Essence Glow Serum primer review

There is a release from the Essence spring/ summer 2022 update that I haven’t yet reviewed but that I have noticed is getting quite a bit of traction. It was still on my list of products to try out but because the Catrice The Hydrator was the primer that just kept on giving (before it was used up out of the blue in one last squirt) I just hadn’t gotten around to trying any of the new primers by Essence and Catrice just yet. But since this is now available in the US as well, I figured I could still write the review now that I have tried it for a few weeks. Let’s review the Essence Hello Good Stuff Glow Serum primer.

Review: Essence Hello, Good Stuff Glow Serum primer

Officially this product is called the Essence Hello Good Stuff Glow serum primer Hydrating & Smooth Base with Watermelon water & Niacinamide. The Hello Good Stuff line by Essence is one that is mostly skincare, but some products, like this one, are more like a skincare/ makeup hybrid product. At €4.59 this is definitely an affordable product, no matter how you use it. Over here in Europe it is still available from some retailers such as Notino and Boozyshop. If you’re in the US, this is currently listed on the Ulta website.

What does this product have to offer?

Is it skincare? Is it makeup? This can be both because officially this is part of the Essence skincare line. But since this is called a primer and because it has a sligthly tacky finish once it dries down, I deem this a makeup product. It smells like watermelon and judging by that scent it reminds me a lot of the watermelon products I have tried by Glow Recipe. It definitely seems to have caught a bit of hype as an affordable dupe for the Glow Recipe Watermelon Niacinamide Dew Drops. I personally didn’t try that so I can’t judge that, but since that is supposed to make your skin look its best without using makeup, let’s take that as a premise to judge this primer by as well.

How does this primer swatch?

The main reason why I am liking this primer is because it is very hydrating indeed. I really love how this feels on the skin and it works really well under makeup. Once blended out it definitely looks a bit glowy but I don’t think this is like the Dew Drops where they say you can just forego makeup as it is going to give you a day long glowy look. This does settle down and when it does, it doesn’t look as glowy as you can see this in the swatch. It has a very strong faux watermelon scent, but as it dissipates quickly, I don’t find it too bothersome.

What does this primer look like on the face?

Let’s do befores and afters. In the after picture here you can see my skin is looking quite red. That’s just from rubbing this product into my face, that is not an effect of the product. It happens every time I apply any sort of cleanser, skincare or makeup product with my fingers. Other than that I cannot see a lot of differences between my skin before the primer or after. So in case you were planning on relying on this as a skincare product I am not sure this would do enough and if you wanted this to replace base makeupl, then that is alos not going to happen. My skin looks a bit more hydrated but I don’t find this super glowy at all.

My final thoughts

The Essence Glow Serum primer may not be a dupe for the Glow Recipe Dew Drops but it certainly is a great product of its own accord. In any case, this is much more affordable than the Glow Recipe product as that retails for €35 for 40 mls of product, while the Essence comes with 30 mls of product at nearly a tenth of the price. So regardless this is worth a shot if you are looking to try a good hydrating primer that works well under makeup. Granted, I have dry/ dehydrated skin so I am not sure you’ll love this if you have oily skin, but for me it works just really well and I am very much enjoying using this on a daily basis.

Would I recommend the Essence Glow Serum primer?

As I said, I really like this. Enough to the point where I feel I will be picking up a backup when I place an order from a website that stocks Essence. The only downside I have found so far is that I seem to be going through it a bit quicker than some other primers I have used. I tend to use 3 pumps every time I use as it quite a thin formula. So that might mean you have to repurchase often and with Essence we just can’t be sure how long they keep things around for.

What is an affordable primer you love? I think I may want to try that hyped up elf primer that is supposedly a dupe for the milk hydrogrip. Did you try that?