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| Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer |
The claims for what Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer ($7.99-9.99) will do are pretty high:
"Skin looks instantly transformed into a perfectly smooth canvas for ideal makeup application,"
"Wrinkles, pores and imperfections appear to instantly vanish in just one step,"
"Subtle pink tint for youthful glow."
Given these lofty expectations, how does this new drugstore face primer stack up?
After using it for about a week, I've come to the conclusion that Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer is not terrible, but nothing to write home about.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer is almost all dimethicone, which is a type of silicone. This means that this primer has a very slippery, smooth texture that fills in pores and imperfections somewhat. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer also includes stearyl heptanoate and pentaerythrityl tetraoctanoate, which are moisturizing ingredients, and silica silyate, which is another type of silicone. And that's pretty much it.
Given this short ingredient list, applying Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer is pretty similar to using pure silicone on your face. The texture is slippery smooth but also feels greasy. The consistency reminds me of Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12-Hr Perfecting Primer, except Maybelline's does not have the same balling issue as Tarte's. My pores and imperfections look reduced but definitely not "vanished." I also can't seem to detect the "pink tint for youthful glow" promised by the packaging.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer helps my foundation go on smoothly, evenly, and last for a long time, so those are pluses. However, because this primer lacks any absorbent ingredients, my skin gets oily pretty quickly when I wear it.
I certainly love silicone-based primers for their ability to smooth skin and provide a great base for makeup. Nevertheless, I still like my primers to include other ingredients to improve performance. For example, my favorite primers all include absorbent ingredients to keep shine at bay. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer just doesn't impress me that much.
On the other hand, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer is very similar to some high-end primers with basic ingredients, like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. If you like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer might be a good way to get a similar product for much less money.
Although if you want to go really dirt-cheap, consider trying Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel ($5.99) as a foundation primer. I'm serious! The ingredients list is remarkably similar to both Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. It sounds like a weird substance to put on your face, but it's basically silicone and Vitamin E, which is great for your skin. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear lots of buzz about its utility as a foundation primer in the makeup world. If you can get over the weirdness, it could be a good primer option if you're searching for a silicone-smooth makeup canvas.