Product Showdown: Smashbox Photofinish Primer VS Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Primer

How important are primers to you? For me, it is a must. When you live in a country like the Philippines, I would say a primer is one of the things you must certainly have in your stash. Why? First, it prevents your makeup from sliding off of your skin too quickly. Second, it keeps your face shine free for a few hours, and when you do start to oil up, your skin will look more dewy than greasy. Third, it makes your pores and fine lines look less visible. Fourth, it makes your skin smooth and silky. Fifth, applying your foundation will be fuss-free. Now ain't those enough reasons to use a primer?

There's a lot of primers available in our market today; however, a lot of them are quite too pricey for something that goes under your makeup. Sure, the benefits are something to consider; but if that means I have to pay more than $30 to get those benefits, I'd rather defer. Good thing we have a primer that, in my humble opinion, is at par with some pricey primers. What could it be? Read on to find out.

On the red corner, we have one cult favorite, the Smashbox Photofinish Primer. On the blue corner, we have Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Primer.

Let the battle begin!!!

Smashbox Photofinish Primer

Sorry for the blurred photo. I didn't notice that my camera didn't focus well until I uploaded it on my laptop.

From the Smashbox Website
Create a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea. Worn alone or under foundation to increase its longevity, our best-selling primer helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish. In a new square airless pump for freshness to the last drop.

Oil-free!

Winner of Best of Sephora Award for Best Primer, one of Marie Claire's "25 Products That Will Change Your Life", & an InStyle Best Beauty Buy.

Ingredients
Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Water, Grape Seed Extract, Kolanut Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Yay!

• Makes makeup application so much easier. My foundation glides so effortlessly on my skin.
• Keeps my face shine-free for a good 5-6hours.
• Locally available at Beauty Bar
• Gives my skin a smooth and silky feel
• Fills in pores and fine lines, especially around the eyes
• Dries up in 1-2minutes
  

Nay!

• Price. Too expensive for a face primer. Retails at $36. Other variants retail at a whopping $42!
  
• Scent. Has an awfully strange scent that kinda bothers me
• Comedogenic. Despite the wonders it does to make my makeup last and look pretty, it has caused my skin to breakout
• Makes skin feel greasy after application

Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Face Primer

I've been using this 30ml bottle of Bare Naturals' S5 Skin Perfecting Primer for 11months and I still have a lot left in the bottle.

From the Bare Naturals Website
If you love our S5 primer, you will definitely fall in love with our SKIN PERFECTING PRIMER: WHY? 1. better formulation, with added ingredients for added skin benefits 2. made by another formulator.. now more affordable! 3. The same non-pore clogging skin primer you love! Squalane is still the way to go ;) 4. Better primer which mattifies the face, can keep the oil at bay and can help make your foundi last. Silk, smooth, satiny feel each time you use it.... 5. more things to discover with this new primer ;)

Ingredients

SQUALANE Olive Squalane is a light and stable version of olive oil squalene with a long shelf life. Often referred to as “mother nature’s face lift”. Comparing it to jojoba oil, unlike jojoba oil, there were report of skin break-outs related to teh use of jojoba oil in cosmetic because jojoba can also block the pores.

VITAMIN E The most natural skin care preservative that has great skin benefits. Moisturizes, soothes and protects for softer, younger looking skin

Coenzyme CoQ10 is essential to good health, and plays a particularly important role in vibrant, youthful-looking skin.

REAL PEARL POWDER Pearl powder contains about 18 amino acids and over a dozen minerals. Including 10 essential amino acids necessary for the human body to heal and maintain cell nutrition. These essential building blocks of collagen and protein each has a specific function. Deficiency of any one of the key amino acids causes the skin to look coarse, depleted, old, and wrinkled. Traditionally recognized benefits of using pearl powder products include: Healing, skin brightening, anti-wrinkle, and sun protection. Other anti-aging benefits: Helps to promote cell renewal, enhance elasticity, improve circulation, calming and detoxification, protects from environmental radicals, regulates skin discoloration, and smooths skin texture.

TEA TREE good for pimple problems. Used for its healing attributes as well as its properties of being antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, etc...

contains: silicone and silica microsphere for light diffusing properties

Yay!

• Price. It's fairly inexpensive for something that lasts a long time.
• Availability. Locally available via the Bare Naturals website and resellers.
  
• Good for the skin. It's made up of good stuff.
  
• Non-comedogenic. Has never broken me out in my more than one year of using it.
  
• Makes my skin feel smooth and silky after application
  
• Dries in 1-2minutes
• Keeps my face shine-free for a good 5-6hours
  

Nay!

• Zero. Nothing. Nada.
  

Let's see how these two primers appear on the skin.

Can you tell just how thick is the consistency of Smashbox Photofinish Primer? Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting on the other hand is a bit runny, don't you think?

Now check the table to see the major differences between the two primers. (Click to enlarge)

So who do you think the winner is? For me, it's Bare Naturals at a drop of a hat. Look how cheap it is compared to Smashbox. Seriously, would you pay $36 for something that an $8 primer can do? I won't. I'd rather save my money for something else that's worthy enough to carry a $36 price tag.

That's my two cents worth. What's yours?