A Double Helical Mystery That Is Almay’s Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer

When Almay’s Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer landed on my desk for review, my first thoughts were “woah how cool is that bottle?” and “how did they get the two creams to form like that?“. My nerd brain immediately went to breaking the bottle apart just to see how it works, and not even to use and review.

Well done, Almay, for impressing me enough on packaging alone πŸ˜‰

Description:
Visible colour correcting green and lavender ribbons to neutralise redness, while evening out and brightening skin tone. Smoothes and softens skin for a more refined, poreless appearance. Lightweight gel formula doubles as a skin treatment, increasing hydration up to 265% without clogging pores. Increases makeup wearability and improves application. Hypoallergenic, Dermatologist tested. Oil free, fragrance free.

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer

It dispenses green and lavender cream simultaneously, so there’s no need for you to shake the bottle before use. The lavender cream evens out and brightens the skin tone, and the green one reduces redness. It’s slightly silicone-y to the touch, but only just a tad. It’s definitely not to the consistency of, say, Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer, if you can imagine that comparison.

There’s actually more green cream than purple even though I expected an even amount of both per pump. It actually works out better that way for me as I prefer more of the green primer to reduce the redness around my nose.

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer Swatch

As you can see, it does not look very appetising when the cream is dispensed from the pump. It reminds me of bird poo. A very healthy and full bird who’s just done a nasty ol’ #2 πŸ˜›

Okay, unsightly poo-like cream aside, I like the primer. I use it primarily on my T-zone and chin, especially around the nose where I get the most redness. It doesn’t eliminate the redness nor reduce it very significantly, but it does neutralise the redness quite a bit, which is good enough for me.

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer Before and After

Primer on and around the nose, no image retouching

I like using this during the day under my BB creams. It fills in the pores and allows my makeup to look good and natural. Plus, how cool do the creams look in the bottle, eh, like a DNA helical structure?

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer

Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer retails at AU$25.95 for 30ml and is available at Priceline stores nationwide.

What I like about it: Too cool packaging, the green primer reduces redness around my nose, increases BB cream wearability

What I do not like about it: It still looks like bird poo.

PS: One day, I will break this bottle apart for I must know how they formed the helix!

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22 comments… add one
  1. MisSmall

    That’s exactly what I thought when I saw it, the spiral cream! How cool and pretty is that?! Kudos to Almay for the creative packaging! πŸ™‚
    MisSmall recently posted..CameraMy Profile

    1. Tine

      MisSmall: Haha I know, right? I wanna saw the bottle open now just to see how it works inside πŸ˜›

  2. LeGeeque

    Oooooh! I’ve been eyeing this for a while. I wanted to get it jsut for the packaging πŸ˜› Stila recently came up with something similar too. I think it’s one of the foundation/bronzer products.
    LeGeeque recently posted..Favourite 5 Beauty ItemsMy Profile

    1. Tine

      LeGeeque: You’re right! Stila’s One Step Correct serum. Hmm who copied who? πŸ˜‰

  3. Xsy

    So true! Makes me wonder as well. When you do break the bottle apart, please let me know how they formed it? Cute!
    Xsy recently posted..USANA: Essentials – Chelated Mineral and Mega AntioxidantMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Xsy: I’ll be doing a post when I do break it apart. Have to show y’all how it works! πŸ˜›

  4. emmabovary

    Ah I would waste so much time each morning staring at that helix! This sounds like something I need for the redness around my chin, I don’t have anything like this so will have to check it out.
    emmabovary recently posted..Nice is NiceMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Emma: It doesn’t eliminate redness altogether though, but it’s not bad πŸ™‚

  5. Helz Nguyen

    I dont really care much about primers but Im interested about color corrector. I think this one might do a good job, since it only have green and blue color. Cause usually they will have pink and yellow in it too, which may not work well since those colors kind of neutralize each other
    Helz Nguyen recently posted..MAC Beth Ditto Plum Reserve, You’re Perfect Already and In Sync SwatchesMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Helz: The one with the pink and yellow would be Stila’s One Step Correct. Haven’t tried that. This one doesn’t eliminate redness altogether but I’ve noticed that it does calm it down.

  6. MarciaF (beauty info zone)

    There are separate tubes that wrap around each other. There’s only one color in each tube but they way they twirl makes it look like they would intermesh. There’s actually just a lot of air inside the jar, then two swirling tubes.
    MarciaF (beauty info zone) recently posted..Live, Love, and Laugh with It Cosmetics – review and swatchesMy Profile

    1. Tine

      MarciaF: Thanks heaps for clearing that up! I suspected it *might* be like that, but wasn’t too sure. Hmm, that’s a lot of wasted space πŸ™

  7. dom

    This looks almost ezackly like Stila’s. Me likey!
    dom recently posted..Review: Human Heart Nature Natural Strengthening Shampoo and 100% Natural Strengthening ConditionerMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Dom: And cheaper too, I think πŸ˜›

  8. Pia Barrow

    Great product, I have really red tones to my pale sensitive skin and this product actually works to help correct it. I have had to hide it from my teenage daughter who really loves it too.

    1. Tine

      Pia: Does it eliminate the redness altogether or just neutralises it down a little? ‘Cos it’s more of the latter for me.

  9. Kimberley

    I’ve tried Stila’s version of this a long time ago and I don’t recall it being super impressive but I really want to try this out! I also want you to find out how it works!
    Kimberley recently posted..30 Days of Lippy UpdateMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Kimberley: Now I’m interested to try the Stila one! πŸ˜›

  10. Monika

    You know what I love about this? Without this, my foundation and powder and bronzer all clump up on my face into circular blotches on my forehead and cheeks. When I use this all the make up goes on and STAYS on even all day. If I’d known about it earlier I would have saved a bucket load on my make up cause I wouldn’t have had to reapply so many times throughout the day!!

    1. Tine

      Monika: That’s fantastic! I’m afraid this doesn’t do that well for my makeup as well as it did for you, but yay for you! πŸ˜€

  11. elle

    i have 2 different brands of these spiral primer! yeah i wanna know how they made it too hehe gonna break it open after its finish lol but its gonna be a quite a while..^^

    xoxo elle
    elle recently posted..Yamagoma Ramen @ PublikaMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Elle: A reader commented on how this is actually packaged. Apparently it’s just two interlocking tubes with the cream. Everything else is just air. *ahem spoiler alert ahem* πŸ˜›

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