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.

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

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 definitely use a primer.

First up I’m sorry for these close-up photos. It’s the only way to show you before/after and how primer actually helps fill in the pores…

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 

I’ve added the same amount of concealer to both sides, but instantly the primer side looks brighter and smoother.

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 remained in place when used with the primer. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve never been a primer fan, but judging by this, I’ll use it now if I’m in for a long day.

Although it has faded, it’s faded evenly and hasn’t crusted around the sides of my eye which often 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.

What’s the price?

It’s £36 £42 (25ml), available from Il Makiage (10% discount at the bottom).

It’s a higher price than high-street primers such as Revolution (around £8-£10) and The Ordinary (£6). The price point is more similar to expensive brands such as Estee Lauder, YSL, and Charlotte Tilbury.

That being said, it has 194k reviews, so clearly, people are buying and loving it! The thing about primers is that they last so long, even if you use them daily. It’s one of those beauty products (like foundation, IMO) that are pricey upfront but last so long that the price isn’t actually that much over time.

The bottle is chunky in comparison to my other primers. It’s not the usual shape of a primer either. It has a pump nozzle, so you press down and away you go. One pump does the whole of my face.

Il Makiage Primer Discounts

If you want to try it, buy it from Il Makiage for £36 (plus £4 postage unless you fill your boots and spend over £40).

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.