Face Primers

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base,
 Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

I am a pretty big fan of primers and rarely skip them in my daily routine. I have something of a 'primer wardrobe', choosing various ones depending on my particular skin needs that day. Today I thought I would talk about my three most used primers. 

First up is the Clinique Redness Solution Daily Protective Base. I won't dwell on this one too much as I already have a post up about it (post here). I have quite a lot of facial redness and tend to apply this pretty much everyday to try and combat the redness. The fact that it has SPF 15 is an added bonus. The Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base is available here.

Next is the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. While I just have the standard, original primer, there are several variations of this primer, including oil-free and radiance boosting versions. This has a silky texture and makes foundation application smooth and flawless. At the moment, I am using the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation and really like the combination. You only need a tiny amount of this primer so one bottle will last a good while. The Foundation Primer is available here.

Finally, I have the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm which is often raved about in the beauty world. I don't use this as often as the other two mentioned above, however, I turn to this when I feel my face needs to be brightened up. It gives the skin a beautiful healthy glow, which is particularly nice in winter when skin tends to be a bit drier, I have also heard positive things about this being used on more mature skins. Beauty Flash Balm is available here.

Do you have any favourite primers?

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Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base

Primers are a step many forgo in their makeup routine. Despite this, they are an important step and can perform a number of functions depending on the primer chosen. I have several primers that I use depending on my particular needs that day, a primer wardrobe if you will. As mentioned in a previous post (here), facial redness is a particular concern that I have. To try and combat my naturally overly rosy cheeks, I have been using the Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base.

The Redness Solutions line by Clinique is designed as the name would suggest, to help with redness issues. The Daily Protective Base is designed for use on its own or under makeup. It has SPF 15, which is an added benefit as it means that you have some sun protection added in to your daily routine. 

The base is light green in colour as green-toned products are normally used to help cancel out the red tones in the skin. When talking to a friend who also is concerned with facial redness, she remarked that she tended to steer away from green concealers etc. for fear that she would be felt with a green tinge on her face. However, I have never had any such problem with this product. It blends away every easily leaving you with a nice base for makeup. In terms of covering redness, I do think it makes a difference. 

The Daily Protective Base retails for around the €19 mark (available here). I think it is definitely worth a look if you are concerned by facial redness. While it does not magically mask all facial redness, I think it definitely helps counteract my redness. 

Do you have any redness concealing products that you recommend? If so, I would love to hear about it in the comment below. 

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Origins Mega-Mushroom Face Cream

I have normal/dry skin so having a decent moisturiser is an essential for me. Today I thought I would talk about my current moisturiser, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Smoothing Face Cream. Further information is available from the Origins website.

After running out of the Kiehl's moisturiser I had been using, I decided to try something different. I had first heard of this product as Tanya Burr used to often mention it. As already mentioned, I have normal/dry skin so I needed a product that would prevent my skin for drying out, particularly important during winter. My other skin concern tends to be redness, especially on my cheeks, so I was pleased to discover that the Dr. Andrew Weil Mega-Mushroom range is targeted specifically for redness and sensitivity.

In terms of texture, the cream is quite light and doesn't overload the skin. I'm not sure how a very oily skin type would cope with the cream, though I think a combination skin type would get on well with it.  Also as the cream is not too heavy or greasy, I have had no problem applied makeup over it, though I primarily use it in the evening. 

It does have a scent, which I do not find particularly pleasant. However, I don't like mushrooms in general and the scent does not linger on the skin once applied. I can't imagine the scent causing issues for facial sensitivity either as the range is targeted at a sensitive skin type. 

In terms of packaging, it comes in a dark green glass tub, which I thinks looks quite nice. Probably not the most travel-friendly packaging on the market, however, I do not think it is overly bulky or heavy either. I like the Origins packaging in general, as it tends to be quite simple and chic. 

Overall, I have found that the Mega-Mushroom cream has kept my skin moisturised and I haven't had any issues with dry patches. In terms of redness reduction, I haven't noticed a monumental improvement in my facial redness. Saying that, the redness certainly hasn't gotten any worse and I can see some positive changes.  

The cream is pricey, coming in at slightly at €50-60 mark for 50ml. However, I do think that the one pot will last me at least several months. I have already been using it for several weeks and I still have plenty of product left. Overall, I do recommend the Mega-Mushroom face cream. I bought mine from House of Fraser, which is linked here. 

Do you have any face moisturiser recommendations? Have you tried the Mega-Mushroom face cream? 

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