Glowy primer no. 3! After reviewing the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter and Glossier’s Futuredew, it is now time to review the most affordable glowy primer I decided to try out. It is not only the most affordable but also the option with the strongest glow. It’s not even a glow: this turns your face into a giant shimmer fest. Very pretty, that’s for sure, but definitely one that needs a foundation to go on top for it to be wearable. The other two you can wear as is, this you cannot. Let’s have a closer look at the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hydrating Illuminator.
Review: Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hydrating Illuminator Soft Ivory
At just €12, it is a super affordable product. Of course this being Colourpop, it can be difficult to buy if you are not located in the US. Their shipping isn’t outrageous, but paying $10 flatrate every time you would like to buy something is a bit crazy. So as I have explained before: I save up which items I want to buy on a wishlist, then wait for a sale to come around, order everything in one go and then including all the shipping & handling fees it becomes worth it. I just don’t get any Colourpop products the minute they launch or one by one as then I find it becomes too expensive.
What does this primer have to offer?
Before we look at the glow level this primer has to offer, you should know that this product is the same as the Pretty Fresh primer, but with an illuminating finish. The Pretty Fresh line is my favorite of the Colourpop base products. It is their more hydrating offering and I used up the Pretty Fresh primer completely just a few months ago. This product has the same formula, scent and texture as the original Pretty Fresh primer, so I knew that in terms of this working well as a base under makeup to make my makeup last longer, this product would just work super well. I used up that first rendition for a reason.
What does this product swatch like?
As you can see here, the formula isn’t very runny. When you pump this out, it has quite a firm texture and one pump is the amount I need to cover my entire face. This swatch also shows you that the illuminator sheers out beautifully in a soft champagne shade. However, you can also see that there is a bit more to this glow than just a straight up glow. This product definitely has visible shimmer particles in its formula and this makes this product not perfect for wear by itself. This definitely needs a foundation on top, preferably a medium to full coverage product, as this just looks a bit too intense on its own.
How does this product apply to the skin?
Can you just see what I mean here? On the left you can see my skin without any product applied. To the right is my face just wearing the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Illuminator. Wow, that is some serious shine and not something I would wear out without putting something on top. The shade, Soft Ivory, is the lightest shade available out of a total of 4 shades. I think it’s a touch too icy for me: I would have preferred this to be a little bit more warm toned to blend better into my complexion. It feels very pleasant on my skin and as far as this working as a primer, this definitely gets the job done as well. I just don’t feel it is as hydrating as it promises to be.
My Final Thoughts
The Colourpop Pretty Fresh Illuminator is a great primer, a strong, intense, highlighter and one that gets the job done. Is it my favorite glowy primer though? No it is not. It works well enough and I know that come next winter, I will want to reach for wearing underneath more medium coverage foundations for sure. So I know I will get the use out of this, but it is a product that will be sitting on the shelf for a while as we are heading into spring. And during the spring/ summer season I love wearing lighterweight base products and this will just shine through those too much. I feel that that is sort of happening in this full face picture and my skin has a bit of a tin man quality to it. So will hang onto this and then just put it into a Shop my Stash at some point to use it up.
Would I recommend the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Illuminator?
While I really like this product, it’s not perfect so I wouldn’t say: run out to get this (I never do!). It’s a good enough primer that gets the job done, but not a product I would recommend going out of your way to get your hands on. If you are ordering from Colourpop anyway and you’d like to throw this into your cart to get free shipping, I’m sure you’d like this. However, this is not worth it if all you want to buy is this.
2 responses to “Colourpop Pretty Fresh Illuminator review”
Great to hear your thoughts! I haven’t heard anyone talk about it- but I really did not enjoy it. I found the formula weird and hard to blend out. Thanks for the honest review.
Oh mine blends out fine. You just get quite a bit of product. I do use my fingers to apply this product and I think that might help with blending it into the skin.