MAC Prep + Prime Lip (Review)

Ask me what item of makeup I love the most and I always answer lipstick (although blush comes a close second). I’m a strong believer in colour therapy – a bangin’ colour on my lips and I’m ready to rule the world.  However, my love affair with lipstick has not been as smooth as I’d like as I suffer with super dry lips and so have trouble with keeping the colour in place and from feathering.  To help with the chapping I make my own lip scrub to exfoliate weekly, but the despite this, I find my lipstick still needs support and this is where a Lip Primer comes in.  

I initially bought MAC’s Prep + Primer Lip Primer as I was running out of my beloved Sue Moxley Lip Primer. Scouring the internet I picked up on the chatter surrounding this magical white tube of goodness and decided to give it a go. 

MAC described their product as:

A colour-free base to wear under lipstick. Adds light moisture, smoothes and refines the lips. Improves the appearance of applied lip products.

Initially I felt like the emperor who had been sold a dodgy batch of clothing. I did not understand what I should do with this tube and was not impressed that I’d spent £12 on something that appeared to be nothing more than a weird chap stick. However, I persevered and discovered that I needed to really work the product into my lips, leave for around two minutes for the texture to change to tacky, before attempting to apply my lipstick. The result was lipstick that lasted longer and didn’t move around as much when Prep + Prime Lip isn’t used. 

The product dries to a clear colour and found that if I prepped my lips with a chap stick, such as Bilstex or Carmex, at the beginning of my makeup application (not immediately before using the Prep +Prime) my lips didn’t feel tight or dry. 

TIP: To further enhance the longevity of my lipstick I used a lip brush to apply the colour, blot, and then apply from the tube. 

I used MAC's Prep +Prime for the last year and am already planning my next repurchase. 

What products do you use to extend the life of your lipsticks?

Illamasqua Satin Primer (Review)

I am a big advocate of wearing a primer under foundation. The act of placing a barrier between my precious skin and the chemicals found in some products is essential for me to prevent flare-ups of my eczema and reduce discomfort.  

Illamasqua has been doing some amazing things with their foundation range lately but, whilst stopping by their beautiful Beak Street store, it was the Satin Primer caught my eye and I decided to give it a try.   The primer appears as a milky white liquid - but fear not my ladies of colour, it doesn’t apply ashy. A little bit of this primer goes a long way, sinking into my skin to leave an invisible smooth barrier.  For me, a good primer should enable less product to be used through the creation of a smooth surface that doesn’t highlight any dry patches and compensates for my oily T-Zone. Thankfully the Satin Primer did all of this and more! I found that despite me sweating like a Betty on the dance floor (I go hard, what can I say) my foundation stayed put for more than a reasonable amount of time – no walk of shame for me.My skin was not irritated and my nose was not offended by the slight scent provided.  

How I use it

After waiting for my moisturiser to settle down I will apply as few drops of this primer using a foundation brush, as per Illamasqua’s recommendation. After waiting a few minutes I will then go on to apply my foundation of choice.  

The £22.50 price tag may justifiably deter my ladies on a budget but I would recommend it to anyone who wants to splurge on a decent product that does what it states on the bottle.

To prime or not to prime; where do you sit on the primer debate?