As makeup has evolved, primers have become a very important step for many makeup lovers. It preps the skin, helps makeup last and adds a protective layer, so there is much to love when it comes to primers. But like everything else in the makeup industry, there are many different options out there to choose from. This begs the question: Are pricier primers better? Or can I save some money and still serve face? Let’s find out by comparing two primers: one on with a higher price tag and one with a low price tag.
For this investigation, I will be judging each product based on four categories: how well it works with the rest of my makeup, how good it feels on my skin, how long it makes my makeup last and what it would earn as an overall score.
One/Size Primer
For the high-end product, I looked at the company One/Size. One/Size is a beauty brand that was created by MUA influencer, Patrick Starr, who wanted to create makeup that is “one size fits all.” According to the website, the brand has “innovative formulas for all skin types,” especially in their primers. One/Size has three different primers, but I have extremely oily skin so I looked at the Secure The Sweat Primer.
This primer retails for $34 USD for 1 fluid ounce of product, which to me sounds insane. But the promises that the website makes about this primer are pretty big. The product is depicted as “sweat-proof, waterproof, shine-proof, with 12 hour oil resistance, shine control, and mattifying,” which is a heartening claim to make, so let’s put it to the test.
How well it works with the rest of my makeup: For this category, I am giving Secure The Sweat a three-out-of-five. Unfortunately, I did notice that this primer didn’t work particularly well with the rest of my makeup. There was quite a bit of separation, especially around my nose and forehead. This is really unfortunate because a lot of the products that I use are my tried and true products, so I cannot imagine changing them just so that they work with this primer. Sadly, I cannot give this primer any higher score in this category.
How good it feels on my skin: Secure The Sweet is going to get a four-out-of-five. This primer is on the thinner side, which to me is nice because it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin and is easier to glide onto my face. This is quite a simple ask from a primer so there’s not much more to say.
How long it makes my makeup last: As an oily girl, my makeup is known to not last very long, so I was pleasantly surprised with the longevity that Secure The Sweat gave my makeup. For that reason, I am going to give it a four-out-of-five in this category. The only reason I am not giving it a five-out-of-five is because of that earlier separation that I mentioned about in the first category. The separation seemed to have taken away extra hours of my makeup lasting that I think this primer is capable of.
Overall: For its overall score, the One/Size Secure The Sweat Primer earns a three-out-of-five. I think this primer teases far too many promises that unfortunately aren’t all guaranteed. For the amount you are paying for (only 1 ounce of product), there should definitely be more pros than cons, and I just don’t see that with this primer. This isn’t to say I think One/Size is a bad brand; they have two other primers that could be better, but specifically for Secure The Sweat, I don’t see it being any more than an average primer that you could buy for much less somewhere else.
e.l.f. Primer
I’m sure it will not come with any shock that for the drugstore primer, I’m going to be taking a look at an e.l.f. product. This brand is not only very affordable, but also offers a lot of great dupes for popular high-end products. e.l.f. ‘s website states that e.l.f. is for everyone. The brand claims to be “instant access to the best beauty – all the thrills, no velvet ropes.”
The primer I examined is the Power Grip Primer with 4% Niacinamide. This product retails for $10 USD for 0.8 fluid ounces, which is a little less than the One/Size primer. The e.l.f. website states that this primer is “a sticky gel-based face primer enriched with 4% niacinamide to help even out skin tone and brighten while gripping makeup.” e.l.f. doesn’t give an hour estimate on how long the primer will make makeup last, but it does say that it is to provide “long-lasting wear.” So let’s put it to the test.
How well it works for the rest of my makeup: I use a lot of e.l.f. products in my makeup routine, so I wasn’t at all shocked that this primer works really well with the rest of my makeup. I am going to give it a four-out-of-five only because I notice some separation around my check area, especially when it comes time to apply cream blush. Besides that, it does work hand in hand with everything else, including my foundation, which isn’t an e.l.f. product, so it ranks high for that.
How good it feels on my skin: For this category, the Power Grip Primer earns a four-out-of-five. This primer is a sticky gel consistency, so if you have sensory issues with sticky textures, I wouldn’t really wouldn’t recommend this primer for you but for me, it felt fine. The Niacinamide gives a nice cooling effect on the skin, which I enjoyed.
How long it makes my makeup last: I am going to give the e.l.f. Power Grip Primer another four-out-of-five in this category. I noticed that the sticky texture of the primer really helped to hold my makeup onto my face for hours. Unfortunately, I did notice that this only lasted eight-to-nine hours, which is roughly an average day for me. I do also think that on warmer days where my skin is more oily, it would probably not last as long, so that is why I docked one point.
Overall: The e.l.f. Power Grip Primer gets an overall score of four-out-of-five. It goes fours all across the board in every category. I do think that this primer is good; my only issue is that I think it could be better. But for the price, I think you truly receive what you are paying for in the end. You could definitely find better primers out there, but if this one works for you and fits your budget, then it works just as needed.
At the end of the day, makeup is all about making yourself feel and look good, however that looks for you. I think both of these primers have a lot of potential and could differ based on skin types and the rest of the makeup one uses. My only goal is to share the difference that price can make when it comes to different products and companies.