Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector review

I couldn't have been happier when I found this little sample of Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector in the box containing my new  Becca Matte Skin Shine Proof Foundation. I have oily skin, which means I obsessively hope I can find some product that would help me control the sebum production and this primer received such good reviews from beauty bloggers who described their skin as overly shiny or oily that it immediately landed on my wishlist. I was actually going to get the primer before the Becca foundation, but then the foundation went on sale and I changed the order of priorities.

When I opened the sachet I immediately had a deja vu feeling. I rummaged through my make-up drawers and bingo!  I pulled out my old Smashbox Anti-Shine primer, probably discontinued now or replaced with Photo Matte anti Shine.

The texture, the application and the results of the two are exactly the same. I even performed a kind of test, applying the two products to different sides of my face and observing how they performed.

The primer has rather thick consistency, but when warmed up with my fingers or on the back of my hand, it turns to a watery substance that needs to be applied quickly as it starts drying instantly, producing absolutely matte surface on the skin.

This is a very heavy duty mattifying primer, so it's best to use it only on targeted areas. And dry skins wouldn't benefit from it in any way. 

So far, this seems a kind of primer I was looking for, yet there are a number of drawbacks that made me stop using my Smashbox primer and prevented me from wasting my money on the Becca one.

First of all, the kind of primer that leaves your skin infinitely matte and devoid of any kind of slip makes application fairly diffucult. Foundations cling to where they hit the skin and refuse to blend. The best tools in this case turn out to be make up sponges and stippling brushes that dab the product onto the skin instead of blending it with circular movements.

Secondly, since blending is so hard, I tend to apply too much product, trying to cover area after area. This, combined with very dry and matte base results in making my foundation look cakey, overdone and mask-like.

All, right, application, however difficult it may be, can be mastered. But how about the results?

I tested the primer in extreme weather conditions. No, no, it's not summer heat. It's severe winter cold and snowdrifts followed by overheated rooms, time spent wearing cosy sweaters or fleece jackets in tropical indoor conditions.

For the first one and a half hours everything seemed all right, but then my oilies broke through, melting my excessive make-up and turning it into gooey mess. Yuck! 

So, I can't believe my luck. This little sample that was meant to get me hooked, helped me to save my pennies.

Disclaimer: I received this product as a complimentary sample for my personal use and I'm not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my personal opinion.