I’m a wee bit late to the party with my review on the MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizers, but bear with me, it’s because I wasn’t sure what I was searching for in a primer and MUFE really helped me figure myself out.

At the beginning of March, I went to the launch event for MAKE UP FOR EVER‘s Spring 2015 lineup. The most noteable product launch was the revamping of their primer line (now called Step 1 Skin Equalizer). It’s not so much a small tweaking as it was an enormous overhaul (heck, they even said outright that they felt, for example, that their previous green primer – meant to target redness – was just flat out too pigmented and they wanted to fix that).

And fix it, they did. MUFE let loose on the world 10 newly formulated primers that are designed to target various skin concerns. Of the 10, five target your skin’s texture (Mattifying, Smoothing, Hydrating, Nourishing and Redness Correcting) while the other five target your skin’s tone by boosting radiance (Pink, Blue, Yellow, Peach and Caramel). They can be used alone, or layered together to get your desired result.

At the event, I was kindly gifted two primers of my choice. Since it was nearing the end of winter, my skin was suffering the ill affects of a rather dry season, so I opted for theHydrating primer. Additionally, I chose the Pink radiance boosting primer since the consultant and I felt that with my skin’s natural undertones and my penchant for getting a running/soccer tan during the summer that it would work out for the best.

While these two primers certainly did their job (Hydrating and Pink), they didn’t give me that excited feeling I get when I use products on my face. They smelled lovely (it’s a very clean, refreshing scent), worked well (my foundation definitely locked into place a lot better than it normally does), but I just didn’t get that “je ne sais quoi” that made them feel special.

Until I tried the Smoothing primer out.

During a CBB swap, I picked up the Smoothing primer, vowing to give these primers another chance to wow me. And boy, did it work. On my (*cough*aging*cough*) skin, this primer went on like butter. It had that slippery-siliconey feel that I really love and it made my skin feel comfortable even while wearing foundation. I’ve even opted to wear it while not wearing foundation – using it mostly as a line filler and skin smoother.

I now switch between the three primers that I have depending on my skin’s needs that day:

• Smoothing Primer for when I want to feel extremely put-together and need my foundation to last through the work day and then some. This one has a silicone-type feel, and goes on the skin with a very, very faint hint of colour.

• Hydrating Primer for when my skin feels like it needs to more moisture. This one goes on the skin clear and feels akin to a water-based substance.

• Pink Primer when I want to boost my skin’s radiance, AND it’s great for colour-correcting some of my more yellow-toned foundations. This goes on the skin with a pale pink hue and has a milky-type texture.

Final Verdict

If you’re someone that loves primer, you’ll love that MUFE now has ten different types to choose from that fit a wide variety of skin types, textures and colours. Like me, you may need a little bit of time to discover what works best for you, but when you find it, you’ll love that you have a primer that’s tailored towards your needs. And if your needs change over time? There’s a whole lineup of primers ready and waiting for you!

As some of you may know, I don’t really like foundation – it makes my skin itch and gives me an all around uncomfortable feeling. These primers though? They totally obliterate that annoying feeling I have on my skin while wearing foundation. I don’t know what’s in it to prevent that kind of sensation, but it’s been really, REALLY nice to forget that I’m wearing foundation for once and instead just enjoy having an even skin texture.

Bonus: Since this is a squeeze tube, you get exact amount of product out that you want. No worrying that a pump is going to dispense too much product, or that you have to tip the whole bottle upsidedown to get anything out!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizers can be purchased from makeupforever.ca or at Sephora for $43 CAD each.