Back To Basics: Makeup Primer by Reviva Labs

We all know the foundation for makeup is actually foundation makeup, right? It smooths the appearance of discoloration, hides blemishes, brightens the face, and provides the perfect canvas for everything else you plan to apply. However, a truly professional and flawless finish actually needs a foundation for your foundation. This is where primer comes in. It can adhere to the makeup, fill in pores and smooth fine lines, and decrease the appearance of oil production, preventing that oh-so-lovely "pooling" effect that foundation gets when your skin is oily. Foundation primer can add immensely to the wear time of your makeup, and is a step that's far too often missed. 

Makeup Primer by Reviva Labs

Reviva Labs is a company that is currently found primarily in health food stores, but actually began 38 years ago with an aesthetician, Steven Strassler,  who wanted to introduce targeted skin care products to the market place. Reviva Labs originally sold primarily to salons, and can still be found in salons throughout America and Europe. Although they consider themselves one of the "quieter" companies in the cosmetic industry, Reviva Labs has been on the cutting edge of skin care for decades. Additionally, there is no animal testing on Reviva Labs products...they are tested in salons! This has been the case since the company's beginning back in 1973! 

I was lucky enough to receive a set of Reviva products from the company and will be reviewing each of them, but I wanted to start with their amazing Makeup Primer, a dimethicone-based primer that also includes Coenzyme Q10 for additional antioxidant benefits. It's very similar in texture to the famed Smashbox Photofinish Primer. However, where 1 oz. of Smashbox will set you back $32, the Reviva version is only $19.50, and rather than coming in a tube, Reviva's Makeup Primer comes in a convenient pump bottle, which I personally prefer. 

Reviva's Makeup Primer is an extraordinary primer. It smooths onto the skin quite well, spreading easily across the skin. One pump is enough for the entire face. Simply smooth on with light strokes and allow it a moment to sink in. Then apply foundation as usual. You will find that your foundation positively glides on with virtually no effort, leaving a positively flawless complexion. I find that blending makeup is a breeze, and building it to higher levels of coverage is made easier and more natural-looking than it is without the primer. 

So now that the foundation has been applied, I'm sure your most important question is, "How does it hold foundation?" Well, spectacularly. I've been testing this primer for 2 full weeks, every day of which has been 90+ degrees and wickedly humid. I don't have even a hint of a shine until very late in the day, and at that point it isn't so much shiny as dewy. I find I can reapply powder at that point without blotting and the powder looks natural rather than cakey. I'm then good to go for the remainder of the day, which for me usually ends around 10:00. My makeup no longer pools in my pores or slides off my face. My makeup simply looks wonderful all day--blush even stays intact for much longer than usual!

As for what the Reviva Makeup Primer does for my skin...well, first of all it makes it as smooth as a baby's. Like, I find myself feeling my face, it feels so soft and velvety. It fills in pores near my nose that normally fill with tiny dots of foundation, allowing the makeup to glide seamlessly over them. It feels somewhat moisturizing on my skin and does not adhere to the occasional flake. My skin has NOT broken out from this product, which is an issue I have had with some other silicone-based primers, especially in the middle of summer. 

Bottom line: This is probably the best primer I've tried. The overall texture is smooth and easy to spread, the resulting smoothness of my skin is unparalleled, and the adherence to makeup is amazing, holding it in place all day with less shine than any other primer I've tried, yet it doesn't dry my skin or give me blemishes. The pump bottle is convenient and sanitary, and the price can't be beat. Overall, Reviva's Makeup Primer has become a must-have in my makeup arsenal!!

Reviva Labs Makeup Primer can be found at Reviva Labs or at your local health food stores.