I use the Smashbox primer. The Paula Dorf primer is also very good but it's harder to find.

I just went and got a sample of Smashbox's new primer, the light one, which is made for oily skin (yay!). The MA, (who has skin like mine) said that she would never recommend the original Smashbox primer for someone with my type of skin. She said it just balled up on her skin, but that the light one worked really well. So they pumped some into a little container for me.. a whole week's worth! So nice. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

I was also thinking of trying MAC's primer because I read it's good for oily skin, but it has shimmer in it, which was a big turn-off for me. I already have oily skin! What do I need shimmer for?!?!?

It makes your makeup go on easier and last longer. Some of them are also "mattifiers" but I don't know how or if that type actually works.

Yeah, that's essentially what they're for: making your foundation go on more smoothly, hiding fine lines, and keeping the foundation actually on your face. I was with you, Judy, thinking it was just more stuff that would clutter up my routine until I tried the UD's eye primer. Oh my goodness, what a difference. With oily skin like mine, my eyeshadow would be creased and oily within 1-2 hours. I would pat it and try to smooth it out to no avail. So, on a whim at Sephora when the MA was telling me how wonderful it was, I said sure, I'll try it. And now I'm in love.

So now I'm thinking that a facial primer might do the same for my foundation. By the end of a long day, my skin is oily and icky and I have practically no foundation on. So now I'm going to try and see if the primer keeps my foundation on. I still haven't tried my sample of the Smashbox Light, though, because I've barely left the house the past few days! I want to make sure I give it a good test.

I came across a website where all of its users simply raved about a "must have" face primer made by N.V. Perricone, M.D. called "Ceramic Skin Smoother". In spite of its high price of $75 for one ounce, all of them listed it as their "I can't live without it" product in their profiles and didn't care what it cost. I also found out that for a limited time, you could get a seven day sample of it by paying the S&H fee of $4.

"Okay," I thought. "A faithful Beauty Brainiac like me is always skeptical but not opposed to considering a new skin care discovery."

Once I got it, I did my usual test: I used it on only half of my face. I then applied my foundation over it. After careful scrutiny in front of my makeup mirror, I then took a hand-held mirror and walked around my house, going into different rooms, attempting to see what the difference might be in different lighting conditions. I even walked around outside with the mirror in hand. (I've run this test before for makeup products. If my neighbors are watching, they must think I like to try & signal airplanes from the ground.........or that I'm terribly narcistic!....LOL)

My conclusion about the possibility of buying it? I'll be out $75....plus S&H.

Actually, it wasn't amazing at all. I couldn't even tell the difference between the two sides of my face! This product is advertised by NV Perricone M.D. as the following:

"A proprietary finishing serum treatment formulated by Dr. Perricone that instantly corrects the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and skin imperfections, while preparing your face for make-up."
Based on the results of an 8 week clinical study, when used alone:
100% reported skin appeared smoother
81% reported a decrease in pore size and fine lines and noticed improved skin tone

I love how they report the "results" as a clinical study.

I once saw an interesting piece on the news about the effectiveness of some popular wrinkle creams. They had women use them for a particular period of time and then report what they believe the changes in their skin were, if any. But they took close-up pictures first and they were examined by a dermatologist. A vast majority of the women claimed they saw the same types of results that are reported by NV Perricone's information above.......yet when you looked at their before and after shots, there was no difference. The women were then shown their before and after shots and heard the dermatologist say, "No difference" but they didn't budge from their positions that there was a difference and couldn't believe that others couldn't see it!

Now, whenever I see advertisements that report a product's results, based on what the women who used it reported, I dismiss it. That's just not a study; that's pure opinion!

anonymousblonde: Paula Begoun completely agrees with you based on her video clip "You Need a Cosmetic Cop" at her website. She rags about his line of products and the ridiculous prices that go with it!

Yeah, I reread what I wrote and it was confusing. Sorry about that!

Just to clarify, I would definitely NOT buy the stuff.

For some weird reason, there's no "edit" function by my post so I can't change what I wrote.

Pas - I don't have your email address and I have a proposal for you. Can you please contact me at thebeautybrains@gmail.com?

Thanks!

Pas,
you may want to try Dermalogica's Oil Control Lotion. It is fantastic for anyone with oily skin. It controls the oil for most of the day. I have been getting the forehead oil the past week and have been using this in that area only.
buenos dias,
Lynnette

I agee with everyone above about the smashbox primer...it is very nice. I love my sample so far!

Blue Mercury carries Dermalogica and they're generous with samples. You should try there if there's one in your area. It's also a fun place to poke around.

oh poo.. the closest one to me is 5 hours away. There are a couple of them near home (Boston), but I haven't been home in a year and a half! and probably won't make it there for a few more months.

Anyway, back to the epic-long story of my trials with face primers... I realized yesterday that the reason the Smashbox Light worked so well while I was away at my conference was either because the air was so dry compared to what I live in here (really humid) or because I didn't use the other products I usually use on my face daily (spf, topical antibiotic) because I was trying to be really quick in the morning and didn't feel like packing them, or a combination of both. I used it here yesterday and there didn't seem to be any improvement in the oil situation.

However, oil situation aside, I'm looking at the other benefits of using a primer. The Smashbox Light and the Tarte both do make a big difference in keeping my makeup on longer, even if they don't really have any effect on how oily my skin is. Interestingly, though, I put the Tarte one on again today (I have about a 2 week supply of each of these primers!) and noticed that my foundation did a better job of hiding spots (blemishes and acne scars). So much so that I didn't even use concealer this morning. I guess I didn't notice this when I tried it before, but it seems almost like my makeup is sitting on top of my skin instead of getting "into" my skin. Not sure if that is clear or not, but that's the best way I can describe it. Anyway, it's 10 here and I put my makeup on at 7:30... my face is already quite oily, but my skin looks great!! Glowy and clear! I guess I'll have to deal with the oil the easy and less expensive way: blotting regularly.

Sylvie, thanks for the tips. I've actually realized that all those layers really don't help my oilyness, but I thought a primer might help keep it all under control. Nope. And, unfortunately, the moisturizer that I use, extra light lotion by C.O. Bigelow, was recently on clearance (because they reformulated it with spf! haha!), so I bought about 5 of them at $1.50 per 2 oz instead of $12.50. So I'm going to be using this stuff for a while. Eventually when I run out I'll get the new one that has the spf in it.

Eventually I hope to pare down my routine, but for now I'll probably be sticking with my 4 layers. (blot, blot, blot, blot...)

bobanerd-- A Blue Mercury Store that carries Dermalogica products. And yes in Princeton, NJ :smile: I won't be able to get there until after the new year though :sad:

my smashbox primer is the Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light. Perfect for oily or acne prone skin (me right now) it's oil free and 60% water based. It refreshed while oil absorbers provide a smooth matte finish all day...it's paraphrased from the smashbox website. I really really like it. You can wear it alone or under foundation. My sample is small so I wear it when I am wearing make-up. You only need a small amount. It's really fantastic.

Purple, thank, you're a doll! But I don't think they have it. They have some of the Dermalogica products on their website, but not the oil control lotion.

I actually tried Cosmedicine's Medi-Matte lotion today. I had tried it before, but it's so thick and sticky that it just balled up when I tried to swipe it over my skin. However, when I was in Sephora the other day, they tried to sell it to me again (they talk about it every single time I'm in there and mention the words "oily skin"). Well, I told the girl how it didn't work for me and she asked if I patted it on my skin, which I didn't, and then she explained how to put it on correctly. So, I still had 1 more sample packet of the Medi-Matte and decided to try it again today. I put on my moisturizer, SPF, and topical antibiotic, let that all sink in for about 10 minutes, and then "patted" on the Medi-Matte. I waited about 5 minutes and my skin was still really sticky, but I had to get going if I was going to get to work on time today. So I started putting on my makeup and it was really difficult! The lotion made my skin super-sticky and it pulled at the foundation brush. I couldn't just swipe my makeup on; it took forever and I ended up with more foundation on my face than usual because it stuck so much to my face. It's like the total opposite of the Tarte primer which makes my skin silky smooth and my foundation just glides on. My foundation brush was gross, too; I had to wash it when I was done because it was just a total mess.

Results? my skin is somewhat less oily, but it's no miracle product as it's been described, at least not for me. It's only 10am and I'm already doing my regular blotting. And it's $42 per 1.35 oz! Eek! So I'd have to say it's not worth it. I really believe that I'm just destined for oily skin. There are worse things in life.

It's a fun store to poke around in; you should check it out. They carry Laura Mercier, NARS and a couple of other lines that I use so I can always find an excuse to visit. They also carry L'Artisan and Serge Lutens perfumes. It's not as self-serve as Sephora but the SAs aren't nearly as agressive as they are at most department stores. You can just look around without being bothered. I didn't even realize that they offered spa services until the 3rd or 4th time I visited.

Once things have calmed down after the holidays, I might try out their spa treatments. I'll be ready for some pampering. I don't normally find the holidays so stressful but this year they're kicking my butt.

Karen:

I soo agree with you. I don't like San Jose because the humidity level is too high, and my hair became soooo frizzy!! It was a FIRST TIME EVER experience to have my hair frizz. I wasn't even expecting frizz so I didn't bring any anti-frizz products/smoothing creams or serums.

My younger son gets nose bleeds every time we go to Tucson. My oldest son just graduated from U of AZ which is why we were down there. While he liked all the sunshine, the heat was a killer in the summer months. He's actually glad to get back to the Midwest. I don't think I could live in Tucson but there are other pretty places in Arizona for sure!

Judy: Having grown up with curly hair in the Sixties, when Twiggy with her very straight hair became all the rage, I can completely relate. I used to have my sister use a regular iron to straighten my hair out of desperation!!!