Il Makiage Primer – No Filter Poreless Base Smoothing – my honest review

I’ve never been one for primers—they’re just something else to add to my face, and if you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’ll know I try to limit the number as much as possible. I’ve always thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but after reading the Il Makiage primer reviews (194k!), I decided to put the primer to the test and see whether or not it makes my makeup last even longer.

I’ve been super impressed with the Il Makiage foundation and concealer I’ve used for years, so I thought I’d give this a go as my old primer finally ran out.

Description from Il Makiage:

Our silky, weightless bestselling primer blurs pores, fine lines & wrinkles, instantly smooths skin & maximizes foundation wear time. The lightweight texture & silky formula creates a soft, long-lasting photoshopped effect. You’re welcome, overflowing social calendar.

Blog contents:

RELATED: Il Makiage ‘Woke Up Like This’ Foundation – this is my honest review and Il Makiage F*ck I’m Flawless concealer – tried and tested, this is my honest review

What do I want from a primer?

I want a primer to:

• keep my makeup on for longer
• make my makeup look better
• not bring me out in spots
• not make my oily T zone worse
• smooth out/fill in pores

A primer needs to keep my makeup in place all day without fading or sliding. It should make my makeup look smoother and more polished while being gentle enough not to cause breakouts. It also needs to keep my oily T-zone under control and blur out my pores for a nice, even finish. Just something that works quietly in the background to make everything look better. I hate buying and putting more products on my skin, so it needs to be worth it for me do to this.

I use the Il Makiage primer when I’m wearing foundation and want my makeup to last. This includes an evening out and a full day at work. In particular, when I’m at work, I don’t want to re-do my makeup in the toilet during my lunch break because the primer hasn’t worked, and either my makeup is non-existent, or the primer has made my foundation cakey.

How do I use a primer?

I use a primer once I’ve moisturised and applied SFP in my morning skincare. I usually wait 10 minutes before applying primer then wait again 10 minutes before applying makeup.

I’ve found if I don’t wait this long, foundation doesn’t sit right and looks cakey after an hour.

I use a pea-sized amount for my whole face. I use my fingers which I warm up a little before applying. I like to do this just because… there’s no advantage! Although being warm when applied might help it soak in quicker/more even?

How does it blend and look throughout the day?

As with all primers, it goes on smooth and feels silky. I’m very particular about what I put on my skin, as it’s sensitive in places but mostly oily. Primer to me, is a definite ‘extra’ and one that isn’t always needed.

If I know I want my makeup to last extra long (longer day at work for example) then I’ll use a primer.

I didn’t have great light to show you BUT you can see the difference in my pores. The primer fills them and smoothes the skin. Once dry, you can then apply your foundation which looks better and stays on for longer.

I don’t use a primer if I’m not wearing foundation. I tend to wear foundation if I’m going to work, which is a 10hr+ day including several hours in a car. When I get home, the foundation doesn’t have the same coverage as the morning (understandable), but it still gives good coverage. When I use my FaceHalo make-up pad to remove the makeup, I can see the foundation coming off.

I’ve tested it with concealer (Il Makiage F*k I’m Flawless). Working from home, I just want my bags hidden rather than wearing a full face of make-up. I smoothed in the primer to just one side of my face where I plan to put concealer – around/under my eye bag area.

I’ve taken photos during the day, to see the difference in how it stayed. I finished eye makeup whilst waiting for it to dry/sink in as this takes 5-10mins 

During the day you can see both sides look covered but there’s definitely more brightening on the primer side. It smoothes on so much easier with the primer and seems to mix/glide well over my skin.

By the end of the day, the concealer had (mostly) remained in place when used with the primer. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve never been a primer fan (because I try to limit products on my face), but it really does help makeup stay on longer.

Although the concealer has faded, it’s faded evenly and hasn’t crusted around the sides of my eye which sometimes happens. My eye bags cause me a lot of anguish, so I’m glad to have found this to help cover my darkness for as long as possible.

How much is the primer?

It’s £42 (25ml), available from IlMakiage.com. Use code ‘welcome10’ for 10% off your first order. It’s free del over £50.

It’s pretty costly upfront especially for a brand I hadn’t heard of a few years ago. There are 203k reviews on their website, which helped me decide to go with them. Primer lasts for ages (9 months for me) so spread out, the cost doesn’t seem so bad.

Is the Il Makiage primer non-comedogenic?

I checked the ingredients so you don’t have to! Find out what I discovered and why it matters for acne-prone skin: is the Il Makiage primer non-comedogenic?

Il Makiage primer discounts

If you want to try it, buy it from Il Makiage for £42 (plus £4 postage unless you fill your boots and spend over £50, then it’s free).

Use code welcome10 for 10% off > ilmakiage.com

Other Il Makiage products worth mentioning

So far I’ve tried this primer, F*ck I’m Flawless concealer and Woke Up Like This foundation. I’m very impressed with all 3 products and would recommend them.