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
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