Primped VIP: L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Primer

Once again the lovely ladies at Primped HQ have sent over another package of goodies for review.

First up this month is the new L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Smoothing Resurfacing Primer.
Released in Australia in around October 2009, L'Oreal's new range of Studio Secrets products are said to deliver 'all the secrets of studio make up to you'.

With the advent of mineral make up, and the drip down of department store brands to chain stores like Target (such as the NP Set range in Australia and others available in US locations, such as Jemma Kidd's JK Range, and Pixi by Petra Strand), the popularity of make up primers has grown ten-fold. Products such as make up primers are no longer expensive extras only to be found in department stores.

This new primer from L'Oreal delivers superior results at a (relatively) pocket friendly price tag of $39.95.

While writing this I can hear you muttering "why do I need (another) product?"

Primer is a worthy investment as it creates an invisible barrier between your skin and make up - ensuring that your pores don't "eat" your carefully applied slap over the course of your busy day, and that it stays looking fresh all day long.



Primer not only improves the performance of your make up, but also improves the overall texture of your skin - diffusing wrinkles and open pores. Most formulas include silicone (dimethicone) which acts as a sort of "spak filla" for your skin, creating a smooth surface for make up application.

L'Oreal's latest offering is a great choice for anyone concerned about wrinkles, open pores or dry skin. It has a silky, light texture, and won't dry out skin over the course of the day. Make up applied over this product goes on smoothly and stays put. It diffuses wrinkles, and practically makes pores disappear.

Oily skinned folks beware - this does nothing to diminish shine. Prior to receiving this I purchased the oily skin variant from this range, which was only slightly superior to this one in terms of the shine factor. You will still need a powder retouch during the day.

After moisturising, apply a small amount of the L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Primer to problem spots, smoothing on in gentle circular motions. I try to focus on my cheeks and nose, which are my main areas of concern. Allow about thirty seconds for the product to settle, then you can proceed with the rest of your base. As this primer has a silky texture, it works well with both liquid and powder/mineral foundations.

The formula of this L'Oreal product is almost a perfect duplicate of Clarins' Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Makeup Base, which was released around 2005.

As an aside, L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Smoothing Resurfacing Primer is quite a mouthful of a name. Which, I have to say is worth noting, beauty gods above!

Ever noticed the uncanny ability of fans of a product to abbreviate a name into something easier to remember, and easier to name when typing (particularly when sharing the love world-wide on blogs and bulletin boards)? A perfect example - Urban Decay's (famous) Primer Potion, or as you may know it - UDPP. I'm not sure "LPSSPSRP" has quite the same ring to it.

Long name aside, this is a nice product which delivers great results at a good price.

Available now from Priceline locations, AUD$39.95.



P.S
Please remember that when using silicone based products, you should always take extra time when cleansing, or use a cleansing oil (My favourite? Refer to this post). Primers are wonderful for filling in pores. Don't think these products won't stay there if you don't remove them properly! After all, it's what they're there to do.