Makeup Forever Colored Primer vs. Smashbox Colored Primer

I recently started using Make Up For Ever's HD Microperfecting Blue Primer to make my pale skin look slightly more radiant. I totally dig it. The primer, however, is not silicone-feeling, which I prefer, but is more lotion-y.

Then two days ago in Sephora, I snagged a sample of Smashbox's Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer in purple. The Smashbox primer is very, very "slippery" due to the silicone, which I prefer. It is also a much darker purple than the MUFE primer. Could I get more colored-primer bang for my buck if the color was darker? I was curious to find out.

Neither primer leaves your skin blue or purple. But since I am on a quest for the palest, purest, most positively porcelain looking skin possible, I need to know which one is better. So how can I figure this out? Easy.


(The left is wearing MUFE and the right is wearing Smashbox.)


One side of my face will use the MUFE Primer and the other will use Smashbox's Purple primer. Can you tell a difference between the two? The job of the purple or blue primer is to brighten my skin tone, making it look more radiant. You should know that the lighting on both sides is identical. I recently found my beloved Clairol mirror and the lighting is from equal sources on both sides. To me, the right side is reflecting light a little more, which gives the skin a dewy appearance and helps diminish fine lines. The left side is more matte in appearance, but looks nice too. However, it's not very easy to tell in the pictures, but the Smashbox side doesn't really look as if it has been "color corrected" at all. The MUFE side is actually a tiny bit brighter and less sallow than the purple side.

Here is me with makeup, and of course, both sides are applied equally. (And Mom, because I know you will ask, I don't have a skin disorder, that is just sloppy photoshop on my shoulder. I'm fine. Just too tired to a better job.)


(MUFE is on the left and Smashbox is on the right.)


I think the MUFE side looks softer and more muted and the Smashbox side looks more vibrant. It's not much of a difference, but I suppose they do provide a slightly different look.

Finally, here is me fifteen hours after I did my makeup this morning. I am exhausted and am sure I look it. But did either primer hold up differently? I did touch up with powder about 5 hours before this photo was taken, but otherwise, haven't reapplied a thing (with the exception of lipstick).


(15 hours later. Exhausted, but my blush is still there!)


Interestingly enough, my blush didn't disappear, which is what always happens. The Smashbox side still looks dewier to me, but the MUFE side looks softer. While everything I am writing seems like I would favor the Smashbox side, I think I prefer the MUFE side. Although I have to admit my bias against Smashbox is playing a role here (I had a bad experience when the line launched eons ago), I think at the end of the day, I prefer the feeling of the Smashbox and the color correction abilities of the MUFE.

Which one do you think looks better? Do you use either one of these or are colored primers not worth the trouble? Tell me in the comments!

I bought the MUFE and got a sample of Smashbox.


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