With Winter having arrived here in Sydney, I’m finding I need to treat my skin a little more delicately than usual. Give me moisture! Give me plumpness! Because the cold is draining me of both. When it comes to my makeup, primers of old just haven’t been giving me the finish I am after lately. The luminous ones still work a treat for a bit of ‘glow from within’ but layered over either the Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel or Chanel Hydra Beauty Flash, well….game changer.
Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel | Chanel Hydra Beauty Flash
Firstly, the Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel* is marketed as a skincare product, a moisturising gel that smooths over pores to give you a smoother look to your skin. It can be used as your primary moisturiser (the website states it is perfect for oily skin) but for me, I am preferring a heavier more ‘creamy cream’ as my moisture for the day. So I have been applying it as my ‘primer’ before makeup for that smoother poreless look. I have never been overly enthralled by the silicone laden smoothing primers – I find them all a bit drying – so this has been working miracles in giving me a more refined look to my skin and helping my foundation smooth over pores and make them a bit less obvious. And I can always do with an extra layer of hydration! If you are on the more combo/oily side I bet this would be a fabulous skincare edition. Did I happen to mention that there’s 23 karat gold particles in here to give you some extra glowiness? I’m always down for extra glow! The water gel is marked as non-comedogenic and there is no discernible fragrance.
The other ‘primer’ I’ve been obsessed with is the Chanel Hydra Beauty Flash Balm which my gorgeous boys bought me as a mothers day present. Again, marketed as more of a ‘skincare’ product this seems to be in the same boat as the Clarins Flash Balm (which I haven’t used in years, but I do recall it to be fab) and can be used in a multitude of ways such as a moisturiser/last step in skincare routine, a balm used on its own to give a fresh look to the skin, or the way I like it – as a primer. I am using this one on days where I am not so fussed about pore concealing or I am wearing a foundation that kind of does that job for me. I love that it gives my skin underneath foundation an extra level of hydration therefore making me look (and feel!) less dry/dehydrated than I actually am. Chanel calls it an ‘instantly hydrating balm’ which gives ‘comfort, even skin texture and radiance’ all of which I’d totally agree with.
I am not after anything to prolong my makeup as I don’t wear it for 8-12 plus hours anyway (having a baby will do that to you!), but neither seem to negatively affect wear time in my experience. Both seem to boost my foundation and keep it looking even, fresh and my skin hydrated for longer than if I didn’t use them at all.
What beauty products do you use not for their intentional purpose? Or tell me which primer you are loving!
*PR gifted. All opinions are ALWAYS my honest experiences.
