashionspot

Christian Dior 1950 and Viktor & Rolf Fall 06/07
photos from gettyimages and style.com

"Meanwhile, a sound piece by Bruce Nauman featured a woman's voice speaking words that expressed a state of emotional sterility. "Don't touch," she intoned, while romantic music played in the background. "No communication of any kind. I can suck you dry"

quote from style.com Sarah Mower's review of the Viktor and Rolf show.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #25 brings us back to the makeup-lovers paradise, Sephora. The store brand racks are filled with reasonably-priced goodies, and you may remember when your own Sephora store opened, with the 365 lipstick colors bearing the Sephora name! It did not take long for Sephora to pare down the number of lipstick shades, but that made way for space for many interesting and fine products. I've already raved about the Perfection Makeup Base, and I can add another Sephora primer to my raves.

This one is called Sephora Skin Smoothing Makeup Base, and it is a silicone-based gel that comes in a half-ounce clear glass pump bottle. Just one word before I continue, regarding the price. The bottle holds a half-ounce of product for $22, which makes a full ounce even more expensive than Smashbox. That struck me as odd, since most of the Sephora brand products are priced way below their name-brand counterparts.

Sephora Skin Smoothing is the closest primer I've found to my favorite Smashbox PhotoFinish. It seems just a bit less thick in texture, though, and it was easy to apply and smooth evenly and quickly on my face. Instantly it felt dry, weightless, and ready for foundation. I have to say I was not that pleased with how my foundation looked. It appeared to be streaky and blotchy, and the Sephora primer did not fill in pores and lines as well as Smashbox. Little dots of my foundation settled into my pores. And my foundation seemed to turn into a matte finish, too, which I did not care for.

I like my La Prairie Concealer Foundation to remain the pretty, moist, dewy finish for which I had purchased it to begin with! My foundation did not last all day with the Sephora Skin Smoothing primer. It did not last half the day. But if readers of this review are looking for a very lightweight silicone primer with the ability to mattify a foundation, this could be a nice choice.
Product rating, 6.

Review by Cavewoman
Picture: Blogdorf Goodman

Undercover Fall 06/07 and a Tusken Raider from Star Wars.

photos from style.com and dutch-starwars.com

2nd day of fragrance challenge:

I was inspired by Mireille's posts at http://cestchic.blogspot.com/ and grabbed my sample of Ormonde Jayne's Isfahan.
The notes are bergamot, vetiver, moss, lime oil, pink pepper, jasmine and cedar. It reminds me of Barbara Bui with an extra jolt. It is full bottle worthy.
The bad thing about Ormonde Jayne is that I adore and covet all her scents. Picking just one fragrance per order is a challenge.

Please share your fragrance of the day in the comments. Inspire some lemmings and let us know if it is a Holy grail scent.

Also check out Risa's incredible review for Montale's Greyland at http://lachendwolf.blogspot.com/
She makes me want to try it even more!

photo of Audrey Marnay from fashionspot

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Again I am turning to makeup-artist lines to try to figure out what it is that a famous makeup artist would want when she or he designs a primer. I'm sure they must see a need to prepare their 'canvas' so to speak, and maybe that's why so many of them have primers in their own lines. But I'm not so happy about the makeup artist primers I've already tried, but I plod onward in the name of the primer-needy everywhere. Paula Dorf Perfect Primer For Normal/Oily Skin is the latest primer in the 40 Primers In 40 Days project. Granted, I am not that oily anymore (and it is Winter here in Ohio, a time when I do get a bit more dry) but I was able to acquire a tube of this in a swap (did you know that the 40 days are also a No Buy For Lent?) -- but that is how clever I am in providing my research!

Before I tried the Paula Dorf, I had done a nice scrub, so my face was clean, and free of flakes and dry patches. I loved the feeling of the primer when I applied it to my face. It is a milky gel-silicone product that is a bit thinner in texture than my Smashbox. It smoothed on effortlessly and felt beautiful. Like velvet. I noticed right away that imperfections, lines and pores were almost invisible! At this point, with high hopes, I applied my La Prairie foundation over the primer. It seemed to me that it took much less of my La Prairie to cover my entire face. I'm now even more pleased. I did find that I needed to use a small concealer brush to dab areas around my nose where the foundation seemed a bit uneven. And then I noticed that I could see my fingerprints on other areas of my face where I had applied the foundation. I smoothed over those also with the concealer brush. Ok, that was not so hard. I can do that.

About an hour later, I started the checking. I have to do this so you will know. My usually dewy, satiny La Prairie was matte! The Paula Dorf had mattified my beautiful La Prairie! And where did those flakes come from? My face looked as dry as the desert. Cracks appeared where I'd never seen cracks before. My pores still did not look large or clogged, and to its credit, my usually oily nose area looked very good, as the primer was seeming to suck up the oil everywhere on my face. I don't mind if a primer does that on my nose. But the rest of my face looked old, crepey, cracky, dull, and tired.

I don't think any primer so far has reacted so strangely on my skin. So I would have to say, if you have very oily skin (and I repeat, this is what this particular formula is for) I can say without hesitation that this primer would be a great one to try. If you like a matte finish on your foundation, again, this Paula Dorf would mattify anything applied over it.

So, to be objective, if this were the formula I need for my skin type, I could give it an 8. I should give it an 8. It is not the primer's fault that it was not the correct formula for me. I think I will see if I can swap for the Dry Skin formula. If I do, I will report that one too. Do you have one to swap to me?
Product rating, 8.

available at beauty.com
http://www.drugstore.com/templates/notcoldept/default.asp?catid=9730&trx=28110
Review by Cavewoman

photo from style.com
Mary from The Customer is always Right went to the Luckyscent bar this weekend. She fell hard for Janca by Acqua di Biella.
Check out her visit at http://whereisgoodservice.blogspot.com/

I have started a fragrance challenge created by PatchHag on MUA. She is wearing a different fragrance every single day. I have tons of sample vials and decants so I needed this challenge.
Today I wore Hermes Rose Ikebana. The notes are rose, grapefruit, rhubarb, honey, pepper, vanilla, musk, and amber. It is a great fragrance for summer. Very light and crisp.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #23 comes from the extraordinary House Of Dior.
The name brings to mind, to me, the revolutionary fashions of the post-war era, the Christian Dior "New Look," with belted wasp-waists and full petticoated skirts, and those bows. Those gorgeous Dior bows. I think Christian Dior truly loved women. Twenty-five years after the New Look changed the shape of women's fashions forever, I went in search of a wedding dress with a Dior bow at the waist. I did not find one. But just this past month, Charlize Theron appeared on the red carpet in a beautiful Dior navy-blue dress, complete with the signature bow at the shoulder. You may not have liked it, but I swooned. Dior perfection, elegance, back again, tied with a bow. I loved all things Dior from the moment I learned about the bow. I love the cosmetic line that bears his name. And so today's primer is Christian Dior Diorskin Base De Teint Moisturizing Radiance Fixing Makeup Base.

This milky-pink liquid reveals an iridescent pinky-peach shade when applied to the face, and definitely has a slight whitening effect. It smooths on evenly with a pretty, dewy finish, and the kind of luminosity that these pearly primers give. There is not a silicone-pore-and-line filling effect, but the light-reflective properties of this primer definitely soften any imperfections. I've actually worn this primer all by itself on many occasions, just for the luminous, dewy effect.

Under my La Prairie Concealer Foundation, this primer grips like almost no other. It adds no weight or thickness, but it has a tenacious 'grab' that makes any foundation last all day without cracks, uneven wear, color change, or oily breakthrough. It did seem to make my usually creamy La Prairie seem just a tad over onto the matte side, but I did not mind, because the primer itself kept my complexion glowing without looking shiny. There is a slight scent to this primer, as most other Dior products have. It's not offensive to me, but I need to report when products have a scent to them. The best quality of this primer is the 'grab' effect. If you do not want your foundation to budge until you decide to remove it at the end of the day, this is the primer to try.

So go off to the Dior counter where you will find the navy-blue packaging, elegant, womanly, worthy of the name Dior. Wear a bow in his honor.
Product rating, 8.

Review by Cavewoman

Sunday Night Lemmings

Caron powders: I covet each and every one of them. They are incredible powders. Available at the Caron boutique in NYC.

Tarte cheek in Cloud: Looks like a lovely lilac shade. It has a grape candy scent according to the sephora website. $28 at sephora.com






L'Artisan amber ball $75 at Aedes.com

Maria Evora scented soap $7 at bigelowchemists.com

Guerlain's L'Heure Blue at Bergdorf Goodman

L'Artisan Aedes candle: notes are japanese incense with leather, balsam and musk. $60.00 at Aedes.com

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #22

Indulge me a little walk down memory lane, to my first purchase from our brand new Chanel counter at our local Kaufmann's store. For months the buzz was fast and furious that we'd be getting Chanel in our town. I was on the phone list, and the day Chanel launched, I was there. One custome beat me to the counter. It was a fella whom I know, who took art classes with me at the university, and he bought Chanel Vamp Nail Polish.
Somehow it seemed fab to me that this had happened! I must have stayed at the counter for hours. My very first Chanel purchase was the black metal compact with silky pressed powder. I still have it. I am as giddy even now to hold it and use it as I was the day I purchased it. I've loved Chanel ever since. I loved when I read a quote from Mademoiselle herself, stating "A lady should keep a pot of rouge next to her bed as a courtesy to her partner." I haven't bought a pot of rouge from Chanel yet, but I have bought many wonderful things there over the years. My first true red lipstick! The lavender powder dome! And Cristalle fragrance (because Chris Noth says it brings him to his knees. I'm just makin' sure just in case, you know.)

My latest Chanel purchase was the Illuminating Makeup Base. One try at the counter and I was smitten. On the face, even better. This primer is a milky white-blue-violet-gel-cream-liquid, which disappears almost instantly on the face, leaving the skin feeling like glass. It's that smooth and it's that fast. No trace of the tint remains. It is not one of the thicker silicone-types which fill in lines and pores, but somehow it does just that. It dries to a matte-type finish but did not mattify my La Prairie foundation, nor did it make the foundation cake or crack or peel or wear off unevenly. My foundation looked as beautiful at the end of the day as it did when I first applied it!

This product stays put and whatever you apply over it will stay put as well. My skin looked glowing and luminous and fresh and pretty, and the primer adds no layer or thickness at all. I'd give it a perfect 10 rating but I don't care for the white squeeze bottle container since I can't see the amount remaining inside. That's being picky. I know. But with 18 more primers to go, I owe it to you to be picky. Mademoiselle was notoriously picky. I think she would be pleased with the things that wear her name right now at the counters. I don't think she'd be pleased with Karl, but I will leave the fashion comments to our Annie.
Product rating, 9

Review by Cavewoman

Next unsniffed lemming: Bond's Scent of Peace

Notes are grapefruit, black currant, lily of the valley, hedione and base notes of cedarwood.
Isn't the bottle lovely?

For more scoop check out:

http://bondno9fragrances.blogharbor.com/blog

http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/
*Robin posted the future releases from Bond that include Astor Place(I will want it!), West Side Story(I will want it!), Fire Island, and Brooklyn. I will have to have Brooklyn because all my favorite friends live there and of course I can shout Beastie Boy lyrics at the bottle.
What fragrance are wearing today?
"No.. Sleep.. Till Brooklyn"
I am a silly girl.

I have updated my link list and plan to work on it a little bit more. There are some great sites in there to pass away a Saturday afternoon.

photo from Now Smell This.

Special Birthday wishes go out to Melanie aka Dramaqueenie2(her MUA handle) today!

I hope this birthday is special and this will be the year that is filled with wonderful romances and exciting happenings!

In Melanie's honor please post your nail color of the day. Melvis is a "nail polish" junkie. She is always on the hunt for the perfect jewel nail color. I plan to wear a shimmery pink in her honor. It might be an Essie or a Zoya.
(photo from gettyimages)

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #21

Today's primer comes from one of the most popular cosmetic lines in the world, one with which I have had a love-hate relationship for many years. Right now it is love again with MAC Cosmetics and it is mostly due to Annieytown. We make sure we are at the counters now for every launch of every collection, and we ooh and ahh and test and compare and usually buy, too. Although MAC is well-known for its creativity in color stories, I have not heard too much positive buzz about skincare or foundations. But, this is research and every line gets a fair chance.

MAC's Prep + Prime is a newer product in this line, and our friendly SA supplied me with a nice generous sample pot. Prep + Prime comes in a black pump bottle, but it is easy to control the amount that is dispensed. This milky-white, thick liquid smooths so easily on the skin that it surprised me. I thought that due to the texture of the product that it would take longer to achieve an even application, but it seems to melt into the skin on contact and it dries faster than just about any other primer I have tried so far. I checked the application in a magnifying mirror to see about any pore-and-line filling properties, any mattifying results, and what a surprise! I saw glitter! Yes, the teeniest, finest, micro-particles, but there it was, a rainbow of sparkle on my face! To be sure, this was invisible in a regular mirror, but showed up in magnification. Well, I love shimmer and sparkle, and I was pleased to see this.

On with the foundation! My La Prairie smoothed on like a dream. I believe that it took even less of the La Prairie to completely cover my face than it usually does. If you have this foundation, you know that it takes the smallest amount to cover the entire face. With Prep + Prime I bet my jar of La Prairie foundation would last two years! The Prep + Prime glittery particles do not show through the foundation. My La Prairie felt and looked more matte than usual, and although the P + P did not totally fill in pores or lines, I think that it did help to diffuse light and therefore give an appearance of softening. It felt a bit 'tight' but not in an unpleasant way. My oily t-zone did not need a blot or a powdering all day, because this product really seems to hold back the oil. My foundation stayed true-to-color and did not wear off unevenly nor did it crack or settle.

I am delighted with Prep + Prime and would give it a very high rating but I have to take off a point due to the container. It's black. OK, MAC, black is the base of your entire display area and your trademark color, but I do prefer to be able to see how much product is in my container. Prep + Prime is a fine product and a pleasant surprise.
Product rating, 8.

Review by Cavewoman

Cavewoman and I have been thinking about the next product review project. A lot of you have requested mascara reviews. I thought it would be fun to have a mass blogging event with several blogs participating in the mascara reviews. Would any of you be interested?

Thanks to everyone who visited yesterday. I hope you continue to come. Cavewoman will be doing primer reviews for the entire lent season. On Easter Sunday I will recap the reviews. I can not promise you a cool graph but I can find a jazzy picture and put the primers in order according to the score.

I also promise to get back to fashion soon. I can say that you are not missing much at the LA shows.
They are pretty awful.

CONGRATS TO KRISTEN
@ BEAUTY ADDICT!
http://beautyaddict.blogspot.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/23/fashion/thursdaystyles/23skin.html

I got hooked to the blog Beauty Addict a little while ago. I have said to anyone who will listen that the
girl is better than Allure. She is the place to go for any info on beauty products.
She also is an expert shopper and a great friend.
I am Pretty NYC, Scentzilla,Ebeautydaily,Product Girl and Blogdorf Goodman were also mentioned. They quoted cavewoman's review of Lorac Primer. So Blogdorfs enemies list has grown to two.
Lets hope we never cross paths with Carol Shaw and Marc Jacobs in a dark alley.

photo was from the NYTimes and was scanned by my wonderful co-worker/techie Darryl Anderson

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primer Reviews

Primer #20!
We're halfway there, whoa-oh! Livin' on a prayer, take my hand and we'll make it I swear! Livin' on a prayer!

I could not resist some Bon Jovi this morning! But Primer #20 marks our halfway there to our 40 Primers In 40 Days!

And so to celebrate, I will review one of my new favorites, a beautiful product from Bourjois, called Complexion Illuminating Highlighting Veil. The back of the tube instructs me to use this product alone or dabbed over foundation, but I love it as a primer and I'll tell you why. This product is a soft and pretty pearly pink-white with a touch of iridescence, a hint of a soft scent, and a smooth light texture. The tube is, as most Bourjois products, the shade of the product contained inside. I love that about Bourjois. My eyesight seems to be getting worse and worse lately, and with Bourjois products, all I need to do is see the container to know what's inside. No trying to read teeny labels to figure out which of all those black-container shadows I want to use in the morning! Bourjois is perfect for me.
The Highlighting Veil gives the prettiest glow under my La Prairie, it does not add thickness nor does it fill in lines or pores, but the light-reflective quality softens facial 'flaws' and looks youthful and fresh. I've even used this product under my eyeshadow as an eye primer too, and dabbed some on my cheeks over blush, above the brow for an evening shimmer, and still I have not run out of ideas for using it. Grab one soon at Sephora since this is a limited edition for a pretty pink Spring collection. I've backed mine up already, of course, (pre-Lent, MardiGras spurge!) and I'm glad I did.
Tomorrow, on to the second half of our Primer journey! Journey? That's another band. Sorry, Jon!
Rating: 9

This review was written by Cavewoman.
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer.
Photo Credit: Sephora

40 Days and 40 Nights Of Primer Reviews

Primer #19 is from the exclusive luxury line from Shiseido, called Cle De Peau Beaute. I had stopped at the Cle De Peau counter at Saks, and asked the SA if the line had a primer that I might try. She said to me, yes, her line does have a primer, but since it's Cle De Peau, the name of the primer is "Cle De Peau Beaute Smoothing Pre-Makeup Emulsion." She gave me a large box containing a sample tube, and I thanked her. This is the same SA who was so generous as to give me samples from other lines at Saks, too.
On the box, this primer states "SPF 22 Sunscreen" and that sunscreen is titanium dioxide. I was happy to see this since there have been very few primers I've noticed with any SPF at all. The product itself is a beautifully-textured palest pink-white, out of the tube. On the face, there is a definite whitening effect, but it did hide some spots and freckles I have, leaving a nice even finish. It dries quickly and doesn't sink into pores or lines, but it is definitely not the pore-filler, line-filler silicone style of primer. There is no shimmer or glow, but a freshness that is a very nice appearance on its own. But I'm testing primers and that means I am putting a foundation over top. So on with the La Prairie. At first I did not think my foundation was going on easily. Perhaps it was the titanium dioxide, I do not know. I did have to work a bit to blend, maybe just a bit more than usual. A close look in the mirror showed a smooth face with no blotches, no uneven application, and no cracks or creases. My foundation looked good even on my crepey areas and it did not look cakey or thick. Later in the day, I checked again. Looking good! The Cle De Peau primer performed beautifully. The best part is that there was no flaking or dry patches that seem to be the problem with many of the primers I have already reviewed. I could definitely still see the whitening effect, so if that is desirable to you, and you have dry skin that usually flakes by the end of the day, I can recommend this primer without hesitation.
Inside the box, there is a little brochure that describes the product. I see on that brochure that this primer comes in another formula, called "Tendre" which is "for a silky, moisture-rich feeling." I hope to try that formula as well. In the meantime, I have another item to add to my growing "must cave on these things after Lent is over" list! Product rating, 9.

Review by Cavewoman
Disclosure: The product was purchased by the reviewer.
Photo Credit: Gettyimages

New unsniffed lemming alert:

Montales Greyland

Description directly from Aedes:

"Pepper, elemi and cardamom sparkle in the top notes of Greyland, an elegant composition of musky woods suffused with warm spices. The scintillating top accord melts into the sweetness of woods anointed with incense. Teak, cedar and sandalwood are overlaid with ambery rockrose from the coast of Southern France, resulting in a perfectly balanced accord that reveals its various facets simultaneously, from sweet to spicy, from chilly to sensual." (Quote from Aedes-I love the descriptions from their site. They make you want to order anything...even fragrances you are not a fan of)

I am a sucker for cardamon and woods...so this scent is calling me to break my "no buy" promise.

Available at Aedes for $135.00 @ http://www.aedes.com/home.php

Read a great review of Aedes at Monkeyposh @ http://monkeyposh.blogspot.com/

I miss him already.

Check out the link below.

I think Lupa will like this one.

photo from bravotv.com

http://home.comcast.net/~the_scarlett_letters/Project_Runway_Dance__Pfost_Remix_.mp3

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primer Reviews

Primer #18.
It's about time for a rave-worthy product and a bargain at that! I'm talking about a beautiful product that our Annie discovered in Sephora last week. The Sephora store nearest us is not near at all, it's about an hour and a half drive, and it's a small store with just the basics. However, there are goodies to be found there, and Annie found one!

Sephora has a wonderful line of products under its store brand name. I have been a fan of their lipsticks from the day I discovered Sephora, many years ago in SoHo. From time to time I have tried most of what is on the rack. But how this tube eluded me is a mystery. Sephora Perfection Makeup Base is the treasure that Annie found, and our kind SA gave us each a little sample jar to take home to try.
At first the product, packaged in a white tube ($12 for one ounce!), seems just like any white cream. But it's not! It's pearly! Pinky-peachy-apricotty, iridescent pretty! And it smells like something my Grandma may have had on her dressing table, something elegant and softly scented, perhaps like an old-fashioned sachet pillow she may have had tucked into a drawer to scent her collection of embroidered and crochet-edged handkerchiefs. Sephora's Perfection Makeup Base is beautiful. I love anything pearly and this product looks like crushed pearls and opals together. It smoothed onto my face with no blotches or uneven patches, gave my complexion a candlelit glow, and felt smooth, dried instantly, and evened out some of the areas of my face that have freckles and sun spots. I think it could be beautiful to just apply powder over this for a quick, pretty face. But I applied my La Prairie over it and went off for a very long day away from home.
Mid-day, I checked my face in the mirror. The iridescence of the primer does not look garish or inappropriate for daytime. It gave my foundation just a nice fresh glow. There was no uneven wear, and no patches, cracks or dry areas. Pores are not minimized by the product itself, since it is not a filler, but the light-reflective properties definitely softened my lines and pores. At the end of the day, my skin still looked as good as it did in the morning. Sephora Perfection is rave-worthy and full-tube-worthy! I'll be buying it for myself on April 17th, the day after Easter, the day when the No Buy For Lent ends. This primer is different in style and texture from my Holy Grail Smashbox, but I love the look of it under my foundation and am so impressed, again, with products that carry the Sephora name.
Product rating, a perfect 10!

Review by Cavewoman
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman
Photo Credit: Sephora

One of my favorite bloggers Fightin Mad Mary
http://whereisgoodservice.blogspot.com/
will be visiting the perfume mecca called Luckyscent. I promised her a list of scents to check out. Here is my list of the fragrances I am currently lemming or scents that she has to try.

1. My #1 unsniffed lemming: Holy Champa
This is from luckyscent's site:
"Holy Champa is a Technicolor dreamcoat of a fragrance, blending together rich neroli (orange blossom), earthy nag champa, amber and incense with the sweet balsam of Indonesian gurjum. This fragrance of fantasy was created by Mark Buxton, the perfumer behind Comme de Garcon’s amazing creations."
*Doesnt this sound wonderful? *swoon*

2. Black Orchid by Susanne Lang-own it and love it!
Notes are: white gardenia, Egyptian jasmine, freesia, vanilla absolute, soft musk

3. Janca by Acqua di Biella: Very light feminine scent. Perfect for spring.

4. Aqaba Spring

5. All of the incense series by Comme des Garcons

6. Fifi Chachnil

7. Frapin 1270

8. Botrytis by Ginestet

9. Idole by Lubin

10. Spiritus/Land by Miller et Bertaux

11. Monyette Paris

12. Luctor et Emergo by People of the Labyrinth: My all time personal favorite. Worthy of a sniff and coveting. Ultimate comfort scent.

13. Pink Manhattan: Perfect for summer and created by a fellow muaer.

14. Amber Vanilla byRegina Harris: Smelled so wonderful on ChattyKathy.

15. For her by La Base: You have to sniff this one. I personally love it! It has an incredible drydown!

16. Black Tea and Lemon bath essence by Eskandar: I have never sniffed it...but I wanna!

This is my list! Everyone add to it so Mary will have a great list to take to the store!
I can not wait for you to go Mary! Take pictures!

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primer Reviews

Primer #17 comes from famous makeup artist Trish McEvoy. There is something about this entire line that bothers me. I cannot quite put my finger on it. But I did put my fingers on her primer, named Even Skin Face Primer, a generous half-ounce sample tube from a very kind SA at Saks. In the tube it appears to have a milky-translucent color. On the face, it's colorless. This product has a fresh, herbal scent, so be warned if you're sensitive to facial products that are scented.
Even Skin dries quickly, invisibly, and I almost couldn't see if I had applied it evenly. There is no stickiness or tacky quality. There is no tightening effect as in the Divinora from Guerlain. A very subtle sheen remained, and I applied my La Prairie foundation over top without having to wait very long at all. So far so good. I was pleased with the appearance, the Even Skin did not change what I have come to expect from my La Prairie finish. But within an hour or so, my skin showed flakes and dry patches, and then there were the dreaded cracks and uneven wear. Again, from a makeup artist, I would have expected something more effective. Even Skin feels good and smells good, but did not work well on me at all. It's not the silicone line-and-pore filler type. It's not even moisturizing. I am not sure what it is. I think it would be a good product for oily skin, perhaps even just on its own, or with an application of powder over it for a nice finish. I may try this product again when warm weather comes, with maybe just some bronzer over it. Loved the scent!
Product rating, 4.

Review by Cavewoman
Photo from Nordstorm.com
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman

Oleg Cassini
1913-2006

Shangri Law wrote the most beautiful tribute to the designer. She also included the most incredible pictures.
http://shangrilaw.blogspot.com/

photo from gettyimages

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Today's primer comes from the venerable House Of Guerlain. With supremely elegant products and beautiful packaging, my artist's eye is charmed and enchanted with all things Guerlain. Not to mention the fragrances! But that's not why we are here. We are here to evaluate primers. And so off to the Guerlain counter we went, my Annie and me, with my La Prairie foundation tucked into my purse, bare faced and eager to try the Divinora Pure Radiance Primer. Our SA was named Victoria and when she could not find the tester, she promptly opened a brand new box and pumped out the primer onto my hand. The most amazing feature of the Divinora primer is the presence of little 24 karat gold flecks suspended in the clear gel formula. Yes, real gold! Now I have to say, it's pretty to look at, but I was skeptical. I applied the primer to my face and asked Annie to see what happened to the gold flecks. Annie said she could not see the flecks on my face! And so Victoria started to read the enclosed brochure to us. The brochure states that the 24 karat gold particles "instantly melt into the skin" and gee, that must be true, because they weren't on my hand, they weren't on my fingers, and they weren't on my face! Gold sunk into my skin! I wonder where it goes from there???

Now onto the performance of this product. When the Divinora dried on my face, I felt a very slight tightening and a nice cooling effect. I noticed that I had much more color in my face, not from the clear product (could it be the gold?) but probably because the cooling effect drew the blood toward the surface. It did not dry completely but still felt a bit sticky when I applied the La Prairie over it. Smooth application, no blotchiness, and no tugging or pilling or rolling of either the product or the foundation. Later Annie told me that it looked pretty good. At this point, we both thought we'd consider a purchase.

Before removing my makeup later that night, I checked my skin in the mirror, still searching for gold. I found one teeny fleck of gold stuck to my skin right above my lips. No lines or cracks or creases in the foundation, but it felt very sticky to the touch. I rubbed my cheek lightly with my fingers. Foundation and primer came rolling off as if I were removing a scrub-type product. In other areas, foundation stuck tenaciously to my skin. I washed my face with my usual cleanser but needed a scrub afterwards to remove everything. The Divinora adheres to the skin better than just about any other primer I've tried so far, does not dry completely, and provides a good adhering base for foundation. I'm not so crazy about the fact that it leaves my foundation feeling sticky. But if you want a pretty product with a nice gimmick, and performs well, this might be one to try. If you ever find out where all that gold is, please let me know.
Product rating, 7.

Review by cavewoman
photo from strawberrynet.com

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Review by cavewoman
Photo from gettyimages/Time.

Since our Annie and I are on a No Buy For Lent, but we still have that twitchy shopping desire, we ventured off to our local mall in search of primers at some of the lesser-visited counters. We found an interesting product at Elizabeth Arden, a company that has many good products but is often associated with, shall we say, women of a certain age. Being one of those women, I'm a fan of Arden and have worn their mousse foundation for many years now. We asked the friendly SA's if the line has a primer, and we were shown the Good Morning Serum. I have to say that I have not really reviewed serums as primers, but I can see that some of them could work very well, especially on more oily skin types, who wouldn't want to add layers of product under foundation.

The serum is a milky gel-cream-liquid, that comes in a slender bottle with a pump dispenser. It is easy to control the amount that comes out. I tried the primer on my hand and was impressed enough with its silky texture to apply it on my face. The product has a typical serum wetness to it, but when it dried down, it felt very smooth and seemed to even out my skin tone a bit, too. Even though I had brought along my La Prairie foundation to test over top of any primers I'd find on this trip, I was too tempted by the Radiant Moisture foundation on the Arden display, and applied this foundation over the serum. I tested these things on one side of my face only. I was instantly impressed with the ease with which the foundation went on, and even with the bad lighting at the counter, I could see that my face had a lovely glow. Pores seemed diminished and I did not see any settling into lines.

Annie and I went off to find more primers, and we would check my face from time to time to see how it looked with the Arden products on. About an hour later, I noticed a few patchy areas where both the primer and the foundation were gone, perhaps I had touched my face, I don't remember, but there was definitely some uneven wear. However, my face felt so soft and smooth, and still was glowing, nothing settled into lines, no cakiness or thickness at all, and at the very least I am considering a purchase of the foundation! I liked the Good Morning Serum enough to consider a purchase of this product also. It is definitely more of a treatment product than a primer, and I am all for good skincare.
Product rating, 7.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Review by cavewoman
photo from: Sephora
Primer #14

Today's primer is Nars, a true cult item and a favorite of many makeup artists and cosmetic divas everywhere. Our Annie provided me with a generous pot of this product and I was eager to give it a whirl. Annie swears by this primer, (and her complexion always looks perfect!) so of course I was happy to test it myself.

First of all, the scent of the Nars primer is lovely and fresh, but that could be a bit off-putting to someone who does not like scented products on his or her face.
It is a light-textured gel-cream with none of the silicone thickness or pore-and-line-filling properties of the Smashbox types I've reviewed already, and the Nars took quite a long time, several minutes in fact, to dry on my face. It felt a bit tingly, not unpleasant at all, but certainly unexpected. It has a very refreshing, cooling effect and I think I'd like that on a hot Summer morning. But it's going to snow today in Ohio, so there wasn't much benefit to the cool effect today! I was also pleased to find that when the Nars primer did dry down, there was a definite 'tightening' feeling, and sure enough, upon close scrutiny, that tightening effect was nicely visible. My foundation applied smoothly over top, and it was easy to achieve an even application.

At first I was not happy with the way my foundation looked over the Nars. It was very glossy looking and showed all my lines and pores. But I allowed my foundation to dry, and checked again. The tightening feeling of the Nars remained for several hours, and my foundation looked pretty and natural and soft. The Nars does not add any thickness at all. But within just a few hours of applying my foundation, I re-checked in the mirror, and was shocked to see cracks in my face! I had definite, visible lines where the foundation caked in my creases, especially under my lower lip in that crease above my chin, and also from nose to lip. I looked like a scary old lady with pancake makeup poorly applied! I smoothed it out with my finger and later checked again. Same thing! And in addition, where my reading glasses rest on my nose, creases there too! I did not know I had creases there!

To its credit, my crepey cheek areas still looked okay, and I liked the tightening and cooling effect and the scent, but I'm very disappointed in the Nars overall. My foundation would have looked much better without this primer. I'm glad I did my research on the Nars primer in the privacy of my home! I'd give it a few points for the nice cooling and tightening effect, but under my foundation, not good.
Product rating, 3.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Primer #13 is another multi-purpose product, a brand new item from Christian Dior, called Diorskin Icone Photo Perfect Creme To Powder Makeup. I purchased shade 001 Translucent, which was the only one available at Nordstrom a few weeks ago, but now I understand it will soon be available in skin shades as well. Readers with oily skin, stand on alert, you may like this product!

The Icone is packaged in the signature navy blue shade, in a nice tube that is easy to hold and use. I love a tube for the ability to control just how much product comes out. No waste here. Icone Translucent is a milky-white, rather thick cream texture, but with that familiar silicone feel that seems to be the trend for all of the new primers that continue to show up at counters. But when Icone Translucent is smoothed on the skin, there is definitely a bluish cast to the product. Hmmm. Weird.

Application is easy, and I paid attention to the instructions in the enclosed booklet, working small areas at a time and starting in the middle of the face and working outward. My skin felt like velvet. Bluish-white velvet, but nonetheless I was liking the way it felt. But foundation over top of this product felt very heavy and thick. It was difficult to smooth out my foundation on top of the Icone, and I had to keep dabbing and rubbing to prevent uneven application of the foundation. A close look in the mirror showed many uneven areas. And the Icone turned my lovely La Prairie foundation into a matte finish!

In all fairness, by the end of the day, my face looked very good, no uneven wear and no streaks, no color change. Icone is very drying. I noticed some flakiness and the very dry finish at the end of the day. So here is the evaluation. I would definitely say that this product could be useful as a primer for persons who have very oily skin, even though the ingredient list includes mineral oil. It's not oily in the least. I think it would be better to use this under powder only. I plan to try that. I am looking forward to trying this product in a skin shade, but then it won't be a primer, will it?
Product rating, 5.

Review by Cavewoman

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

review from Cavewoman
photo from focusonstyle.com


Primer #12 is the second of the Lorac products that I have tested. It is a pearly-white liquid in a pump bottle, and it is called Luminizer L1. This product is not just a base for your foundation but also can be used over top, as a highlighter.

When I pumped out a bit of the product, it was difficult to just pump out a dab, way way too much came out of the pump and it was impossible to control how much came out. I just don't like these pumps that give too much product. That being said, smoothing out this white frosty liquid is difficult. It does not seem thick at all, but it seems to separate on the skin, there are areas where the pearly white seems to chunk up, and areas where it seems as if it's just clear. I am not sure how it can be that a liquid can chunk up like that, but it did.

Applying foundation over top seemed to make the uneven application of the primer look worse. The product sunk into my pores and emphasized every line and flaw. Foundation appeared streaky and uneven. I've used many of these pearlized primers in my testing (see the one for Prescriptives Magic, a far, far superior product than this Lorac) and I know that with the right formula, this type of primer can be beautiful. Not the Lorac. Again, I like Shaw's theory, but her formulas could use a bit of tweaking.
Product rating, 1.

I have been tagged by Risa at http://lachendwolf.blogspot.com/ to name 5 quirky things about myself. This was a difficult question to answer. I am a boring quirky person. Risa has an impressive knife collection while I have no cool weapons. She can not take naps while I can sleep my life away if I wanted to. She fears earwigs. I have no idea what one looks like. Note to tbone: Do not post a link to a picture of one. I repeat...Do not post a picture of an earwig.

So here it goes. If anyone wants to add a quirky thing/habit that I do...leave it in the comments. Please be kind...or I will get you back. I swear.

1. I fancy myself a Nancy Drew sleuth. I love to solve a good mystery.

2. For grade school history day I went as Coco Chanel. I was competing against Daniel Boone, Florence Nightingale, and Laurel and Hardy. The teacher felt I spent a little too much time discussing her lovers. I did not win. I was in the 4th grade.

3. According to my co-worker Darryl, I often shut my eyes when I am about to discuss something stressful. I also take to my bed after a bad day from work. This last week I have been in bed by four. It has been that bad.

4. I do not coo at babies. I coo at dreamy bags and swoonworthy coats. I clap at pretty things. I have been known to stalk a coat and covet a perfume bottle. I peer pressure people into buying shoes. I encourage caving with everyone but cavewoman. With her...I am stricter.

5. I have repeated this often...but I love Drag Queens. I could just take them home with me and play dress up all day. My dream is to judge a Drag Queen pagent. I went to the Miss Gay Cleveland pagent and you would have thought I hit the lottery. When they put the spotlight on the tiara...you could hear me gasp in the entire room. Me and a room of drag queens. It was heaven.

Well...this is all I got. I tag everyone! Post your freaky habits in the comments. Keep it clean Peej and tbone.

photo by Frank Horvat
horvatworld.net
*This is the way I picture N in real life. Very chic with superhero powers.

Happy Belated Birthday to Neela! Hope your birthday was wonderful!

40 days and 40 Nights of Primers

review by cavewoman
photo from drugstore.com

Primer #11 comes from makeup artist Carol Shaw, who reversed the letters of her first name to come up with the name of her line, Lorac. Her oil-free foundation has gotten rave reviews over the years, and so I thought I'd take a look at what she had to offer in terms of primers and other products she's designed to be used under her foundation.

Lorac Oil Free Neutralizer is the strangest looking shade of primer I've discovered so far. It is supposed to neutralize redness. As a former art teacher, I do know the theories of color, and color opposites, so I see where she's coming from with this green-to-yellow product.

In theory, it works. In practice, it is just too weird. It's almost impossible to apply this product evenly. It streaks. Badly. If you apply with your fingers, you'll see your fingerprints on your face. If you apply with a brush, you'll see brush streaks. A sponge absorbs so much product that you'll waste more than you'll apply. Foundation over top pulls the primer around and adds to the uneven application. I wonder if a personal lesson from Shaw would help. I do see that it could be possible that this shade of primer would work well for people who have need to tone down redness, but I am not excited about the formula itself.

Good idea, bad execution, primer rating 3.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

review by: cavewoman
photo from: hmnavy

Primer #10

In the name of research, I forced myself to head to the Clinique counter to try their primer. I have rarely had any success with anything from Clinique, other than their Gentle Light foundation (which is now discontinued, even more reason for me to just pass by the white lab jackets and minty-green packaging.) I once had a very bad experience with their amazingly popular (a mystery to me) 3-Step program. It took my skin 6 months to recover from that disaster.

But 40 primers in 40 days means I must sacrifice myself, set aside prejudices, try to be objective, give every product a fair chance. I should have known better at the Clinique counter.
Clinique offers a Pore Minimizer as their primer. A small green tube holds this product, easy to squeeze out the right amount, nothing wasted. This is a thicker-type silicone-based product that I could definitely 'feel' on my face. Foundation goes on smoothly, and indeed as the name promises, pores are definitely made less visible.

But it was the following day when I noticed something I never see on my face. The primer had caused me to break out like a teenager in the throes of puberty! I had clogged, inflamed pores all over my nose! Dozens of red dots and whiteheads! Clinique Pore Minimizer gave me the worst breakout I've had in 40 years.

I packed up the tube and sent it to a friend. It is her Holy Grail.
Rating, 1, purely subjective of course, your results may vary.
I'm staying away from the Clinique counter.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

review by cavewoman
photo from amans.com

Day 9 of the 40 days of primer brings me to Shiseido. I found at least 5 primer-type products at the Shiseido counter, and the first one I will review is called Shiseido The Makeup Brightening Veil.

It is a very thick, dense cream, and it comes in a specially designed jar with an inner sealing plastic lid. Application can be done with either a sponge or fingers, but plan to add five minutes to your makeup routine, because it is almost impossible to get product out of this jar. There is little brightening effect. It is so thick that getting an even application is next to impossible. The product appears to be beige in the jar but shows no color on the skin. I'm not sure why Shiseido calls this Brightening. Foundation goes on blotchy and streaky because that is the way this primer goes on.

If you go to the Shiseido counter and check out this product, open that extra little lid inside, the one that protects the product from drying out. You will see that the product itself pulls away from the sides of the container. That is because no matter how you try, no matter how well you press down that little inner lid, this primer starts to dry out within a few weeks of purchase and use. I can't imagine being able to use this primer effectively. I tried for a few weeks and finally gave up.

It is maybe one of the worst I've tried. From one of the great skincare companies in the world, I could not be more shocked at how ineffective this primer is. I have to think no one was in the office the day this product was given the go-ahead!
Product rating, 1.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

review from cavewoman
primer #8
photo: unknown
"tempted by the fruit of another"

My head has been turned. It's all Annie's fault. I'm tempted by the fruit of another, and I would not be in this state of confusion if Annie had not spotted the head-turner at Saks, and called me over to see for myself. I was perfectly content until that moment. I had my HG. Nothing could change my mind. Or so I thought. Now I question my ability to stay loyal and true, and it's all because of a little jar of pink stuff.

Primer #8 is the head-turner, the object of impossible desire, the one that could make me turn from The One. La Prairie Cellular Treatment Rose Illusion Line Filler is the name of my new desire. Our Annie and I, along with another friend, had gone hunting and gathering (info, you see, since we are on a No Buy For Lent) -- just checking out primers for our "research"-- and as I was occupied with a very nice SA who was handing me sample after sample, Annie showed me the La Prairie.

Now why is it that the SA at La Prairie insisted on applying this product to MY face, not Annie and not our friend? Could it be because I told her that I use the Concealer Foundation and she saw my wallet through my purse as if she had x-ray eyes? It did not matter. One peek inside the jar, and the exquisite gel-cream captivated me and drew me in. Pinky primer extended her seductive hand toward my face and I was smitten. Our SA applied the product to my face and then applied the Concealer Foundation over it. She chose my shade instantly out of her counter full of tester jars and bottles. And then she handed me the mirror and I almost lost my holy Lenten resolution. I know the meaning of Thou Shalt Not Covet.

La Prairie Rose Illusion is part silicone-filler, part soothing and cooling gel, and total primer perfection. It smooths on without effort and leaves no evidence of its presence other than a flawless canvas with which to paint on the foundation. It does not accumulate in areas near the nose, it is not drying in the least, and a dab the size of a pea is almost too much for the entire face.

What I loved most is, although it is a silicone-type line-filler, it is so much thinner in texture than Smashbox. I also appreciate a wide-open jar rather than the horrible pump of the Smashbox. Did I ever tell you how that pump clogs? How it squirts out product everywhere but where you want it to go? How after you're almost 3/4 of the way done with the bottle, you can't even get the rest of it out of there, unless you unscrew and stick the end of a q-tip in there? I don't see this kind of holding back with my new love. La Prairie containers allow you to use them down to the glass. Am I glowing because of the Rose Illusion or the fact that I have a uncrushable new crush? We will find out on April 17th.

Product rating, a perfect 10.
In the meantime, I feel the need to go to confession.

Project Runway: The Red Lobster