Essence Hydrating & Perfecting primer

Currently in my shop my stash: the Essence primer I am reviewing for you today. I generally like Essence and Catrice primers that come in these little bottles. Catrice has been doing them for the longest time and I have liked every single one of them. Now that Essence does one too, I was of course intrigued and wanted to try it. How does the Essence Hydrating & Perfecting primer work on my skin?

Essence Hydrating & Perfecting Primer // Review, Swatch, Makeup Look

If you think: hey, Maaike haven’t you told us about this product before? Then the answer would be yes, I have. I featured it in a video last year in which I compared it to a Catrice primer that was released last summer (just like this one). They seemed to be very comparable and in the video I found that they are. There was little to no difference between the two primers, but I hadn’t used them much yet apart from that video. Now that I have used up my Becca primer, it was time to select something new. Essence is of course an affordable brand and this primer retails for a mere €3.89.

What does this product do?

This is a primer so essentially what it does is be a base for your makeup application. Ultimately the goal of applying a primer is to make your makeup last longer, wear more evenly and I like it if it a primer can also add some hydration as I have dry skin. And that is exactly what this primer promises to do. It also contains an SPF of 20 and a vitamin complex should hydrate the skin. However, this comes with the added bonus of minimizing pores and refining other texture on your face.

This primer comes with a pipette which should allow you to use the exact amount that you need. For me, the dropper only works every once in a while as the primer has a thicker texture than the dropper allows to pick up. I have had issues with the pipettes with Catrice primers in the past, especially as I use up the product. As the product reduces down from use, the dropper makes it actually more difficult to get the product out as it can no longer be stuck into the product to suck up anything.

How does this product swatch?

So let’s talk texture for a minute. I think that is best shown off in a swatch when it comes to primer. As you can see this is quite a thick primer. It has a very lotion like feel to it. It almost feels like a rich moisturizer and not like some primers I have tried that can feel like straight up silicone and has a slip to it. This does not have that. The Hydrating & Perfecting Primer is one that feels creamy, rich and is easy to apply because of it. I like using this with my ELF brush and it works very well. This has a very pleasant, clean smell to it as well.

How does this product apply?

I already mentioned its blendability but this primer is one that doesn’t really make much of a difference in a before and after. At least not to me. In these before and after pictures, I cannot really see much of a difference between the before and after. My face usually becomes a bit more red when I rub it, so that is what you mainly see here. This is not the kind of primer that adds glow or a sheer tint to even out your skin tone. I don’t have that much texture and pores to fill in anymore, so I am not really seeing much of an effect in that respect either. So in terms of what it does mainly, I’d say: hydrate and making makeup last.

My final thoughts

The Essence Hydrating & Perfecting primer is a basic primer that is great for everyday. It works well under makeup and feels rich like a moisturizer. That’s why I feel this works just great on my dry skin for the winter time. It adds an extra layer of hydration and I need all the hydration I can get. What is more important is that this primer makes my makeup last. It prevents my makeup from general wear and tear throughout the day and it prolongs my makeup and keeps it from looking dry, cakey and creased. The only downside: the packaging is a bit of a faff and you only get 15 mls of product, which means you can use it up quickly.

Would I recommend the Essence Hydrating & Perfecting primer?

This is probably one of the cheapest primers I have ever tried that works this well for me. If you are someone who doesn’t want to splurge too much money on a primer but still want it to work well than I think this may be right for you. However, if you don’t like the scent or if you want a primer to have easy to use packaging that allows you to get out every last drop to make it last as long as possible, then I would stay away from this one. For me this is a lovely product that I am currently working on using up (which is not a hard thing to do to be honest), but one it is gone I will not be repurchasing as it hasn’t beat my favorite primers by Catrice and Too Faced.

What Essence primer have you tried?