Looking for a primer with a difference? You’ll love this foaming Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer from Origins!

This is possibly the most unusual primer I have ever used… and will probably be the most unusual one I think I’ll find in a while. It caught my attention because of the packaging – it’s in an aerosol can and has a rather unusual ‘cooling’ effect when applied… but it’s actually a makeup primer!

Intrigued? Let’s talk more about this makeup primer with added skincare benefits.

How does it work?

The primer is in an aerosol can. It is certainly quite mattifying and if you can resist the urge to squirt a good dollop of this product out, you don’t need to use much. But make sure to give it a good shake before use!

Once you apply the product to your skin, I feel the difference mostly in how my skin feels. The skin still remains a little glowy (which I like, I don’t want to have completely flat skin) but the texture of the skin itself is smoothed out and feels dryer to touch, pores appear reduced but the skin itself doesn’t feel tighter or dried out.

I feel like the willow herb and other good ingredients goes underneath the skin to keep it hydrated, but the outer surface is mattified and the oil is controlled. The effect takes a few minutes as the primer sinks into the skin, but I’m very pleased with the results. It becomes a little more matte after a few minutes as well. Makeup also applies wonderfully over the smooth skin.

You can see the short video above where we try out the primer on Denise’s hand. You might not be able to hear the full effect of the crackling noise, but you can see how it fizzes!

What’s to love

  • It contains willow herb – this helps the skin rebound after dullness to restore your natural glow. This helps your skin to still have a glow, rather than just being completely flat and matte. Love that this primer also has good skincare ingredients in it to care for the skin as well.
  • This primer also contains an array of gorgeous oils which contributes to the scent and gives it a more skincare base to it. It includes: orange peel oil, lemon peel oil, pelargonium graveolens flower oil, lavender oil, amyris balsamifera bark oil, bergamot fruit oil, clove leaf oil, Damask rose flower oil, ginger root oil and spearmint leaf oil.
  • It is formulated without Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, DEA, Animal Ingredients except for cruelty-free Honey and Beeswax.
  • It feels incredibly cooling on the skin – cold in fact! If that’s what you’re looking for in a product, you’ll love this.
  • It feels very mattifying and the effect is long-lasting on the skin. It has a touch of colour but not enough to tint the skin and can be used on all skin tones.

“Love that this primer also has good skincare ingredients in it to care for the skin as well.”

What’s not to love

  • It contains dimethicone and silica – if you’re not a fan of using these ingredients in skincare, you may want to avoid this. Dimethicone can clog the skin, but this is something that does provide a smooth application on the skin. It does provide a protective layer on the skin however – can on the flip side it can help to keep the skin hydrated for longer. My advice would be – if you’ve used products with Dimethicone in it and then you’ve found it’s broken you out – perhaps you should avoid it. If you don’t notice it causing you any issues, you could continue to use it. Just see how your skin reacts and respond accordingly – it’s considered generally safe in skincare by the FDA.
  • When you start to smooth the foam over the skin it crackles and bubbles – I don’t think this sensation would be to everyone’s taste!
  • It has quite a strong scent which not everyone would like to use in a primer – but this scent doesn’t linger on the face.
  • It is quite a tiny can so won’t last very long!

This is a great primer for those with oily/normal skin who are looking for something to mattify the skin – but it also has nourishing ingredients so those with dryer skins shouldn’t be afraid of it either. It leaves the skin mattified but not flat, smoothed but not dried out – loving it!

Buy the Origins Primer for £27 from Origins

(*PR gift/sample)