I bought the Illamasqua Matt Primer ages ago and have completely forgotten about it.  In the interests of full disclosure, I will say that I purchased this primer and my review is based upon my experience with the product.

Packaging 3/5

The packaging on this looks spectacular.  Illamasqua certainly know their aesthetic and it works.

However, whilst this looks great, it’s impractical.  I have to squeeze the tube really hard to get the product out, which results in me either squeezing too little or squeezing great big globs out.

Quality of Product 4/5

Ok, I love this but I also hate it sometimes.

The first time I used this, I smeared it on and then put on Revlon Colorstar’s foundation over the top.  Within an hour, my foundation had slid off my face.  It was revolting.

The next time I used this, I smeared it on once again, left it for five minutes, and then applied my Everyday Minerals foundation.  This time, it worked beautifully.  My foundation stayed on, and my face didn’t oil up like it normally does.

The trick with this is in the application.  This applies like a moisturizer.  When I treated it like one, ie letting it rest for a few minutes before applying my foundation, it worked a treat.  If I don’t give it time to settle, it seems to react really badly to my foundation.

So, this is fiddly.  When it works, it’s beautiful.  When it doesn’t, it’s tragic.

Value for Money 2/5

This is way expensive.  You get a reasonable amount in the tube but, as I mentioned earlier, packaging is problematic.  I believe I may have to resort to cutting this in half to get all of the product out.

Would I buy again?

Honestly, as much as I love their other products, I don’t love this primer.  And, for the price, I really want to love this primer. It’s fiddly, awkward and just isn’t as easy to use as some others on the market.

Matt Primer

$30 – Illamasqua