Before getting into the review proper, I want to give Dermalogica a big round of applause for including a tube squeezer inside the box of its latest launch, Hydrablur primer.
I hate any kind of waste (be that food, skincare whatever), and so snip my tubes in half when I’m getting near the end so I can squeeze out every last bit of product. The trouble with doing this is a) it’s messy and b) the tube is no longer airtight and so formulas can dry-up quickly.
I really wish more brands would bundle tube dispensers with their products, rather than offer them as chargeable extra or not at all (I’m struggling to think of another brand that bundles?). Bravo Dermalogica!
OK, back to the review. Hydrablur is a non-greasy primer designed to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and give a luminous finish to the skin, sans make-up or in preparation for foundation.
Another big selling point is a water release complex and abyssinian oil to help provide hydration and lock-in moisture. As someone with dry skin, this feature appeals enormously. Hydrablur launched a few weeks ago to a bundle of rave reviews.
I use this post-moisturising and after smearing on mounds of 30 SPF. ‘Mounds’ is exactly the thing as a recent history of melasma means I have to be super fastidious with my sun protection, even in Winter. The problem with my sunblock (it’s titanium-based and very thick in texture) is that it causes some primers to ball.
I didn’t have that problem here. In fact, application is dreamy: Hydrablur goes on silky and smooth (there’s silicon in it). It’s quite a small tube (22ml), but it spreads thinly so you don’t need to use much.
This certainly does ‘blur’ fine lines, though like any primer it won’t conceal deep crevices. It also gives a silky matte finish and a smooth base for foundation. But I’m not getting the hydration, neither an instant hit nor a slow-release. I have dry skin, particularly right now in the depths of Winter.
It’s a pity about the hydration and perhaps other skins won’t experience the same. Indeed, some reviewers with oily/combination skins have noted both effective shine control and day-long hydration.
Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer costs £38 and is available at Liberty, among other stockists, here. More on Dermalogica here.
*Contains press samples
