June 30, 2008

Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine Primer Review

I got a chance to put Philosophy’s new primer, Never Let Them See You Shine, to the test this weekend and the outcome is pretty darn good!

If you have a combination skin type I imagine you know and understand the drama that comes with it. Flaky here, oily there, and sometimes even a normal day here and there! Luckily my skin doesn’t get to oily in the Winter however as soon as the Summer rolls around I’m definately having major problems!

Yesterday was the perfect day to put Never Let Them See You Shine to the rest as it was not only hot but major humid plus I was outside all day. I’m pretty impressed with not only its ability to curb shine and oil but to double duty it as a primer that allows my makeup to stay in place all day without melting away in the Summer sun!

I can’t verify the formula of this because it was sitting on my porch after delivery while I was at work so I’m worried that the texture it now is doesn’t match up with it’s original texture due to the fact it was sitting in the heat for quite a few hours.

The formula is a watery gel and slightly runny which surprised me as I was expecting a similar texture as Smashbox primer considering almost all primers I have tried all feel the exact same way. I have to take myself off to Sephora to see if this is actually the way it’s supposed to be or if it got ruined due to the heat.

Needless to say I am hoping and praying that this is the formula because I LIKE it. Smashbox Primer feels rather weird on my skin plus it pills. If you’re unfamiliar with the term pill it simply means that the product rolls off your skin in gross little balls.

I experienced no pilling with this. It was simply a nice cooling gel that applied easily and felt like I had nothing on at all. It does feel a tad sticky at first but once massaged into my skin it sunk in nicely. The box does say to “pat” it on but I gently massaged it in.

I only applied about a dime size amount probably a bit less but I think I could have used a smidge more. After application I proceeded to apply my SPF, a tiny bit of my foundation mixed with moisturizer, some blush, some gloss, and I was good to go!

As I was out and about I kept touching the places I normally get oily. I normally don’t like to touch my face at all. I’m very obsessive about my skin and touching my hands to it is I won’t do for obvious reasons however I did want to test this out so every few hours I was tapping my finger tips to my forehead, sides of my nose, and chin. These are the spots I get most oily and to my surprise they were very dry and matte feeling.

When I got home I took a quick shot of my face with my camera and compared it to a photo I had taken earlier in the day. I’m happy to say my makeup was still wearing strong after being out all day in the sun! My blush was still firmly in tack, my face was matte and fresh looking, plus the small amount of foundation I had applied seemed to be firmly in place as well as my concealer! Impressive as normally my makeup melts away in the middle of the day or so! The only thing that didn’t fair so well was my gloss which was long since chewed off.

So far after one test I am very impressed and can’t help but be very excited about this product. All and all I definately Muse Approve it for purchase!

The price isn’t bad at $20 USD and it does do exactly what it promises! I have to say that I’m really pleased I don’t have to whip out my powder all day to blot my skin. Although I’ve found some fine blotting powders I just find that the convienance of applying one product on my face that lasts all day really cuts down on the hassle of refreshing, reapplying, etc…etc….

Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine Primer gets a big Muse Approval!

Never Let Them See You Shine is available now for purchase at Sephora and from Philosophy! Grab some up! If you want to battle shin and oil in a major way might I suggest trying out the rest of the line up which includes a cleanser and a scrub!

Tried it?

Love it?

Want to try it?

How do you battle off oily skin in the Summer?

Tell the Muse!

Battle shine further with my raving review for Urban Decay’s new De-Slick Mattifying Powder!

22 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • ~*MC*~

    Actaully, irc isn’t really a new Philosophy Product. I used to buy this years ago by the same name from Philosophy, but it came in a bottle, not a tube. It was a great shine buster like the new incarnation of Never Let Them See You Shine…in fact my boyfriend used it to take out the shine of his bald head. 😡

  • psychoexgirlfriend

    Sounds like a great product Muse! Is this primer perhaps water based as opposed to the more popular silicone based primers out there? (Smashbox is definitely silicone based.) I’m guessing this is a primer and a mattifier in one? Hmmm I wonder how much it is in Canadian dollars…

  • Jackie

    I have been using this product for quite some time, and I must say that I also love it. It does what it promises. Oh, and it is supposed to be that consistency. Its not like the Smashbox primer at all.

  • the Muse

    morning MC!

    No kid. I’ve been tracking philosophy for a while and can’t recall that product. Awesome.

    LOL clever guy you got there MC 😉 Cool!

    This is fab for shine. I’m duly impressed!

    Thanks for the comment!

  • the Muse

    morning or afternoon actually psychoexgirlfriend!

    It actually works fab. You have to give this a whirl 😉 Finally something to battle oil that’s not a powder 😉

    It is indeed. I mentioned in my review it doubles up to prime and prep as well as mattify 😉 wahoo!

    If you need help getting it let me know and I can go down to Sephora for you!

  • the Muse

    Hello Jackie!

    Fantastic! Happy to see a like mind here. I love it. used it twice so far and I was amazed.

    Great lol! I was going to head into Sephora to double check! Thanks for verifying as I really hate the feel of smashbox and other primers I’ve come across. The nice watery texture smooths and blends out brilliantly!

    Thanks for the comment! hope to talk to you again soon!

  • MandyPandy

    Hmm… No pilling, eh? The Panda will have to investigate this at length…

    Does it also minimize pores?

  • the Muse

    you need this one mandy.

    pretty darn good.

    and yup supposed to minimize pores as well 😉

  • nilla cookie

    Ahh Muse! Thanks so much for sharing your weekend! It looks like so much fun and more shi shi than I imagined Atlantic City to be 🙂

    I’m headed to Reno & Tahoe on Wednesday for tons of gambling and hopefully a little beauty too! 🙂

    Hope you had a great Monday, friend!

  • psychoexgirlfriend

    thanks for the offer muse! think i’ll be fine though, philosophy’s available at my fav beauty store. 😀

  • Askmewhats

    Hi muse, I love all your photos and it’s really great with all those sale!!!!

    Hmm..how do i battle oily skin? i actually have dry skin! so i don’t have problems with oily skin during the summer but I worry more on my flaky skin during the cooler months 🙂

  • Jossu

    I’m so going to have that! My skin goes crazy from my forehead and nose when the summer arrives (my skin behaves like a 5-year-old kid)and I have tried everything to control it. Let’s hope that this will be a good nanny.

  • the Muse

    hello my little cookie!

    How are you 😉

    You’re most welcome. I’ve always worried I’ll bore people rotten with posts like this 😉

    AC has come a long way. They did alot of changes. It’s a nice little getaway for the weekend or even a week if you want.

    Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!! Have TONS of fun!!!!!!!!!! 😉 I can’t wait to see pics when you get back 🙂

    I love reading about your adventures!

    Happy Tuesday lovie!

  • the Muse

    hiya psychoexgirlfriend!

    You’re most welcome! Awesome 😉 Definately check this guy out!

    It might be HG for me!

    Hugs!

  • the Muse

    morning nikki! How are you lovie??? I missed you!

    hehe the sales are awesome 😉

    I get flakes too 🙁 Sigh. I moisturize…again again and again but still flaky 🙁 Especially winter time grrr!

  • the Muse

    morning Jossu!

    I’m impressed with this so far. Very nice little product. My skin is the same. During the Summer it decides to melt my face off sigh. It’s really irritating when I’m outside for long periods of time and my face is as shiny as a mirror!

    YUK!

    Good luck! Hope it works for you as well as it did for me 🙂

    • the Muse

      hi stepahnie. Oil that’s secreted from your skin particularly facial skin 🙂

  • christmas

    I’m depressed! Sephora doesn’t have this on their site anymore! Is it discontinued?

  • Vanessa

    I have combination/oily skin too, and I just wante dto know what SPF do you put on skin please?
    I was ideally looking for a primer with SPF, but I’m finding it very difficult to find.
    Thank you in advance.

  • Vanessa

    I have oily skin too and I was just interested in which SPF you use on your skin?

    I was looking for a primer with SPF in it, but I am finding it difficult to find one.

    Thank you in advance