As you guys know I do love the Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base but a while ago I was opting for something new. Something with more mattifying features. After looking across the internet for a while and reading multiple reviews I finally found the one that looked perfect for my skin needs. This resulted in me getting the Nars Pore & Shine Control Primer. I have been using it for a couple of months now and I feel like it’s about time for me to review this bad boy. It’s a product I haven’t heard a crazy lot about and I do think that it deserves that. So, without further ado, let’s get into the review!
First things first, let’s talk about the packaging. I really, really like the packaging. Over all I feel like the packaging has very sleek and professional look to it. The tube is really slim and white. The lid is black and so is the text on the tube. The tube is also rather long. It comes with a total of 30 ml of product in it. That’s not an awful lot, but it’s an okay amount. Overall it’s just a really nicely designed sleek and minimalistic packaging, just like you can expect from Nars.
The thing I love about Nars packagings is the fact that they always feel so nice. Even the cardboard box that surrounds the tube when you get the products feels nice and sturdy. The packaging really gives you the impression that you’re dealing with something luxurious and well made and I like that a lot. Especially since this is a Nars product and Nars products are, more often than not, very nice quality.
All in all the packaging is a bit hit for me. It’s totally up my alley when it comes to the looks of it and the material that it’s made from feels really nice.
Nars Pore & Shine Control Primer 30 ml – €35
Having discussed the packaging, let’s start talking about the product itself. For the longest time I didn’t even know that Nars did serious face primers. But they do. They actually have multiple primers in their collection at this point in time. The one that I got is their Pore & Shine Control Primer, which is aimed at more oily complexions, but they also do a Smooth & Protect primer and a Radiance Primer. This gives everyone the option to enjoy a Nars primer. There’s something for every skin type.
Because I do have oily skin and I barely have any mattifying primers, I decided to go for the Shine & Pore Control Primer. The thing about it that made me want to try it is the fact that this isn’t one of those thick, silicony primers. In fact it’s actually more of a lotion kind of product. But more on that later.
Let’s first talk about the claims for a quick second. According to Nars you can achieve a flawless complexion with this Pore & Shine Control Primer. It should veil the skin with a sheer, mattifying coverage. It should have a lightweight and oil-free formula that boasts a pore minimising complex to instantly refine the look of pores while working to combat shine and absorb excess oils with soft focus powders.
The primer should also help to prolong the wear of makeup and immediately reduce the look of imperfections and fine lines. The extracts of African Whitewood and Oleanolic Acid work in tandem with advanced peptides to help balance and purify the skin for long term benefits. Nars says that this primer is ideal for all skin types and tones and that this supposedly powerful primer leaves the skin feeling smooth and soft with a velvet matte finish.
These claims are pretty impressive if you ask me. And pretty big. But for the most part I do think they are true. I think they have exaggerated it a little bit, but well, what would you do if you were trying to sell a product? I mean, let’s be real here.
Anyway, like I said the primer has a very lotion-like formula. Thanks to that it does feel nice and lightweight and it spreads really easily across the complexion. It’s soft and silky feeling. It does in fact feel weightless on the skin and it doesn’t make you feel like it needs time to sink into the skin before you can apply your foundation. I do like to wait a minute or so just because I’m used to that, but I’m pretty sure you don’t have to.
The main thing I’ve noticed about this primer is that it makes my foundation go on very, very smooth. It also makes it look super natural and nice and matte. Throughout the entire day my oils are under control and I don’t feel the need to powder. Obviously it does depend on the day, the greasiness of my skin and what foundation I’m using, but generally speaking blotting isn’t needed either. It’s that good.
I also think that this primer does a great job at keeping my makeup in place all day. With lots of primers I struggle when I have to decide whether or not it does a good job at that, but somehow with this primer I immediately noticed it. It really does make it all stay in place.
All in all I feel like I finally found the perfect mattifying primer for me. It’s not super heavy or silicony, it’s easy to use, it makes my makeup go on a lot smoother, it makes it stay in place longer and it helps with keeping my oiliness under control. It really does it all for me and therefore it’s 100% worth the purchase to me. So if you’re on the hunt for a nice, lightweight mattifying primer, this might be the one for you!
Well, that’s pretty much it for today you guys! Thank you so much for reading today’s review and be sure to let me know which primer is your current favourite and why?!
Fijne review om te lezen! Ik gebruik momenteel geen primer, terwijl ik er eigenlijk wel eentje kan gebruiken. Ik kan soms zo shiny worden, haha. Ik onthoud deze in ieder geval voor als ik ga zoeken naar een primer.