Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: Definitely not Worth the Hype

Hey guys! I hope you’re having a great week so far. This is a post I should have done ages ago but I lost my photographs and then I just couldn’t be bothered to take new ones but I’m finally getting it up, and today I’m going to be talking about the Hourglass Veil Mineral primer. This primer definitely has mixed reviews, people either really love it or dislike it. There aren’t many in betweens so I thought I’d add my two cents to it. The primer comes in a glass bottle with the signature Hourglass brown. This is what the brand has to say about the product:  

Elevate your foundation to unprecedented performance with this state-of-the art primer that extends the wear of foundation for a perfect complexion that lasts. With a texture unlike any other, this oil free primer not only creates a smooth even canvas for makeup, but also conceals redness and minimizes the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, and provides broad spectrum SPF 15 protection, all in an airy, silky, cloud – like texture. 

The foundation makes some pretty big claims, so let’s find out if it lives up to them. The foundation comes in a glass bottle with a pump. Hourglass is a luxury brand so I wasn’t surprised that the primer came in a glass bottle. The brown accents are minimalist but very pretty. I’ve had this primer for a while, which you can probably tell, because the bottle is half empty. 

To address the claims, I don’t have any redness so I can’t tell you if it does cover up redness. And does it minimize the appearance of pores, wrinkles and fine lines? Err, no. Not as well as my Becca ever matte primer does, anyway. It does, however, create a smooth base for foundation application, and foundation glides on so effortless. In the swatch above, I only used a pea sized amount; a little definitely goes a long way with this foundation, so it’s best to use sparingly. 

I like to use this in conjunction with my Becca ever matte primer and it definitely does make my foundation last much longer than it probably would. Hourglass claims this is the best primer for oily skin but I have to disagree with that. If you’re oily, this is not the primer for you. My oils start to break through around the 3-4 hour mark when I use this on its own. But when I use it together with my Becca ever matte primer, I don’t get oily til after over 6-7 hours. I apply the Veil primer, wait a few seconds for it to set then go in with my Becca in my t zone and on the areas where my pores are the largest. 

The primer has a light, mousse-y texture, just as it claims. It is also water proof (water resistant?) so it helps to keep your makeup transfer resistant for a while until you start to get oily, which you will soon if you use this primer on its own. It leaves a blueish tint on my face, which thankfully does not translate into my foundation. I also talked about the Becca ever matte giving me a white cast when I let it sit on my face for a while so you can imagine just how ashy I look with a combination of these two before I apply my foundation 😂😂😂 

Honestly I don’t think this primer is worth the hype. I like that it has SPF 15 (although I do use a separate SPF, and you should too) but for a whopping $52, it does absolutely nothing that it claims, aside from creating a smooth base for foundation application which I could probably get in any old drugstore foundation. I do like it, but I’m not crazy about it and I will definitely NOT be repurchasing when it runs out. It doesn’t minimize my pores as much as I thought it would, doesn’t keep me matte — well it doesn’t claim to but for a primer that claims to be the best for oily skin and that costs an arm and a leg, you expect to be matte for the entire duration you’re wearing your makeup. So do I recommend this? Absolutely not. Maybe if you have dry skin and are willing to splash the cash, sure. But I’d say save your money and get the NYX Angel Veil primer which everyone says is a dupe for this one. 

Thank you for reading this review, and if you’ve tried this ridiculously expensive primer or the dupe, NYX Angel Veil, share your thoughts with me. 



Why did I wait so long to try the BECCA Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector?

Whew that’s such a mouthful! From the title of this post, I guess it’s pretty obvious what I’m going to say about this product, huh? First lemme start by saying damn BECCA, whoever you are, you are so amazing! If you have oily skin, then you know how sad and annoying it is to beat your face to the gawds and have it sliding off barely 2 hours later. My t-zone is extremely oily, and I usually have shine on my nose barely an hour after doing my makeup. I don’t have a problem with my foundation staying in place because I typically use long wearing foundations, but I do have a problem with shine. I have been long since looking for a primer to keep me matte for long, and this is where this primer comes in.. 

It comes in a plastic squeeze tube with silver accents. Personally I’m not a fan of the packaging because I feel like for the price, it could have come in a more luxurious packaging but it’s the stuff inside that matters. I had been looking online for primers that kept matte for a long time and it seemed like everyone just kept mentioning the BECCA primer. But reviews were mixed, people either absolutely loved it or absolutely hated it. Seemed like there were no in – betweens, so I was apprehensive about it. But then a friend who is as oily as I am recommended it and I was like I gots to get this! Now this is not cheap. Not at all, especially in Ghana so I had to do a little hunting and price comparisons, til finally I found one that I thought was affordable. And you know what? IT WORKS. I kid you not. 

This primer contains 1.35 FL oz which is equivalent to 40mL, definitely bigger than a lot of other primers, and that is how I justified spending so much on a primer. It hurt my heart to fork over so much on just a primer but after using it, I’d buy it even if it was a million dollars. Lol just kidding, I wouldn’t! 

What it is: Go beyond extending your makeup wear to address the root cause of why your makeup moves. This formula specifically targets oil – prone areas and acts as liquid blotting paper to leave your skin fresh and matte all day. Use alone, before or after foundation for long – lasting control of excess oil while minimizing the appearance of pores. Can also be used throughout the day to touch up areas of concern. 

These are such high claims, but the product actually delivers on all of those claims. It won’t say it keeps me matte all day, but it definitely keeps me matte longer than any primer ever has. It controls oil amazingly well. Usually I am oily by the two hour mark. I’m talking oily enough to fry chicken on my face. But with this primer, I find that my oils start to come through after 6 hours, and even then, it’s just dewy, and not straight up oily. So I rock the dewy look before I typically have to blot around the 8-9 hour mark. 

It is of a thick consistency, much like glue, but turns clear once you warm it up. It is important to use it right, else it won’t work. Do not rub the primer into your skin, else it’ll pill and roll and separate when you apply your base. Instead warm it between your fingers and tap it into your skin, much like how you use a blotting paper to take away shine, then let it set before you go in with your foundation or bb cream or whatever you’re going to use. I do find that it doesn’t necessarily fill it my pores, but it does do a good job of blurring my smaller pores, however I don’t find that effect to last too long. After applying the primer to my t-zone, which is where I get oily, I leave it to set while I fill in my eyebrows and do my eye makeup. I realised that when I leave it to sit too long, it leaves a kind of grey cast on my face that thankfully goes away when I apply my foundation. 

I’ve tried applying over my foundation, and I love that it doesn’t move my makeup at all. It dries fast, so it would be best to work in sections. I find that it extends the wear of my foundations. After my 12 hour day, I could just as easily blot all the shine from my face, reapply powder and my makeup would look like it was freshly applied. With this primer, I don’t even see the need use a setting powder. I just apply my foundation in a patting motion over it and I’m set. 

It is primarily water based, and contains no silicones, which is good for people who do not like silicone based primers. I’ve tried it with all of my foundations and I’ve found that it works beautifully with all of them. I have nothing bad to say about this bomb product, except probably for how expensive it is! To spend so much on a primer, I’m like whetttt. However I definitely most highly recommend this, especially for my oily/combination girls. If you’re dry, this is not the primer for you. I only apply this to my t-zone but if you’re oily all over, you can go right ahead and apply it all over your face. Just remember NOT TO RUB. I would definitely repurchase. In fact I should probably do that now before the price goes up. That’s how much I love this primer. It is definitely holy grail status for me. The BECCA Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector costs $36 and is between 150 – 200 cedis. I got mine from Zuzu’s Web on Instagram for 150 cedis  

Have you tried this primer? What is your holy grail primer? 

Nicka K New York Ultra Smoothing Makeup Primer Review

I needed a primer so much and I happened upon this and I snapped it up without thinking twice. And after a number of uses, I think it’s time for me to review it.

First of all, I don’t know why Nicka K is such an unknown brand, considering how old the company is. I didn’t know about them either until I got my Fx blending sponge and did a quick Google search.

It comes in a squeeze tube with a rose gold cover and contains 30ml of product. The packaging is nice enough, and I find the squeeze tube to be very convenient because it gives you control of the amount of product to dispense, so there’s no waste.

Like most primers, it’s a colourless gel-like consistency. To apply my primer, I squeeze a little into my palm to warm it up then rub in both palms then apply to my face. I find that it provides a smooth base for foundation application.

Don’t expect this to hide large pores, mattify or control oil because it does none of that. Granted it does not claim to, but then I expect that the primer will help my makeup stay in place a little longer, which it didn’t. You’ll like this if you have normal skin and are only looking for a primer to create a smooth base for your foundation to glide on. If you’re oily like I am, this is not for you boo.

I will not be repurchasing this because it does absolutely nothing for me. I like how smooth it feels on my face but that’s about it.

Have you tried this primer? Any recommendations?

Beverly xx