Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner – Review

To get the most out of your foundation, prepping your skin is essential. Primer makes your foundation adhere better to your skin hence making it last longer. Under the spotlight today we have Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner. Does it hold up to its claim? Let’s find that out!

Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner
CATRICE presents Prime and Fine – the new range of professional products for an excellent foundation. Ideal preparation: the Smoothing Refiner. The oil-free silicone-based primer practically makes pores disappear and fills out wrinkles for a smooth, refined complexion. Now you’re ready for your grand entry! Comes in a high-quality jar.

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner

My thoughts
Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner comes in a BIG jar – almost the size of my palm – so the quantity is impressive. I also like the sturdy packaging of it; for a drugstore product, it seems great! However, it’d rather prefer a handy tube because dipping your finger in there daily could be a bit un-hygienic.

This product makes no claim of making your foundation last longer. I don’t know why they missed this point in the description because it does make my foundation last through heat and humidity -- without a primer it wouldn’t be that easy.

As you unlock the lid, you notice a slight pink tint. It goes on absolutely transparent when you apply however it has some brightening effect on the skin which doesn't look unnatural; it just evens out my complexion. It has a creamy texture that spreads over evenly so you just need a small amount to cover each section of your face.  It has a mild scent to it which is hardly noticeable post application. After I apply it, I see that it makes my skin supple and smooth which I love. If you have an oily skin type, it would give the right balance of moisture to your skin without making it look or feel greasy but since it doesn't control oil or mattify, I don't deem it suitable for combination/oily skin (if you expect a matte finish). It feels buttery on initial application but soon as it sets, it doesn't feel that way. In fact, it’s light weight and doesn’t make my skin feel suffocated.

It says, it makes pores and lines invisible which I believe is just an exaggeration so don’t expect an air-brushed look. That being said, I do believe it fills in my pores and makes them look less visible instantly but it doesn’t do much for the fine lines under my eyes. What's best about this primer is that it gives a smooth slip to the skin which helps foundation blend flawlessly so I believe it does a good job creating a smooth canvas for foundation application. Also it doesn’t make my T-zone shine more than I do without it.

Overall, this is a good primer if you want your foundation to look natural and blended. It reduces the appearance of pores and makes foundation stay put. But if you expect it to make you pore less, that isn't gonna happen.

You might like it if...

• You expect it to minimize pores.
• You think it gives a nice slip to the skin for foundation to blend flawlessly.
• You expect it to hydrate your skin.
• You expect it to make your foundation last through the day.
• You have dry/normal/combination skin type.

You might not like it if...

• You expect it to make you pore-free.
• You expect it to vanish fine lines on your face.
• Dipping your finger in the jar seems unhygienic to you.
• You expect it to mattify.

My rating:

3.5/5

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner is priced PKR 930 and can be purchased online from BeautyArena.pk. Catrice can also be found at Scentsation stores in Karachi.

What do you think about it? Have you tried it?

PR sample(s) sent for review. This however has not affected my opinion at all. My loyalty is to my readers and being honest is my utmost responsibility. I have given my sincere opinion about the product(s) mentioned in the post. For more details, please go through my Disclosure Policy.

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