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Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Overall rating from 63 reviews so far:
4.2/5
Would use it again?
4.2/5
Did it do what it said it would?
4.3/5
Would recommend it to a friend?
4.1/5

Create a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea.

Worn alone or under foundation, our best-selling, oil-free primer helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish.

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Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Reviews

Overall rating:
5.0/5
10th September, 2014
0 members found this review useful
Velvet

I received this in my goodie bag at NZFW and it is amazing, it is a bit pricey and I personally wouldn't of bought it otherwise but now I have tried it and seen how amazing it is I will repurchase. It goes on smoothly and makes your skin feel like velvet. My make up applies nicely and stays on, does not fade around the nose and cheek area where it normally did.

Tips: apply with your fingers so it works the primer into your skin. Do not use a brush.

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Overall rating:
5.0/5
10th October, 2014
0 members found this review useful
Hello to my new holy grail primer!

My search for my ultimate Holy Grail primer is now over... Smashbox Photo finish Foundation Primer you have smashed other primers out of the water with this one! It definitely lives up to its claims and 'creates the perfect canvas for foundation application'.

How I came to get this lovely product in my hot little hands... I was walking past the enticing Smashbox concept store and an advertisement on the window caught my eye. They had an offer of buy two products and get the full sized Smashbox primer, plus a travel size for free. I was instantly sold! Considering I have been wanting to try this product for so long and it normally retails at $70 dollars plus! This offer was too good to pass up, in my opinion.

After hearing great things about this product, and reading the good reviews on BR - I was very excited to try this. I have a few primers on the go, but not one I was super impressed with. I have been looking for the perfect primer for some time, and I'm happy to report this definitely gets my thumbs up.

The packaging is pretty simplistic, yet stylish. It comes in a plain, see-through tube with black writing and a black top. The tube is 30ml, which is the average size for primers.

After moisturising my skin in the morning, I then squeeze out a small amount of my hand and slightly massage this over my face. This primer feels a lot nicer than other primers, which tend to have that icky, siliconey, sticky texture that i'm not a fan of!

But the formula of the Smashbox primer feels more like a serum and glides easily over your skin. It makes my skin feel lovely and soft. My skin tends to be sensitive and slightly reactive, but this formula is perfect. So ladies with sensitive skin, this one is for you!

My absolute favourite thing about this product is that it makes my makeup look lovely using this, so fresh and flawless. Because it gives your skin such smooth and supple base, you need less foundation - a definite plus! Another positive point is that my foundation lasts so long using this! It really does what a primer should do and more.

I would definitely recommend this amazing primer and give it five stars. Smashbox I can't wait to try your other products now!

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Overall rating:
5.0/5
15th November, 2014
0 members found this review useful
Peeeerfect!

It is a crime not to prime and I have been on a hunt for a good primer for lets just say years. I used to use smashbox when I was like 16? Not sure why I ever stopped but my sister reintroduced me to it and I'm hooked! Back to the primer though "flawless skin" is not joke. This is the prefect base it goes on really smoothly and creates a nice even surface. It's also the first primer I have put on and been like wow my skin look better! It actually is velvet, feels velvet, looks velvet, is velvet. Yes it's expensive so if your on a budget not ideal but it is 100% worth every penny.

Tips: Use alongside studio 15hour foundation and their power - A MAZ ING

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Overall rating:
5.0/5
3rd December, 2014
0 members found this review useful
The best yet.

I have been a bit skeptical of primers in the past, I had only used cheap versions and found them pretty much useless. I should have just splurged on this one all along because it really is wonderful. It glides onto your skin really easily and instantly makes it feel soft and smooth, which means anything that goes over the top looks much more flawless. It also completely mattifies the skin, keeping it oil free for hours, which helps the makeup to last a lot longer. I can wear this on a night out and come home with my foundation still on.

It'd definitely a pricey product so I only use it on special occasions or when know i'll have a lot of photos taken and want to look extra special :)

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Beauty Review member and not of Beauty Review Limited.
Overall rating:
2.0/5
27th December, 2014
0 members found this review useful
Not as good as I thought

I got a mini size of this in a Smashbox mini bestsellers kit and was so excited to try it! However, it's not really as good as I though it would be. I've used similar primers, but this one just seems to disappear and makes my skin feel a bit sticky. I wouldn't pay full price for it.

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Overall rating:
5.0/5
16th January, 2015
0 members found this review useful
Definitely a Photo Finish

This is the Rolls Royce of primers but it definitely delivers and gives a perfectly smooth "photo finish" and helps your foundation to stay in place and look good all day or all night.

It does not have a particularly strong fragrance and it has never irritated my skin which can tend to be a little bit sensitive. I have used it under Smashbox foundation and under Clinique and it has worked well with both.

It is expensive for a small tube so I don't use it every day any more. I prefer to save it for job interviews and special occasions.

You don't need to use very much - start with a little bit and then add a little more if you need it. If you squirt out too much, you can't get it back in the tube so it will go to waste.

Tips: Use a foundation brush to apply it smoothly. I don't put it on or under my eyes - I use the under eye primer for that.

When the tube is empty, roll the tube like it's toothpaste, you will be able to get some more out. Once you've done that, cut the bottom of the tube open and you'll get another day or two out of it!

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Overall rating:
2.0/5
21st March, 2015
0 members found this review useful
Not as good as the hype

There is so much hype over this product so I was expecting it to be fantastic and couldn't wait to get it! I was sold the luminizing one by the sales assistant and can't say I have been impressed. It's way too shimmery for me and it seems greasy. It doesn't stop my makeup from moving. It gives my skin a muddy type appearance and affects the color of the foundation I apply on top so it looks like I'm wearing the wrong shade foundation. I've tried using less and more but it hasn't produced flawless results yet.

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Overall rating:
4.0/5
25th May, 2015
0 members found this review useful
By far the best primer to come in a tube

I was a little sceptical as I always am when it comes to primers, I have certainly had a good go at a large amount of others on the market but after trialling this as a sample I rushed and ordered the full size even though it is one of the more expensive ones I have ever brought.

This wonderful primer comes in a very understated tube of white plastic with the Smashbox logo and design upon it. The best thing packaging wise is the lid, it is nothing amazing, just a regular flip up and down function but it actually does that with a firm snap shut unlike so many other tube products I own that don't properly align themselves so they never fully close and end up leaking out slightly and congealing around the lid in a messy fashion.

Formula wise this sily soft milky in appearance primer is just the correct level of fluid to easy blend over your face without piling up into little balls as it sinks in rather than sets on your face. Leaving a veil of softness over your face that blots out oily areas and reduces the appearance of larger pores giving you the perfect face canvas to apply the rest of your makeup upon. Duration of cover is all day, with only a light foundation and setting powder over top I can go from morning to evening without the product seeping into my pores or oil creeping up and spoiling my flawless look I aim for.

I highly recommend this primer, even though it is a little pricey, you can just apply it over the t-zone area, or areas where you tend to have larger pores or oily outbreaks rather than all over your face so a little goes a long way.

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Beauty Review member and not of Beauty Review Limited.
Overall rating:
4.3/5
26th May, 2015
0 members found this review useful
Iconic

I got this as a 100 point redemption with Sephora and I was kind of expecting a larger tube when it arrived, but c'est la vie.

The packaging has had an update, so you can see how much is or isn't left in the tube. The primer comes out a kind of milky clear, but goes onto the skin clear. I've never had this clump up on application and it goes onto the skin really quite smoothly.

It definitely diffuses the light under the foundation - reducing the effect of pores and the odd fine line. Some primers make me break out, but the few times I've used this, that hasn't happened. And a little goes a long way too. You only need a pea sized amount to get decent coverage. It is silky smooth and long lasting. It is all you could ever want in a primer and I'll eventually get a full sized tube of this!

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Overall rating:
2.3/5
28th May, 2015
0 members found this review useful
Not worth the price

I found that this primer did not keep my foundation on as well as other primers I have used, it left a oily glow to my skin which I did not like so this Product did not work for me and will not be buying again

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