As a big fan already of Elemis, particularly their pro-collagen line, I tried this primer on a whim and am so glad I did. As a 46-year-old woman, who rarely wears much, if any, makeup, I have a weird obsession with primers, and their smoothing/pore-blurring function. While I loathe the feel and look of foundation, I still crave a matte and smooth visage. While most primers use Dimethicone, a.k.a. silicone, to fill in lines and achieve that preternaturally smooth finish. Dimethicone isn't necessarily bad but it can build up on the surface of the skin, causing product pilling (gross) and requires a double cleanse to throughly remove, lest it stay on the surface of your skin and clog pores, so I try to avoid it if possible. This Elemis primer uses an emollient, Coco-Caprylate, which absorbs excessive moisture and naturally evaporates from skin surface, and Penstia Powder, tiny blurring spheres that increases the skin's appearance of smoothness. And both wash off easily at night with no pilling. Makes a noticeable difference in the look of feel of my skin, without pilling or adding unwanted, smear-able color. Makes me look a little more finished than bare skin, without being made up. And if you are a makeup user, it creates that smooth surface for application you're looking for. My only minor gripes are that I wish it didn't have added fragrance (smells nice, but totally unnecessary and a potential irritant) and wish they had a version with built-in SPF to help simply my daily routine. (Always, always, always wear sunscreen, people, it's the most important anti-aging step you can take.)
