Review: W7 Prime Magic Anti-Dull Skin Balancing Primer*

I was sent W7's Prime Magic Anti-Dull Skin Balancing Primer* to try out, by the lovely people at Xtras. A bright purple in the tube, this claims to brighten the skin and provide a flawless base for your make-up. I've been using it for a couple of months, now, so read on to find out what I think of the product!
"Apply face primer before foundation for a smooth and flawless complexion. Add a healthy glow to your complexion, with this outstanding anti-dull skin-balancing primer." I apply this after moisturising in the morning, and tend to wait a minute before applying foundation to allow the primer time to dry. Although it's a pretty scary colour in the tube, and indeed once squeezed out, it isn't noticeable once rubbed into the skin; it simply melts into the skin, leaving a slightly mattified finish and a brighter complexion. For me, this does indeed brighten the skin as it claims to do; although oily, my skin can tend towards looking quite dull but this primer really helps with that. Foundation applies beautifully over it, not sinking into my pores or clinging to dry patches; I've also found that this primer does a reasonable job of keeping my make-up in place, which is an added bonus as this isn't a claim it makes. Although I do still find I get a shine to my face after a few hours, my make-up no longer seems to slide off my face in quite the same way as it does without primer.
Below, I've applied the primer on one side of my face only - on the right-hand side of the photos, you can see how my face looks brighter and my skin slightly more matte than the left, even before I've applied my foundation. I feel like the effect is reduced once I've applied the rest of my make-up, but still noticeable to me. Please ignore my vacant expression and freshly-washed hair... [Other products used: W7 HD Foundation in 'Buff'; Soap & Glory Kick-Ass Concealer in 'Light'; Collection Loose Powder in 'Barely There'; NARS Blusher in 'Deep Throat'; No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in 'Tender'; MUA Pro Brow Palette; Collection Longer Lash Lengthening Mascara in 'Ultra Black']

[Ingredients: Dimethicone/Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, 

Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol. 

May Contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide 

Green), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide Yellow), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide Red), 

CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 75470 (Carmine Al Lake),

 CI 77499 (Iron Oxide Black).]

This is a silicon-based primer which explains the smooth velvety effect it lends to the skin, but may cause problems for some as silicon can block the pores; therefore it's very important to make sure you're cleansing thoroughly if using products which contain silicon. The other ingredients are mostly colour which are what provide the brightening effect, so all in all it's actually not a bad ingredients list, especially given the price point of the product.

I've been really pleasantly surprised by this product, finding that it does exactly what it claims in brightening the face and banishing dull skin. Make-up applies well over it and it also adds to the longevity of my other make-up. At under a fiver for a tube, it's definitely worth a try if you're looking for something to brighten up your skin and help your make-up apply more smoothly.

W7 Prime Magic Anti-Dull Skin Balancing Primer is available from Xtras, priced at £3.99 for 30ml.

Have you ever tried a purple primer? What does a primer have to do for you - are you looking for colour-correction, mattifying, or something else? Do you have a favourite primer?

xo
[Please note this product was sent for consideration for the purposes of this review; as always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.]
My Featured Blogger this month is the lovely Anna from AnnieMAC; hop on over to her blog for tutorials, reviews and more!