Bare Escentuals Prime Time Foundation Primer Review

Foundation primers are an excellent way to create a smooth canvas of skin to apply liquid or mineral powder foundation. Bare Escentuals, makers of the well-known Bare Minerals makeup, offers the product Prime Time as one of their primers through their bareVitamins line. I was hooked after the first time I tried it.

Prime Time Foundation Primer is a clear gel without any distinct smell, so it doesn't feel like I'm perfuming my face before foundation application. It adds a shield of protection without feeling like a greasy film over my face. It almost feels like I'm repairing cracks in my skin like you would before you paint a wall but without a feeling of heaviness.

It helps to create a uniform level of moisture of the skin. In turn, you don't have oily patches in one area and dry patches in another which helps even out blotchy application of makeup which can happen especially with minerals.

From personal experience, mineral makeup and dry aging skin have not been a good combination. I turned 40 last year, and I've tried different brands of varying quality and they only tend to accentuate my emerging wrinkles. I do have a favorite liquid makeup that I use, but I still like to use minerals when I'm in a rush or during the summer when I just want a light touch of color.

Without Prime Time, I don't believe I could use mineral makeup at all without it drying out my skin. This foundation primer diminishes the effects of accentuating fine lines and dryness.  I used to just use an extra layer of moisturizer and hoped that would work, but it never did.

I started using this product in the winter under my liquid makeup to see if it would make a difference in dryness and it has significantly. I now use this every time I wear foundation whether it's in liquid or mineral form.

I wear foundation no more than twice a week on average and one bottle lasts me a year. If you wear foundation five days a week, I would think this would last approximately three months. Just remember that a little goes a long way. One pump from the bottle is all you need for one application. Prime Time is available directly through Bare Escentuals and the price is usually around $21 for a 1-ounce bottle. You can also find it sometimes for a few dollars less on Amazon and eBay.

While it may seem like an added expense to include foundation primer in your regimen, it could actually save you money in the long run. If you have skin irritation from foundation or blotchy skin and are continually trying different foundations to fix this but end up throwing them away, this could very well help you stick to one or two favorite foundations and save cash.