I received two deluxe samples of backlight filter primers in subscription bags over the past year, and I’ve been intrigued by them. This isn’t a review. Just some random thoughts of mine and wondering what experiences you’ve had with them. April usually means a VIB discount at Sephora and maybe Ulta, so the two that I tried are on my consideration list.
BECCA Backlight Priming Filter
BECCA Backlight Priming Filter is a peach shade in the tube, and on my skin, it’s pretty much sheer or at least translucent.
Yesterday, I went into Boston to get my hair colored at Sassoon. Since I get kind of soaked, I don’t bother wearing any makeup. I put makeup on in the changing room after my hair is done. So I decided to put on the BECCA Filter as a primer over my moisturizer and sunscreen before I left the house, thinking I’d just apply my foundation later on. I was running late for the train, and as I left the house I looked in the mirror. I was sooooooo shiny! But it was too late to do anything about it. Nobody on the train gave me a second look 😉
When I apply foundation over the BECCA primer as I’m supposed to do, I can’t say that I see any difference, not even much of a glow. I still have quite a bit left in the tube, so I’ll keep evaluating. Overall, it’s a good primer: helps my foundation stay on and not look like it has sunk into my lines and wrinkles.
Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer: Moodlight
I got this small tube of Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer in the shade Moodlight in my Sephora Play bag months ago, and I forgot about it. I was glad to find it again, and I immediately started using it before I lose it again and I’m almost finished with the tube.
Moodlight is a pale lavender matte shade. (It comes in several other shades like the Ambient powders.) I found that Moodlight does camouflage some of my dark spots so I’m less likely to need concealer. That’s a benefit. Again, I can’t see that it noticeably changes the look of my foundation. But like the BECCA Priming Filter, it’s a good primer.
My Thoughts
Here’s what they both look like. In the second photo, I did not blend them in all the way so you could see the color and finish. You can see that Hourglass is matte, and BECCA has a strong glow.
I currently use Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum. It’s a heavily siliconed primer for super dry skin like mine, but sometimes it seems a little too thick and heavy so I am up for considering a new primer. The glowiness of the BECCA primer didn’t come through my foundation so I’m not sure what the added benefit of this primer is. I can’t say I saw a color shift from Moodlight, but I do like the consistency and that it helps cover my dark spots. I think I’ll see if there’s a smaller size Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer among the travel size products at the checkout area at Sephora.
Have you tried either of these filter primers or any others that you recommend?
That is strange that you didn’t notice any glow when you use foundation on the top because I have to use very little or my face looks very ‘wet’. I am planning to try the new Becca primer soon, the lavender one because it seems to brightens up the face as well. What primer do you have in mind next to try, Allison?
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My face was shining like a disco ball, Shireen, when I looked in the mirror but I was late for the train and I couldn’t do anything about it. After a few hours when I finally got to apply my foundation, the glow and wetness had disappeared most likely into my super dry skin. It’s a nice primer but too glowy for me. I will use up these samples, and I’ll definitely continue using my big bottle of Hourglass No. 28. Not sure what’ll be after that coz this will take me a few months!
A while back I went on a primer kick(shocking right,lol).I had read so much about what they can do and I was determined to find blurring magic in a primer. Soooo ,after trying so many different and mostly high end primers, I decided that while they feel nice and do their job in keeping my foundation in place for many hours many of them are quite similar.Right now I have several highly rated and expensive primers sitting in my bathroom but the one I reach for most is my $6 ELF mineral primer.I also have ELF’s brightening lavender and I really do like them just as much,if not better than the others.I don’t see any blurring from primers and I don’t really care for the ones with intense glow,they don’t compliment me.I do have to say in the interest of full disclosure I have one that was about $50(Of course I got it on a great sale but still it’s regularly $50)and while it’s my least favorite primer it gets great reviews so maybe I’m too critical when it comes to primers but I’m sticking with ELF for now and am looking forward to trying Mally’s face defender,another product with great reviews and women of a certain age rave about so I will give it a go over my foundation,maybe that’s the key. 😉 .
What the heck, I will try the $6 elf mineral primer, Laura! The BECCA definitely had an “intense glow” but it must have faded during the couple of hours before I applied my foundation because I couldn’t see anything and I had been glowing like a disco ball. Most likely, I’ll end up staying with a regular anti-aging primer and I have a lot to use up in my pricey Hourglass No. 28 Serum Primer bottle. I received the Mally Face Defender a couple of years ago to try out for review. It reminds me a lot of the L’Oreal Miracle Blur that came out about 3-4 years ago and also a touchup blur from YSL that I got from Influenster. After trying it for a while, I ultimately decided it wasn’t for me. I felt like I was smearing my makeup by applying it on top my foundation even though I tried bouncing it on top. Plus I just didn’t see that my wrinkles were any less apparent. But that’s just me. Too bad Ulta doesn’t sample like Sephora does so you could try it first. Maybe go to Sephora and ask if you can sample the YSL blur??
I have a few primers but never ever remember to use them. After moisturizer and sunscreen, etc I just don’t feel the need for another layer I guess.
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You’re lucky, Stacie. At this stage of the game, I definitely need a primer for some, but not all, of my foundations. I was just curious to see if these “filter” primers actually make a visible difference.
I have the HOURGLASS one, and really love it. The Becca just appears to have a bit too much shimmer for me, at least as an all-over face filter primer. Excellent side-by-side review, Allison!
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Thank you, Helen. Of the two, I’m strongly leaning towards the Hourglass if I can find a travel size. I still have a ton of No. 28 Serum Primer to use up. I like the fact that the Hourglass provides some coverage over my dark spots. I’ll have to look harder to see if it provides other filter benefits.
I would be curious to try the Hourglass primer, it is a pretty color! Seems like the “Glow” and illumination of primers that have pearl to them just doesn’t shine through when you wear foundation. So it makes me less inclined for something like this under my foundation but I like the idea for bare skin days!
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I was surprised that the BECCA Backlight didn’t show through my MUFE Cover Stick Foundation – maybe because the foundation is a full coverage stick? When I wore the BECCA primer on its own, it was soooooo shiny, I looked like my face was wet. The Hourglass Moodlight is a lovely color correcting shade.
I have both of those from samples too but haven’t given them much of a trial. I don’t need to be a disco ball so I’ll be careful with the amount I use when trying it.
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The Hourglass Moodlight is fine to use as much as you need. It’s just a color corrector. The BECCA, on the other hand, definitely needs more moderation than I used with it!
I have the Becca on my list and I need to try the little tiny tube of the Hourglass I have in my sample stash.
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For me, the Hourglass was better. The BECCA is pretty but too shiny yet none of the glow shown through my foundation. Did you try the BECCA yet?
Allison, see if you can get a sample of Urban Decay Optical Illusion Primer, I think you’ll like it!
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Thanks for the recco, Cindy. I’ll go to Sephora and ask for a sample!
I know this post is about primer but I am intrigued to see your new hair color. Same red, deeper or lighter? spill it to me 🙂
LOL. Every time I get my hair recolored, the color is a deeper, brighter red that fades over the 4-5 weeks to a copper penny shade. In spite of washing my hair every 4 days with sulfate-free shampoo, it fades. Oh well. But I do love this bright deep shade for as long as I have it!
I think the moonlight primer is brilliant, it really does help soften the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
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I agree. Moonlight actually helps conceal my dark spots. I’m thinking this may be my summer primer
I haven’t tried either, but Moodlight has been on my ‘maybe try it, someday” list for a while as I really like the Moodlight powder. I might have to add it to my birthday haul now that you’ve got me thinking about it again!
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i’m hoping that Sephora might have a deluxe trial size near the checkout to try a smaller size. The mini I had seemed very nice but it was only good for about 3 uses. I hope you do look into it
I like the Becca primer. I have one from Hourglass but I found it to be hard to rub in and get it even.
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I really like my new purple Becca primer!
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I just noticed the purple one the other day. Now I need to try that one!