Review: Quo Re-Texture Cream Face Primer

So lately I've been kind of hating the way my skin feels and looks texture-wise when wearing makeup so I decided that maybe a primer would be my solution and picked up the new Quo Re-Texture Cream Face Primer. Now, for all of you that do not know, Quo is a Canadian cosmetics brand that is sold at Shoppers Drug Mart ( a Canadian Pharmacy). Their products are pretty good and their prices are decent although fairly expensive for a drugstore brand but still cheaper than something like MAC. I decided to go with Quo rather than something like Smashbox because I read great reviews on Makeupalley that said the Quo Total Perfection Primer was very similar to the Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer but for half the price.

Now, your probably thinking wait..."Total Perfection Primer?" I thought this review was on the "Re-Texture Cream Face Primer?" And you would be correct. My original intention was to buy the "Total Perfection Primer" but the blurb on the back of the "Re-Texture Cream Face Primer" got me - and it was on sale for $18.49 (Original Price: $25.00 CAD).

An invisible pre-foundation base that improves skin texture and resurfaces skin for an even makeup application. Enriched with Ginkgo and Aloe extracts to hydrate the skin and provide a healthy glow. This non-oily, silicone base is compatible with all skin types.



How could I resist a sales pitch like that? I couldn't. And I didn't. It seemed to have the answers to all my problems. Although it says that it is a silicone based product, it does not have that smooth, slippery-ish feel that the traditional SmashBox-like Primer has. That "slippery-feel" is actually something that I prefer in a primer but I was willing to over look it because of the claims.

The primer comes with a pump, which is good so there is little chance of contamination. With one pump this is how much you get and it is more than enough for your whole face. The consistency of the primer is like a moisturizer. Not runny but not super thick. Although this photo is too blurry to show, the primer has a sort of blue opalescent shimmer to it. This was another one of the reasons why I decided to go with this primer over the Total Perfection Primer. I wanted something that would give a sort of glow to my makeup.

 I think this picture here gives a good idea of the blue opalescence that the primer has. The good thing is that although the primer has shimmer in it, it is not so overwhelming that your face looks like a glitter bomb exploded. In fact I would actually say that the shimmer is a little underwhelming. When you rub it into your skin the primer turns almost completely invisible. At first I actually thought that I had been mistaken and that maybe there was no shimmer in it, but when I peered very closely at my hand, I saw the tiniest of shimmers all over. Although I had to look really closely to see the shimmer, there was a definite difference in the amount of "glow" on the hand with the primer and the hand without, so the "healthy glow" effect is subtle but noticeable, which is nice.

So what are my overall thoughts? A nice product but not something I would re-purchase. I'd give it a 7/10 I didn't really notice any difference in the texture of my skin when I was wearing it. In fact I preferred the texture of my skin with the traditional type of silicone primer. As for oil-control and the longevity of my foundation, it was ok...nothing special. I had a sample of the SmashBox Primer kicking around and I decided to try it out just as a comparison and I loved the effect so much more. I liked the slippery feeling and  foundation application was alot easier. The Quo Primer makes your skin feel the way a moisturizer does, nothing special, so when applying foundation it feels like applying foundation over regular skin. I also found that not only did my foundation look better with the SmashBox but it lasted longer. I won't be returning the Quo Primer but I think I will be purchasing a traditional silicone based primer. Probably either the Smashbox Photo Finish or the Gosh Velvet Touch which I've heard good reviews on. The Quo Primer, I think, well be relegated to lazy Sunday use.

Have you used the Quo Re-Texture Cream Face Primer before? Was your experience different? Let me know. Any comments/questions are welcome. =)

The First One is Always the Hardest...

Hello blogging world!! Or should that be "hello again"? This is not my first foray into the world of blogging, but my first blog, started a couple of years ago, is no more. It has gone into whatever realm unwanted blogs disappear into. In its place a new blog has appeared - this blog.

What will this blog be about? I have absolutely no idea. If you've read the "about me" box you probably have the impression that this will be a fashion/beauty blog, and it might be, or it might not be. But it probably will. Who knows? I'm completely open to wherever this blog wants to go. It might go nowhere, this might be the only post. It might become a blog about import cars (highly unlikely) or pro wrestling (no) but at the moment I'm kind of obsessed with makeup so my posts will probably feature something along those lines.

So what can I tell you about this blog? Well, for starters the posts will probably tend to be longer as I have a problem with rambling (hence the title). Other than that though, who knows? Who cares? Do you really care? I don't think so, but if you do...just keep tuned (tuned..? Is that the right word?) and we'll see where this blog goes.

And I guess that concludes the first post. The first one is always the hardest...so it should be clear sailing from here. :)