First Impressions of Cover FX Mattifying Primer

Hey guys!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really struggling with two problems: oily skin and random pimples popping up on my chin. I’ve changed face washes, quit using BB cream, changed from the Up and Up makeup wipes to the Simple Ones to no avail. They are still there. Then I decided that it could be my primer I’m using (the ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer from Target). I picked this up at the beginning of the school semester, and I’ve been having trouble since about that time. It’d make sense I guess.

Recently I popped into Sephora to FINALLY purchase NARS Deepthroat (yay!). I know it’s been like ten years in the making. Anyway, while I was there, I made sure to scan everything. When one of the makeup artists came up and asked me if I had any questions, I asked her about face primers for oily skin, and she pointed out three of them, and this Cover FX MattifyingPrimer with Anti-Acne Treatment was one. She gave me samples of all three (which will also be here on the blog, this is just the first one I’ve started with).

Sephora

What intrigued me at first about this primer was the “anti-acne treatment” that is right in the title. I mean, with the breaking out, I’d been wanting to try some more spot treatments for my problem areas, and essentially this primer is one big spot treatment. It does have Salicylic Acid in it, which is what is in most acne washes/spot treatments. I’ve never heard of a primer or something having that, so I thought that was pretty darn cool.

Also I was interested in seeing how a primer made especially for oily skin would work. In my experience with primers, they all just seem like the anti-oily skin remedy. And I had never heard of Cover FX (I was thinking along the lines of Smashbox, Tarte, or Benefit for a primer). Another thing I was super excited about is the friendly skin properties of the ingredients. It has Willowbark extract and is without parabens and sulfates and other stuff that skin apparently hates.  

I used this primer for a little over a week (those samples sizes go far haha). Here is what I noticed.

• The smell. It definitely smells and feels like an acne spot treatment. If you hate this smell, you probably won’t like this primer. I don’t mind it, but I definitely notice it.

• It’s sticky when applying and hard to blend. Once again, I blame the acne treatment for this. But honestly, once it’s on my face it doesn’t feel sticky. It feels cool. And it is hard to blend, but I’d just advise go light in application and then reapply a tiny bit if you need more.

• Two days after using it, I noticed how glowing my skin looked without makeup on. It looked lovely! No new pimples. The old ones were fading away. And my skin didn’t feel as oily.

• The staying power with powder was around 4 hours (about normal).

• My chin was a little oily, but everything else was fantastically matte and not even heavy feeling. This was in weather that reached into the 60s-70s.

• My skin looked healthy, normal, small pores, no crazy discoloration. Just happy.

Overall I really like it! I haven’t tried the other two samples yet, but this could definitely be something I’d spend $38. I’ve never tried a high-end primer before though, so we’ll see. The price isn’t something that makes me happy (particularly for such a small amount). But if it makes my skin healthy, then I’d be all for it. Especially with the acne treatment.

Do you have a favorite high-end primer? Do you think primers are really necessary?

Here's my review of the Becca Ever-Matte Primer, another sample I picked up!