Can a primer do it all? Essence certainly believes so. Their newly launched Wonderfull primer promises to be a 5 in 1 product that on some websites is described as having ‘tanning’ properties and that has me worried. Because this only comes in two shades and boy does it look orange. But does it work? I used it for 10+ days to put it to the test and here is how it went.
With just two shades on offer you’ll just know this is a trainwreck waiting to happen. Or is it? For most folks these shades will not be very inclusive, but still it is a primer, which means this should possibly also be used under makeup. So is the shade match something to get hung up about? Maybe not. Let’s try it out to see how this one worked out for my fair skin that is dry and needs all the help it can get.
Review: Essence Wonderfull 5-in-1 primer 10 Light-Medium
This being Essence we all know it is going to be affordable. At €3.95 this product certainly doesn’t break the bank. It comes with 30 mls which is a standard amount of product for a primer. It has a thin gel like texture and feels quite pleasant on the skin. So surely things aren’t all bad?!
What does this have to offer?
Let’s kick things off with the claims of this product. This isn’t just any primer, it is a 5-in-1 primer. Meaning this has 5 main claims: it has an SPF of 30, it should prime and hydrate the skin, it evens out your skin tone AND it minimizes pores. We can immediately discredit the SPF 30 claim as the amount of SPF needed to get to that level of protection is never going to be how much you apply of this if you want it to sit under makeup. But do the other claims hold up? Let’s find out.
What does this look like in a swatch?
You could possibly already tell from the close up but this is quite orange leaning. The brand says it is transparent and it is under makeup, but by itself this makes me look like an oompa loompa. The brand claims it’s to achieve a ‘healthy look’ but on me it actually achieves the opposite.
The brand also claims this has a matte finish but I find it quite glowy and hydrating. It certainly isn’t a glowy primer, but it isn’t matte either. I’d say you get a satin or demi-matte finish out of this. The brand also promises this to give you an airbrushed look and there I also feels the claims are a bit too good to be true.
What does this look like on the skin?
Does this even out my redness? Yes it does, but other than that this doesn’t do much for me by itself. True, under makeup this is great as it primes the skin very well and it makes my makeup last longer. But an airbrushed look? Not al all and the orange tone certainly doesn’t help it looking good. I like the slight glow it has but I also have to use quite a bit of this too make it work. The thin gel-like formula is absorbed by the skin very quickly and I would suspect it being very easy to go through a full tube in a matter of weeks with daily use.
Should you buy the Essence Wonderfull primer?
While this product may not live up to the bold claims in the marketing of the product this is still a solid primer. If Essence had left it at that this would be a much better review. But the fact that they claim effects this most certainly does not and will not have, I feel is a bit misleading. Are you looking for a good primer that is cheap as chips? This is great, but at this price point you shouldn’t expect miracles.
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