I am a huge Smashbox fan! I have tried several of their products and loved them to death but this one, not so much. While I do think it’s an innovative idea and cuts down the amount of product to be applied it just doesn’t work for me. It doesn’t give me that smooth skin barrier underneath my foundation that I always look for.  I have textured skin, large pores in some areas and a mild form of eczema.  Needless to say, I have a combination of dry and oily areas.

The formula itself is semi hydrating to me but definitely gives you an instant natural radiant glow after applying it.  It is way more liquidy than its sister primer’s.  The texture of this Primerizer reminds me of Too Faced Cosmetics Hangover Primer. It is a thin formula but doesn’t seem to give a primer feel at all.  It’s weightless, which is a good thing, but it doesn’t seem to provide a barrier against foundation seeping into pores. Nor does it blur large pores.

This Primerizer would be great for those with little to no skin issues or normal skin.  I also think it would be great for those that only desire a light coverage foundation or wear BB and CC cream’s during the day.  Since it is a blend of primer and moisturizer,  I think it would be beneficial to wear it alone as well. Perhaps for rocking a fresh natural face. It could be a great way to moisturize and give some sort of a base layer to help fight against day to day pollution in the air.

I will say that it looks great from a far on me with foundation on top.  It’s the close up’s that I do not care for. I tend to look for primers that aren’t drying but still provide a non pore clogging blurring effect.  I do not get that from this product but I do like the naturally radiant vibe that it does give.  I have tried Smashbox’s Primerizer with 3 different foundations so far.  Check them out below!

1.  Nars Natural Radiant Foundation, $49
2. Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation, $42
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation Stick, $25

I came to the conclusion that if I layer the Primerizer and Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer  I come out with a better effect.  I put the Primerizer only in areas where I don’t have large pores. I still get the natural glowing effect from the Primerizer although I push the Photo Finish Primer into my large pore areas.  It seems to balance out that way as far as what I need to make my makeup look and feel great.

Smashbox’s Primerizer  won’t be a purchase for me in the future because it adds to my problem instead of eliminating one, as it was meant to. However, I believe it will be great for someone that wants to eliminate using a moisturizer and a primer separately.  I recommend this product to those with normal skin only. I think I will stick to using my favorite moisturizer and primer for now.