Catrice The Hydrator primer review

I am slowly but surely making my way through the new products Catrice has launched for the Spring/ Summer 2022 season. One such new product? The Hydrator Plump & Fresh primer. The minute I spotted this, I had my hopes up. Hopes that this would be the same or at least similar to one of my all time favorite primers. What am I talking about? The Catrice Fresh It Up primer. This dupe for the Smashbox primerizer was discontinued faster than you could blink your eye lids and I have been wishing Catrice to bring it back ever since. Is this the same? Is this different? And if it is different, does it at least still work?

Review: Catrice The Hydrator Plump & Fresh primer

I mean I love a good hydrating primer any time of day and this one is a good one. Not just for the price, but even compared to other primers I have tried. Granted, many of the primers I try are by Essence and Catrice. Why? They are affordable and they bring out new ones all the time. So I keep trying them. This one is €4.95 for 30 mls of product, but as is the case with many of my more affordable primers, I tend to go through them quite quickly.

What does this primer have to offer?

It is a hydrating primer. Quick and easy. It supposedly has some aloe vera to make it even more hydrating and it has more of a gel texture. Compared to the OG Fresh It Up I feel the texture is a little bit thicker, has a bit of a cooling sensation and it is fully clear where that one had a blue tint. Overall though, I think that as far as hydrating primers go this is a lovely one especially since this is part of a Spring/ Summer release. This works well under makeup as it makes my makeup last, but it is also hydrating enough to really work as a good base layer that makes my makeup look pretty, my skin less dry and just works well with lots of my foundations.

What does this primer swatch like?

Here you can clearly see what I mean by the texture. Yes, this is a gel texture, but it is still very lightweight. It is almost as if it turns into a more liquidy, drink of water once you start blending it into the skin. I do have to say that I use my fingers when applying primers (I used to use a brush but it ruined my brushes too quickly and fingers work just as well). This primer has a nice glowy finish once blended into the skin. It doesn’t do anything in terms of combatting redness or evening out your skin tone, but I personally use a foundation for that step. I don’t need my primer to do everything. What I need from a primer is to make my makeup last and not make it look too cakey and that’s exactly what this does.

How does this primer apply to the face?

As you can see here, you can’t se a huge difference in the before and afters of this primer application. In the end, it really just sits as a base under your make up. It is basic: there is no extra glow, save for the hydration. There is no tint, you will have to use your other base products to get any sort of coverage. But I don’t feel a primer needs to do that. In the end what it needs to do is just act as a base layer to sit on top of skincare (success) and work as a base for a makeup look (also success).

My final thoughts

While my initial reaction was disappointed as this is just not the exact same as the OG Fresh It Up primer, in the end I really loved the new Catrice The Hydrator Plump & Fresh primer. This feels great on my skin, it works well under makeup and it is indeed quite hydrating. I quite enjoy the gel like texture this has and there is a bit of a cooling sensation as you use this, but it only lasts for a few seconds, so not enough to aggravate my sensitive skin. So yes, if I just judge this product by its own merit, I really enjoy this and I am looking forward to getting more use out of this and use it up in the coming weeks. I may even give it a repurchase if this sticks around for long enough (with Catrice you just never know).

Would I recommend the Catrice The Hydrator primer?

If you don’t expect too much of your primers, then this new Catrice primer is yet another good, affordable option on the market. I do wish they would keep their products around a bit longer. That would be so much better, but yeah I think this is a good basic that can appeal to a lot of people. If you have oily skin this may not be your cup of tea though as it may be a bit slippy slidy on you. If you have dry/ dehyrated skin like I do though, you may really enjoy this. At this price point, it is certainly worth a shot.

What is your favorite hydrating primer?