Almay CC Luminous Primer Review and Swatches.

Almay's new CC Luminous Primer surprised me, because I wasn't sure if I was going to like it.  When a product says, "luminous", I immediately think of sparkle and shimmer, which isn't a look I'm going for.  But since I have dry skin that can be dull and has a serious lack of "dewiness", I thought a pink-toned primer might perk things up a bit.  

I have a tube of Benefit's That Gal primer, which is also pink toned and I love that, so I thought this might also be a dupe (I'll compare them below).  

*Disclosure: I purchased it at Target for $9.99

 This primer comes in a glass bottle with a pump and which is not messy and easily dispenses the perfect amount of product.  It's not heavy on silicone like other primers and feels like a light lotion instead.
It goes on very pale pink, almost white until you blend it in.

After blending, it gives a nice dewy glow to my skin- just what I was looking for!  When I apply foundation over it, the "glow" shines through the foundation and it makes my skin look radiant. 

In the photo below, my hand looks dewy but not sparkly- sort of a pearly effect.  I didn't apply foundation on my hand, so you're seeing just the primer.  When foundation is applied over it, the glow is more muted and is just the right amount to make the skin look flawless.

So how does it stack up to "That Gal" by Benefit?

That Gal is a darker shade of pink, so it brightens up dull skin with mainly the color.  It doesn't have the same level of pearly glow that the Almay does.  

 Benefit That Gal is on the left, Almay CC Luminous on the right

So I can't say that this is an exact dupe for That Gal, since it's not as pink and has a more pearlescent finish. But I'm really liking it under my foundation and its subtle enough to use every day.
Are you a fan of That Gal or have you tried pink toned primers to brighten up your skin?  I'd love to hear about it!