Whenever I wear foundation, one of my biggest challenges is getting it to stay put all day long. I hate when the collar of my crisp white button-down gets stained or when the pages inside my daily planner are covered with tiny brown fingerprints. And don't even get me started on what happens to my face makeup when it's 90 degrees outside.
I've stuck with the au natural look to avoid a makeup meltdown this summer. But once the new Benefit Cosmetics Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer landed on my desk, I decided to give foundation another try.
Benefit Cosmetics Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer, $32, benefitcosmetics.com
This face primer comes packaged in a twistable tube that makes it easy to apply directly to skin. While the beige color of the product almost threw me for a loop, it blended onto my dark complexion without leaving behind a chalky white film. And I was even more surprised by how moisturizing the primer was, considering it is a stick.
The tiny tutorial that comes with the Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer recommends applying liquid foundation immediately after putting on the product. However, I found that it worked best to wait a few minutes after working the face primer in with my fingertips. Putting products on top too quickly resulted in cakey build-up.
Once I set my foundation with a pressed powder, I noticed how the primer instantly "locked in" my makeup to create a matte finish. But the real test was seeing if the effect lasted a whole day.
Usually by noon, I have to break out my oil-blotting sheets to reduce shine. However, there was no greasy face looking back at me when I checked my compact mirror. Even resting my head on the back of my hands didn't result in a messy makeup mishap. And by the time I returned to my apartment that evening, my foundation had looked as fresh as it did that morning. So I'd say Benefit Cosmetics Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer holds up to its lofty promises.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Check out our favorite warm-weather beauty products and celebrity looks:
Summer Makeup Inspiration
Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostBeauty. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)---Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)