review: catrice cosmetics prime and fine illuminating base;

I have quite oily skin, particularly on my nose and chin, and I suffer with large pores across my cheeks, so I am always on the hunt for a primer that will smooth out my skin and stop my foundation from sliding off during the day.  Over the last year or two, I have spent stupid money on primers that promise to do this, that, and the other but I had yet to find one that really worked for me.  After reading about Catrice's Prime And Fine primers on Melissa Gallagher's blog and passing them umpteen times on Catrice's stands in town, I decided to pick up the Prime And Fine Illuminating Base.  I had only ever tried Catrice eyeshadows before purchasing this, but for less than €6, why not?!

Out of the tube, the primer is a pink-peach colour but it blends and dries invisibly.  This product is an illuminating primer so it contains light-reflecting golden shimmer.  Although that seems quite scary for a face primer, I assure you that it is not as glitter-packed as it sounds (I hadn't even noticed the shimmer until I looked up the description online!) but it does help to give your face a subtle glow.  The consistency of this primer is very different from any other I've tried.  Instead of the matte, "blurry" application I was used to, this primer applies much more like a creamy moisturiser.  It does dry matte, but it doesn't feel dry at all and it really helps keeping my face moisturised without being greasy.

I have to say, I am very impressed with this product.  After just one use, I noticed a huge difference in how well my make-up lasted that day.  I found that it kept the oiliness at bay for several hours, which is a huge improvement on the two oil-free hours I might get without a primer.  This helps to keep my make-up in place with minimal touch-ups for almost an entire day(!) which was exactly what I was hoping for with this product.

The only downside of this primer is the scent.  It has a strong sugary smell which I find to be a little off-putting, especially when I can still smell it on my face through my foundation.

Overall:   This primer works perfectly for me and I've been using this primer every single day since I bought it.  I would definitely recommend it.

Rating:  8/10

What is your favourite primer?  What are your thoughts on this one?  Thanks for reading!