When I visited the NYX shop, I decided to definitely pick one foundation … and because an illuminating primer with a cool name Born to Glow caught my eye, I went out of the store with a face-duo. At first, it looked that I would not be able to find myself an appropriate shade among the offered shades of various foundations – I was always somewhat in between with each shade of foundation, and then after a lot of swatches with the NYX beauty adviser we both agreed that the best choice for my skin tone would be Warm Ivory shade.
NYX Illuminating Primer Born to Glow in shade White is at first glance quite a whitish-pearly-glittery primer, but at the moment that is applied to the skin, it turns into a light texture without white or too glittery traces. It can be used all over the face or only for selected areas that you want to highlight. Born to Glow Illuminating Primer is excellent when your skin looks dull and needs that extra kick. It also works great with your selected foundation that on its own doesn’t add a beautiful healthy glow to your face. With NYX Illuminating primer the staying power of your foundation is prolonged, but I consider even greater plus to be a discrete glow that it adds to your skin.
born to glow Illuminating primer is excellent when your skin looks dull and needs that extra kick
NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation has lightweight formulation, but in some areas of my face, it’s a bit too matte and pigments “sits” into pores and lines. Otherwise, it has a smooth texture and the coverage can be build up. My skin is dry in certain areas, especially in winter, and in my opinion, this foundation is more suitable for normal to mixed skin type. In very dry areas of the face, make sure that the cream under the foundation is hydrating enough … and it also helps if you apply Born to Glow Illuminating Primer beforehand.
The formulations of both products are very good, INCI ingredients contributed a lot to my decision for this purchase. Illuminating Primer contains a variety of silicones and is free from parabens, BHT, and paraffin.
HD Studio Photogenic Foundation is also on a silicone basis, it contains UVB filter Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (which gives a little protection), white clay kaolin (which I suspect that it may be the one to blame for mattifying effect on dry areas), babassu oil, glasswort extract and mixture of beneficial peptides that help to regenerate and revitalize the skin. I think I noticed glasswort extract for the first time in the cosmetics, and according to the scientific studies, it has an excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The formulation is without paraffin, BHT, parabens and formaldehyde releasers.
KEY INGREDIENTS/TEXTURE/EFFICIENCY – BORN TO GLOW ILLUMINATING PRIMER
- ingredients pluses: simple formulation, a mix of various silicones
- ingredients minuses: none
- texture: very nicely applied, it is in white-pearly color, after the application only discreet shimmer can be seen
- efficiency: when applied under foundation, it gives a healthy glow, improves the appearance of dull skin and slightly prolongs the staying power of foundation
KEY INGREDIENTS/TEXTURE/EFFICIENCY – HD STUDIO PHOTOGENIC FOUNDATION
- ingredients pluses: babassu oil, white clay kaolin, glasswort extract, peptides, silicone base
- ingredients minuses: none
- texture: lightweight texture, easy to apply
- efficiency: medium coverage and medium staying power, in very dry areas of the skin it can be a little over-mattifying
I would recommend NYX Born to Glow Illuminating Primer to anyone who, in addition to the prolonging the staying power of makeup, also wants the finished look with a healthy glow. With this product, there is no fear that your face will look too glittery – in case you do not want any shine at all on your forehead, nose, and chin, you can simply apply a touch of compact powder on that areas. I would recommend HD Studio Photogenic foundation to those with mixed to normal skin … and of course, to anyone who can find the right shade. The ingredients are excellent, but if you have any dry areas on the skin, this foundation requires a bit of effort for an even application.
NYX BORN TO GLOW ILLUMINATING PRIMER – INCI: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Magnesium Sulfate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163).
NYX HD STUDIO PHOTOGENIC FOUNDATION – INCI: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Diethylhexyl Maleate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Kaolin, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Dimethiconol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrated Silica, Copper Tripeptide-1, Aluminum Hydroxide, Propylene Carbonate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, VP/VA Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, C12-14 Pareth-7, Amodimethicone, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947).
Photo: Anže Buh