This post is super late as usual, but I've been using my three (actually four--I'll get to that in a moment) 30mL/1fl. oz. pump bottles of Paul & Joe Pearl Foundation Primer for a few months now, since the weather got cold. I skipped 001 Bonbon, the very first of these LE releases, because when it came out some 10 years ago in the spring/summer 2012 (holy moly really?!), I'd read that it was quite sparkly. When I checked swatches, indeed it appeared rather sparkly and sparkly was--and still is--the last thing I want in a primer.
But since then I've been collecting the rest: 002 Sweet Bon-Bon (spring 2017), and 003 Pinot Noir and 004 Muscadet (autumn 2019), even though it wasn't until this past fall that I started using them on a daily basis. So I figured I'd do a batch review for all three.
All pictures taken in natural light without flash.
First, I just want to acknowledge that while I don't usually buy products solely for their appearance and packaging, in the case of these Pearl Foundation Primers I totally bought them solely for the appearance and packaging :P I mean, just look at them! P&J hit it out of the park with these! I just love the whole thing, from the pretty outer box to the gorgeous glass bottle that's not top-heavy (my #1 pet-peeve when it comes to packaging!), and finally the mesmerizing little balls of pearls themselves. They're so pretty, too pretty to use, the very reason I shelved them for so long. Ha.
So last summer I started using Nivea Sun Strong Fit Care UV Milky Gel everyday, because it was a quick-setting but was still water and sweat-proof sunscreen I could apply in a mad dash to get out the doors and send my two little boys to school. The Nivea Milky Gel worked well until the fall when the weather started to cool and things dry up, including my skin. I thought of layering a richer moisturizer underneath the sunscreen, but this affected how fast it set. Luckily, while working to catch up on photos (caught up to June 2021's photos now, hooray!) I saw pics of these Pearl Foundation Primers, in particular, the back of their boxes says "美容液-化粧下地" (biyou eki-keshou shitaji, beauty essence/serum-makeup primer/base). As in, these Pearl Foundation Primers are primers that also double as essences/serums. Actually, these are 3-in-1 primers, highlighters, and essences/serums! How's that for a multi-purpose product?
So what did I do but layer a pump of these Pearl Foundation Primers under my sunscreen and--wahlah!--problem solved (for a few more months, until the weather got even colder and drier, will post about this next)! As claimed, all three primers dispense a dollop of serum that's super easy to apply. It spreads smoothly and set almost instantly, leaving my skin feeling moisturized and prepped. One pump is enough for my face with some leftover for my neck. Like all other P&J products, these primers are scented with their signature scent which I don't mind.
- 002 Sweet Bon-Bon: consists of very pale whisper pink to medium warm pink pearls. Becomes a warm fleshy pink serum once dispensed. There's a small amount of shimmer that's not really noticeable once applied. I use this one on sunny days to give my skin a faint but healthy glow.
- 003 Pinot Noir: consists of off-white to reddish pink to mauvy-berry pearls. Becomes a warm medium pink serum once dispensed. Again, there's a small amount of shimmers that don't show. I use this one on cloudy days to give my face a faint touch of color.
- 004 Muscadet: consists of pale champagne, ivory, gold and pale green pearls. Becomes a green-tinted gold serum once dispensed. This one is the most shimmery out of all three primers, but I wouldn't call it sparkly either. I use this on days when my face is too flushed, for the green tint to correct the redness.
Like the Sparkling Foundation Primer that I only use when out on a date night with hubby (and we haven't been on one for the past two years T.T), I reach for this 004 Muscadet much much less often than the above 002 and 003. In the winter, my face is most often washed out and is rarely flushed. I think this bottle would be of more use in the summer, when my face is flushed much more often because of the heat. But then again, in the summer I rarely need a moisture boost underneath my sunscreen. So we'll see, may be both of these bottle will stick around for a quite a while since I rarely use either.
From left to right: 002 Sweet Bon-Bon, 003 Pinot Noir, and 004 Muscadet.
See my previous Paul & Joe Foundation Primer post.
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