Maybelline Master Prime Review and Swatches

Maybelline Master Prime primers ($7.79 at Bed, Bath and Beyond) are new for Spring 2015 and come in three formulations- Clear, Green (to reduce redness), and Pink (to illuminate dull skin). I posted photos of these in BBB last week and they should be arriving at regular drugstores between now and the new year.

I purchased the clear and the pink shades to try, since I don't have redness, but I do have dry skin that tends to look dull and could use a boost.

Master Prime comes in 1oz. tubes with twist-off caps. These are being marketed as "weightless blurring primers", so I was expecting them to be a lighter version of Loreal's Miracle Blur since Maybelline is owned by L'oreal.

The claims are:

• Visually blurs tone imperfections and smoothes fine lines.
• Primes skin for a smooth start.
• Lightweight, non-oily formula.
• Does not clog pores.

Right away, I noticed that they said it blurs tone imperfections but it doesn't mention anything about blurring pores.  I also noticed that this doesn't claim to be mattifying or oil-absorbing so I didn't expect those types of results from this.

Clear- Blur + Smooth

Pink- Blur + Illuminate

Master Prime is very lightweight and I was surprised to see that it looks like a cream or lotion rather than the clear silicone gel-like formulas.  The Blur + Smooth comes out white but disappears when blended.  The Blur + Illuminate has a subtle pink pearlized tint and when blended, it gives the skin a little bit of a glow.  I found that these blend in very quickly and don't feel greasy at all.  Yet they feel comfortable and slightly moisturizing on my dry skin, unlike the oil-absorbing or mattifying types.
As I suspected, this didn't do much to blur my noticeable pores on my nose...I still needed to use my NYX Pore Filler, but it definitely gave my skin an allover blurry airbrushed look that I really liked.

Left: Blur + Smooth, Right: Blur + Illuminate

Below I blended each shade out a little bit more so you can see how they look different on the skin. When blended in completely, you can't see them at all, but here, the pink one on the right definitely looks more glowy.  I also tested them by applying the clear to one side of my face and the pink to the other side and I could definitely tell the difference.  The clear side looked smooth and airbrushed, but the side of my face where I used the pink primer looked brighter and healthier, in addition to being smoother. It was a very subtle difference to the point where it wouldn't show up in a photograph, but I could tell by looking at it.

Left: Blur + Smooth, Right: Blur + Illuminate

I should also mention that these have a light fragrance that smells kind of soapy and clean, like a body lotion or hand cream. It's a nice scent and I personally don't mind it, but I wanted to let you guys know in case you're fragrance-sensitive.  Most primers I've tried have no scent, so it was a surprise to see that these did.
Overall, I really like these primers!  They gave my skin a smooth finish to prep for foundation and a slightly blurry, airbrushed look.  I was also really impressed with the pink shade, as it brightened up my complexion in a non-obvious, natural looking way. I also liked how lightweight they felt and they just sank right in with no residue.  I didn't notice too much in the way of mattifying, although I'm almost never shiny so it's hard to tell.  They don't claim to mattify, so if you're oily I can't promise that these will do that.  But I think most skin-types will appreciate the non-heavy, non-greasy feel of these.

Have you tried these yet, or seen them around?  I'd love to know what you think!