Finally a Primer That Works for Me! RMK Makeup base - A Review!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well and getting lots of inspiration for my contest! I can't tell you all how excited I am to see the entries, and the lovely Kelanjo has started the ball rolling by doing her entry! You can check her blog out at http://www.kelanjo.blogspot.com/

So while I'm waiting for all your entries to come in, I'll continue with the usual blogging business of looks reviews and hauls. A few weeks ago, I blogged about a haul from the brand RMK, who are a sister brand of Kanebo - You can have a look at my haul here - http://mizzworthy.blogspot.com/2009/03/haul-rmk-nails-and-non-makeup-item-xxx.html

One of the items I purchased at the time was the RMK makeup base...

If you are anything like me, you will have heard a lot of sales pitches about makeup primers, and maybe even read a lot of information about what they are and what they do. In short makeup bases or primers are designed with the purpose of preparing the skin for makeup application, ie making the skin feel smoother, reducing the appearance of pores. I have also been told they are meant to protect the skin from foundation (thus reducing breakouts etc), and they are also supposed to help foundation wear longer...

If I'm honest it is the last claim about helping foundation stay on longer that attracts me to these products. I have tried a few primers ranging from the cheap and cheerful (Rimmel recover base, Boots No 7, even Lanacane anti chafing gel - as an alternative to the American girls'favourite Monistat) to the expensive (MAC Prep and prime, MAC Matte, YSL Top secrets). Unfortunately, many of these have had limited success for me - MAC prep and prime skin was a total waste of time and money, YSL was similar - thankfully I only tried a sample of this, rather than wasting £30. MAC Matte and lanacane work reasonably well, however due to being silicone based are useless under mineral foundation, and seem to "ball up" when I buff and blend liquid foundation over them. Silicone based primers also often feel quite greasy on the skin, and MAC matte gel, although a reasonable primer, does not actually mattify the skin... Not an issue for me as I have fairly dry skin, however I would imagine if you had oily skin, this might be a letdown for you!

So when I bought this makeup base from RMK, I have to say, I was not expecting much, despite the MUA telling me it was a top seller and award winning product. But this little beauty really works!

This is a fairly expensive product - it retails for approx £22 for 30mls at RMK, and I have seen it being sold for slightly more by various ebay sellers. Unfortunately RMK only currently have counters in Selfridges in London and the Trafford Centre, I am sure it would be possible to order from website or the counters direct though... However, when I think of how much cash I must have wasted on primers in the past, I would rather pay this amount for something that actually works. Also, given how much I spend on foundation I want it to last, and this is the one primer I have found that actually does this!

The primer comes in a screw top bottle from which you pour the primer, and I think this is the one flaw with the design of the product - it would be so much easier to use and dispense the correct amount if it came with a pump. You only need a small amount of this to cover your face, and the bottle makes it difficult not to pour too much out...

The product definately falls into the category of liquid rather than creme formulation too - and this may feel strange at first - it's almost watery in its consistency, however this maens that the product does not feel heavy at all on the skin and applies quickly and easily. I use my fingers to apply, but would imagine it would also work well with a brush - I would not recommend a sponge, as it would just completely absorb the primer.

The big news is with this, that I have totally noticed a difference in the length of time my foundation lasts - with other primers, my foundation would be gone after about 6 hours at the most, but with this primer my foundation stays on until I decide to take it off! The other thing have noticed is that this does actually appear to make a difference to the appearance of the pores on my face - they appear smaller and less noticeable throughout the time I wear my makeup.

The liquid consistency means it absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't feel greasy, which makes it suitable for use under mineral and powder foundations as well.

I will definately repurchase this when it does run out, despite the flaws with the bottle design. RMK actually make several makeup bases including a creamy base, a mattifying base and various colour correcting bases. The serious drawback with this product is its lack of availability in the UK, but if you can get to an RMK counter, I'd definately recommend getting yourself a sample and giving it a try. With any primer, I'd always recommend trying out a sample before you buy - after all unlike in the USA, us brit girls can't take these products back if they don't work, so always be cheeky and get a sample. after all, we all have different skin and different things work for different people!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this product or any of the other primers I have mentioned!

MizzWorthy

xxx

PS - Just a reminder about the comp, please make sure you make a comment on my blog to let me know when you have posted your entry. Also if you do a video entry, please email me some still images for judging purposes at jennifer.worthington1979@gmail.com Thanks everyone x