"high-end primer" "high street primer" "smashbox photofinish primer" "revlon photoready perfecting primer" "beauty" "Makeup" "Naturalbabydol"
Fashion & Beauty

High-end vs. High street: Are high-end products worth the price tag?

Smashbox Photofinish Primer vs. Revlon Photoready Primer

 

High-end vs. high street, who wins?

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Growing up, I loved watching my mom put on makeup. I thought all the compacts and brushes looked so fascinating. My mother loved using Lancome and Estee Lauder products. As a child, I loved the fancy gold packaging. I loved touching the gold packaging and staring at my reflection through the compact mirror.

My mother always told me to invest in my skin because you only have one. So, I’ve always been drawn to high-end products. I always associated high-end with better ingredients. But I have learned that this concept is not always the case.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Smashbox Photofinish primer and comparing it with the Revlon Photoready Perfecting primer. The Smashbox primer retails at $36 while the Revlon Photoready primer is only $13.  Let’s find out if the ingredients in the Smashbox primer warrant its $36 price tag.

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Ingredients in the Smashbox Photofinish Primer

The first ingredient in the Smashbox Photofinish primer is Cyclopentasiloxane and the second ingredient is dimethicone. Both the first and second ingredients are silicon-based compounds. In cosmetics, silicon puts a thin-film of product over the surface of your skin. This film provides a smoothing effect which reduces pores and prepares the skin for a better foundation application.   

The Smashbox Photofinish primer also contains ingredients with vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) and UV absorbing compounds like Ethylhexyl Salicylate, a common ingredient in sunscreen.

According to the Ulta site, the Smashbox primer is made without Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Phthalates, Oil, Fragrance, and Talc.

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Ingredients in the Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer

Revlon Photoready primer has dimethicone as the first ingredient. Dimethicone, compared to cyclopentasiloxane, is a heavier molecule.  This bulkier molecule can be more difficult to remove.  In simpler terms, this molecule can leave a residue on your skin that is hard to wash off.

Revlon also contains phenoxyethanol, which is used in place of parabens in cosmetic products.  This ingredient increases the shelf-life of cosmetic products.

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High-end vs. High street: Common Ingredients in Both Primers

Also, Revlon has caprylyl glycol and Smash box has propylene glycol. Both versions of glycol are popular humectants, which means that the glycols are used for effective product absorption and hydration.

Both primers contain tocopherol, a popular vitamin E antioxidant (Revlon contain tocopherol and Smashbox contains tocopheryl acetate).

Overall the Smashbox primer and the Revlon primer has many similar ingredients such as: dimethicone, dimethicone crosspolymer, trisiloxane, silica, and an alcohol compound.

The Ingredients and Your Skin

In todays high-end vs. high street comparison, we have learned that all the ingredients in the Revlon and Smashbox primer are safe to use.  We also found that both primers contain surprisingly similar ingredients.

However, the higher alcohol content in the Revlon primer can irritate people with sensitive skin. And since both primers are heavy in dimethicone, double cleansing is a MUST! 

When you remove your makeup, the first step is to use a cleansing balm or cleansing oil.  The thicker consistency helps dissolve the makeup. Then, follow-up the first cleanse with a gentle cleanser.  The gentle cleanser will remove the remaining dirt and clog-poring remnants.  This second step cleans the skin without stripping the skin of its natural oils.  The two-step process is essential to maintaining clear skin when you use a pore-filling primer.  When there are remnants of the pore-filling primer on your skin, your pores will remain clogged.  Clogged pores lead to increased breakouts and black heads.  It can also lead to drier and duller skin because your toners and serums are not absorbed properly.

After looking through these ingredients, which primer would you choose? Do you think the Smashbox primer is worth the $36 price tag?

If you want to learn more about the ingredients in your beauty products then check out my blog. I’ll be comparing the Lancome Miracle cushion foundation to the Missha Magic Cushion foundation.

 

For more beauty tips, check out my blog: Lillyrose by Juliet Ly