Product Review:
SORME: Fresh Start Anti-Aging Under Foundation Primer

Hello girls! This is my review on this primer by Sorme, "Fresh Start Anti-Aging Primer"

As a licensed cosmetologist, I get the pleasure of trying out license only, professional products that, without a license, you would only see in a salon, and are difficult to find in drugstores or even makeup counters. Sometimes, cosmetologist exclusive products can be really amazing, and sometimes not so much. Usually though, salon products equal salon prices - usually not very cheap. So I'm here to help you get an idea of what some of these products are like before you buy them at a salon.

As a professional MUA, I'm big on the products I purchase for myself being easily adaptable in my work settings, which means they need to live up to HD standards - no small feat for sure. I can't waste time and money purchasing products for myself that won't work on film or television as well, so I keep that in mind when trying out new things, to save money.

I was in my local CosmoProf when I saw this Sorme makeup line about a year ago. I needed a new primer, and I am a big big big fan of the Smashbox Photo Finish primer line, love them all, but I was out when this caught my eye.  I deal with a lot of aging skin on HD cameras which can be tough, and this Anti-Aging primer looked promising. I also have some skin ailments, so I thought I'd try this out, after a year of use on camera and off here's my review.

Here's the manufacturer's description:

Under Foundation Makeup Enhancer. This light, fast-drying formula instantly evens out skin discolorations, smooths skin texture, and fills in fine lines and wrinkles so that makeup goes on evenly and lasts far longer without touch ups. A powerful blotting ingredient holds up to 10 times its weight in oils for a shine-free, poreless finish. Super antioxidants of Green Tea, Grape Seed Extract, and Pomegranate help repair free radical damage. Hyaluronic Acid keeps skin hydrated without oils.

FRESH START ANTI-AGING FORMULA # 76 • Infused with Revitalizing Dermaxyl® Peptide
• Hydrates and firms while preparing skin
for silky smooth makeup application
• For normal to dry skin

To Use: After cleansing and moisturizing skin, apply a small amount evenly over entire face. Allow to dry. Apply powder or liquid foundation over.

Brand: Sorme

Name: FRESH START ANTI-AGING FORMULA # 76 Under Foundation Primer

Shade: Clear

Interesting plus factors: Not tested on animals, doubles as a serum and a primer in one.

My personal notes: I don't think I would use this on very oily skin ( this brand has a separate primer type for that, and I noticed this made my chin - I have combo skin especially on my chin - break out at times. So stick to the manufacturer's suggestions and use this on dry to normal skin, or areas of your face. Worked great on my dry skin areas.

Ingredients: Water/Eau, Sodium PCA, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Distillate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium C8-16 Isoalkylsuccinate Lactoglobulin Sulfate, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-30 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Serine, Sorbitol, Tea Lactate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, Lauryl Diethylenediaminoglycine, Allantoin, Lauryl Aminopropylglycine, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Affordability and Size: This product comes in a 0.8oz container, and ran me $25.00. For a professional grade primer, that's really the middle of the road, not abnormal in pricing. But the size really makes up for the price, since most professional grade primers don't come with this much product. For how the product worked, I would give this 5 stars on pricing, since I've been using this product for a year now and just now need a new one. Well worth it.

Packaging: This product comes encased in a cardboard box. Inside is this glass looking, long plastic bottle, that dispenses the product through a press pump. Very nice packaging, the bottle isn't cheap feeling or looking and has held up well in my travels. Being as large as it is, it can be a pain to fit into a makeup kit at times, so I transferred it to a makeup bag. I can't complain, because it's housing a lot of product. The pump doesn't clog and works easily. Pretty heavy duty.

Color: This primer is clear, not white or any other tone. You can't see it upon application. Very undetectable. You also cannot see it on HD film, which says a lot. It definitely evened out skin tone. Very matte and non shiny even without foundation.

Consistency: The consistency of this primer is what makes it a gem. Some anti-aging primers or under foundation serums go on smoothly, only to bubble, crack or act up when you apply foundation over them. This primer suggests cleaning your face, applying your moisturizer and then the serum, which is what I did. It went on very smoothly with a brush, sponge, or even my fingers. It's very silky, and not chunky or overly thick, though it's far from runny as well. It definitely reduced the visibility of pores, evened out skin tone, and made fine lines less visible. Applying liquid foundation over this was as easy can be, and it made foundation look amazing with a flawless, smooth finish. Matte finish. Really set up a fantastic base for the rest of my makeup application.

Lasting Power: REALLY keeps your makeup looking great for hours. I would say you'll get almost a full days wear out of this. If you put it on at a 8am, you'll start to see some wear around 5-7 if you're using it for daily use. I'm guessing it starts to wear in the afternoon due to it's serum properties, but really that isn't bad. It still really stays on for a very long time. Of course with Film/TV you'll want to do touch-up checks every hour, but that's normal. Kept makeup smooth and looking great for far longer than I expected.

Film wearability: Excellent! Undetectable base for HD film, tv or Runway. I was veryimpressed. Created a great base for the rest of my foundations and powders and TRULY did help reduce the visibility of aging signs on my clients. Silky finish, reduced the signs of pores, not shiny and very matte ( shine is the devil with HD cameras ) and made aging skin or minor aging signs look much better. Great usage of this on film.

Everyday wearability: Definitely! I use this on myself all the time when I go out. Since I have combo skin, I keep it away from my chin area where I have oil issues, and instead I use it on my dry areas and a different primer on my chin. It looks very matte, reduces pore size, controls shine, makes a great base for even drugstore foundations, and did reduce some fine lines and skin issues that I have. Makes my skin feel very soft, love it!


My review: Very undetectable, silky, true to description product that was well worth the large amount you get for 25$. Shocked me with it's adaptability from film and HD settings to everyday use. I wouldn't use this on oily skin, but the package does state that. Definitely helps reduce signs of aging and doesn't have a strange texture. Foundation looks flawless on top of it. One of my favorite primers, possibly my favorite for aging skin! I would recommend this primer for anyone with normal, dry or aging skin looking for a great base primer that also doubles as a serum.

View more posts from Krista here>>