Showing posts with label primer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label primer. Show all posts

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Illamasqua Hydra Veil




Illamasqua Hydra Veil - £27

I consider Illamasqua to be one of the greatest innovators in the cosmetics industry. Their products & campaigns always think completely outside the box. You're unlikely to find such a fantastic array of colours & textures from any other brand. Hydra Veil is one of their most amazing creations. It's kinda like a hybrid between a skincare product & a primer. It has a thick gel texture that feels incredibly cooling & refreshing upon application. You only need a tiny bit for your whole face, the little spoon included in the pot picks up the perfect amount. If you take a chunk of the gel out, it will actually resurface itself so it'll look brand new again next time you use it! It immediately floods your skin with hydration & features firming marine algae to reduce inflammation. It makes my skin feel much plumper & smoother. You can even use it around your eyes to de-puff the area. However these skincare benefits are not long term which is why it acts more like a primer. You put it on just before your base and as a result your foundation will apply more smoothly & easily, with a much fresher appearance.

Whenever I've had my makeup done at an Illamasqua counter they've applied it using their highlighter brush & then used the same brush to apply Skin Base Foundation but I prefer to apply Hydra Veil with just my fingers. I'm a big fan of the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (read my really old review here) but I always had a bit of a problem with it clinging to any dry patches on my face. Even though my skincare routine has improved over the past few years I still had the same problem until I tried using Skin Base with this product. I kinda wish that Skin Base could've been originally formulated with this stuff mixed in, although I doubt that would've been possible. Hydra Veil doesn't just work with Skin Base (although they are a magical pair!), you can use it before applying any foundation for an instant hydration boost. If you have any foundations that cling to your skin or become patchy throughout the day then this will sort them out a treat. It smooths over any dry or flaky areas allowing you to get a truly flawless finish to your foundation.

My base makeup simply glides over my skin whenever I use this product. I find that I can blend out my foundation faster with it & my face looks much better in the end. It totally stops any cakeyness in it's tracks. If silicone primers aren't your thing then this is a brilliant alternative. It feels so much lighter on the skin. The watery consistency means that it is suitable for all skin types. Anyone with dry skin would probably benefit most from it though. Unlike a traditional primer, Hydra Veil does not claim to greatly increase the longevity or adhesion of your makeup. However by temporarily treating any drier patches your foundation will stay looking fresher for longer. Skincare products with hyaluronic acid are your best bet if your skin is chronically dehydrated but if you need a quick fix then you can't get a better product than Hydra Veil.


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Saturday, 21 September 2013

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15



Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 - £20

I love a good primer and seem to have amassed quite a few of them over the past few years. Unfortunately some of them do absolutely nothing at all and some only play nicely with certain foundations so my quest for the perfect primer continued on. I decided to look for something that could do it all - something that could minimise pores, reduce redness, control oil and create a smooth base for longer lasting makeup. So I placed a very naughty Space.NK order (is there any other kind of order from that place?) including a bottle of the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer AKA the primer everyone wants to hate due to it's ridiculous price tag. I purchased the small 10ml bottle which was £20 but they also do a 30ml bottle for £52. It's such a great idea to have a smaller version because I doubt there's many people out there who are willing to drop fifty notes on a primer without trying it first.

Veil is a mineral based water-resistant primer with the added bonus of SPF 15. The SPF is provided by a mix of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Those are physical blockers so be prepared for some major white cast. I was kinda shocked the first time I used it because sun protection never normally makes me look that white. It soon sinks in though and the extreme whiteness disappears completely. Veil does contain silicone to enhance that smooth appearance but it doesn't feel thick or heavy on the skin like other silicone based primers. I think that's due to the light creamy texture as opposed to the thicker putty-like texture of some of my other favourite primers (eg. Philosophy's The Present, Benefit's The Porefessional & Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch). My main problem with those primers is that they can ball up & pill with certain foundations whereas there's none of that at all with Veil. It feels really lightweight and smooths over pores & dry patches without clogging up my skin. I love that it comes with a pump because it's really hygienic and one pump full is the perfect amount for my entire face. I start by blending it over my T-Zone because my foundation tends to fade around my nose and forehead first and then smooth the excess over the rest of my face. After applying it my skin is left with a luminescent satin finish which makes my foundation look amazing. My makeup lasts all day long with this stuff and looks just as perfect in the evening as when I applied it that morning. The results are incredible and my base has never looked so good before.

This is one of the few primers that actually lives up to it's claims. Whether I should repurchase this or not is a very tough decision. I love absolutely everything about it and it is undoubtedly the best primer I have ever used. It's just that crazy price tag that puts me off. It is extremely expensive but it does it's job oh so well. I think this might be one to save for the Christmas list!


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