I remember when Benefit released their The POREfessional Primer; I was fairly new to makeup, and I wasn’t really sure what a primer was. Regardless, I received a sample of it when I purchased my first Benefit blushes, and I wasn’t too impressed. I found a lot of different alternatives that I liked better, but I couldn’t help feel excited when I learned that Benefit would be coming out with a PEARL primer. “Illuminating,” “radiant,” and “brightness” are buzzwords I’ve been falling for recently, and I was intrigued by the idea that something formulated to mattify could also brighten. As my mom restocked her Benefit mascara, I convinced her to get me the deluxe-sized Pearl Primer.
Benefit’s The POREfessional Pearl Primer claims to harness the power of the original POREfessional primer (pore-minimizing, mattifying, and fine line-smoothing) with the added bonus of making you look lit-from-within. It’s supposed to help the skin look bright and awake, and it has a pearly finish; it can be worn on it’s own or under makeup. The primer is dimethicone-based, and this ingredient can act as a trigger for acne-prone skin. If you know that you react badly to silicones, this primer is not for you!
I like using this primer under makeup. It preps my skin for a smooth application of foundation, and I really do notice a brightening effect the moment I spread it on my skin. I love making myself look radiant and dewy, and I also like that it disguises my pores. In the photo above, I used my Glossier Skin Perfecting Tint as my base because I wanted the radiance from the primer to come through, and it did! My makeup stays on my face throughout the day, although I do notice that my t-zone still gets oily. I’ve never found a solution for this, so it’s not something that really bothers me,
Overall, I surprisingly really like The POREfessional Pearl Primer. I love anything that promises to be radiance-boosting, and this primer does not disappoint. I will say though that it is quite expensive. The deluxe-sized one (7.5ml) is Php800, and the full-sized one (22ml) is Php1900. Pretty steep for primer, and I’m not sure I would purchase the full-sized because frankly, I’d rather spend that money on expensive skincare that would make me look naturally lit-from-within. Nevertheless, it’s a great brightening primer and I’d recommend it to oily girls who are scared of looking dewy. It’s great at balancing its mattifying and brightening properties.
Have you tried The POREfessional Pearl Primer? Let me know in the comments!
Chab Ocampo 