Now more than ever I look for more and better hydrating primers and makeup products in general since my skin is getting really dry this winter. I happend to find the new Wet n Wild primer online and I just couldn't resist.
The Wet n Wild primeFocus Primer Serum is a hydrating water-based serum which contains rose water and green tea extract. It refines and nourishes the skin and preps it for makeup application and extended makeup wear. I got it at lookfantastic.cz for 240 Crowns and you get 30ml of product.
The formula is supposed to be ultra hydrating and soothing as well. It does have tiny shimmer particles so it's supposed to give you luminous finish. It doesn't contain any oils so there's no greasy residue after you apply it and it's also very lightweight.
It comes in a glass bottle with a pipette. It's very runny and it has a light pink tint to it. Once you blend it out it completely sheers out into pretty much water. After blending it out you cannot even see the shimmer particles which I am a big fan of. I hate it when I apply a primer and end up looking like a disco ball. It also soaks in really fast but it does leave a nice luminous finish behind.
Wear test
I applied the primer just on one half of my face to see how it deals with a matte foundation against my bare face. This foundation is named as a hydrating one but it's absolutelly not. I like to wear test it with primers because I know how patchy and dry it can turn on me when I don't prime enough.
The primer spreads really well and soaks into the skin really fast. I like the feel of it a lot, it's just like a very thin hydrating serum. It makes your face quite dewy but not oily and I quite like that look. The foundation went on just fine and I didn't spot any differences in blending or product performances compared to the non-primed side. The primer was applied on the left side of the image.
List of used products
Wet n Wild Prime Focus Hydrating Primer Serum
Catrice True Skin Foundation, shade 004 Neutral Porcelain
Catrice True Skin Concealer, shade 002 Neutral Ivory
Marc Jacobs Finish Line Coconut Perfecting Powder, shade Invisible
Catrice Glow Illusion Loose Powder, shade Translucent Radiance
Maxfactor Miracle Sheer Gel Bronzer, shade 005 Light Bronze
Maxfactor Miracle Sheer Gel Blush, shade 004 Glowing Sunrise
Milani Weekend Brow Eyebrow Tint, shade 120 Soft Brown
NYX Control Freak Brow Gel, shade Clear
Essence I <3 Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base
Rude Cosmetics Roaring 20's Reckless Palette
Colourpop BFF Creme Gel Liner, shade Extra Frosting
Maybelline Sky High Mascara, shade 01 Very Black
Essence Blushlighter Gradient Powder Blush, shade 04 Peachy Dawn
Rival Loves Me Golden Melody Face Palette, shade 03
Rival Loves Me Pastel Breeze Cucumber Setting Spray
Catrice Sheer Beautifying Lip Balm, shades 030 Untold Story + 040 Watermelonade
Wear time 11 hours
On the first glance both sides look very similar and not very good. There's quite a lot of separation around my nose and mouth which is to be expected after 11 hours with this particular foundation. The only regions that look slightly different are my cheeks, the primed side looks a lot smoother and less worn out, and also my forehead where the primed side looks a lot less cakey. The same thing is under my eyes, the primed side looks less textured and less dry. I didn't prime exactly under my eyes but there's a difference in the general area.
That being said I don't see a truly MAJOR difference I could refer to. Those are all things that I can see after a very close examination you wouldn't be able to notice IRL. Overall, I like wearing primers just for the sole feeling of having something on my skin before I go in with the foundation. This primer feels nice and skincare-like so I do like how it feels and soaks in and it doesn't have any bad effects either. But it doesn't really make wonders for the matte foundation formula.
Final thoughts
Overall, I think this primer is quite unneccessary and I didn't see it make a great difference to me when I wore it with matte foundations. With more lightweight formulas it works nicely because the skin is hydrated initially with the primer and then further on with the hydrating foundation formula.
It smells nice, soaks in quick and it pretty much feels like a serum. I like the texture a lot and it worked well with any other primer or foundation I tried with it. It's a very problem-free product you can use anytime. It's not going to make miracles happen but it's an affordable hydrating primer that's pretty much a lightweight serum and I like how it makes my face dewy for a bit and how it feels. I would wear it on its own with a little bit of concealer for sure. It's the type of primer I go for on daily basis when I don't need anything extra, just a bit of extra oomph under the foundation.
Have you tried any new drugstore primers recently? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!