Review // Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer

When I was in Liverpool last month, my little sister Millie was colour matched at NARS. The sales consultant asked her what primer she uses and when Millie mentioned Porefessional, was told that it was really dehydrating. Now, I know that the consultant wanted to make a sale but it made a lot of sense. My skin had become increasingly dry and I had a particularly flaky patch on my cheek which was only getting worse. I was also using Porefessional daily. As much as I absolutely love it, I figured it wouldn't do any harm to try a new primer. After researching the best primers for dry skin, I asked Twitter to vote on which one to buy. Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer (phew!) was the winner so I headed into Boots and snapped one up.

APPLICATION
When I started using this primer, the first thing I noticed was the colour. It is bright blue but thankfully this doesn't transfer onto the skin at all! There's also a strong chemical or alcoholic scent which isn't pleasant but it fades quickly. On application, the consistency is thin and more liquid than the likes of Porefessional or BabySkin. It's definitely more moisturising and is quickly absorbed into the skin but feels more like a moisturiser than a primer.
RESULTS
Having used Porefessional for years, I was used to that smooth, mattifying effect after using my primer. Since the aim of the Smashbox primer is more to hydrate, I haven't noticed any effects that are different to a standard moisturiser. Yes, my skin is much more hydrated and yes, my dry patches have disappeared (praise the Lord!) but I'd like a primer that creates more of a smooth surface. Since using the primer, my skin doesn't appear as smooth and flawless as it did with Porefessional. 
Although the hydrating element is fantastic, I'm probably not going to repurchase. If you have any suggestions of primers that have the same effect as Porefessional but without the dehydrating element, please let me know! 
Buy Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer here
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