MAC vs Smashbox vs Monistat

Sorry that I even took this long to update, I'm already on my 1 FULL week of sorethroat, along with running nose and cough. Very bad cough. But it's not only me who's getting sick, lots of people I know fell sick for over a week too so I'm guessing there's some virus flying around happily.

Moving on.

I've always liked foundations, and because I like foundations, I need something to make the foundation last all day. When I was way younger and still experimenting with make up, I've never really came across any mentions of make up primer from mom or make up artist even. So I've never thought a primer would make much difference, how wrong I was.

A face/ eye primer not only helps the foundation/powder/ eye shadow to stick, it also somewhat making the eye colour 'pop'. A primer also helps fill in those pores that seems to get bigger and bigger with age, fine lines that's on the border line of being there and not and makes our skin smooth and the perfect canvas to start painting and last all day looooong.

Thinking back, eye primers are now a super must for me especially since I put on eye shadow everyday unlike E or Kern who looks great with just eyeliner.

A few weeks back, Elyn from Makeupholics.blogspot.com, being her usual generous self, gave us Monistat Chaffing Gel and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer samples to try out.

If you're wondering what does a yeast infection gel has anything to do with a face primer, lets check out the main ingredients;

Monistat Chafing Gel

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica

Smashbox Photofinish Primer

Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isopropylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaberen, Water

-Taken from The Beauty Brains

MAC Prep & Prime SPF50

Active ingredients:
Zinc Oxide 16.10%, Octinoxate 7.50%

Water, cyclopentasloxane, butylene glycol, peg-7 dimehicone, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethecone, phenyl trimethicone, vinyl dimethicone/methcone, silsequioxane crosspolymer, methyl gluceth-10, glycerin, dimethicone/ vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, caffeine, tocepherol, sucrose, stearyl glycrrhetinate, cellulose acteate, glycyrrhetinate, cellulose acetate, methicone, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, magnesium sulfate, silicia dimethyl silylate, silica, sorbic acid, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin

-Diskordia, Spektra.net

So by reading the ingredients, it's somewhat the same, all three of them items contains silica. Don't quote me n this. Silica is most commonly found in sand or quartz and has light-diffusing properties which is how it makes the skin look somewhat flawless.


My 2 cents/reviews on these products, a little note to remember, we all have different skin type, some like this, some like that, some cries while cutting onions, I don't...

MAC Prep & Prime SPF50.
If I could strangle the thing, I would have. I bought it well over a year ago and I still hate it. I hate the fact that by mid-day, I look like I fell face first into a tube of oil. You could probably fry an egg on my face and I could practically 'reflect' sunlight back to the sun with the super shine.

It cost me about RM150 for a tube and it's really just not worth the money. This has gone down as one of my 'Regretted Buys'. The MAC Prep & Prime works better than this one and it only cost RM90.

Would I buy it again?
I hope it burns in hell

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
I heard that some people broke out after using it but I'm having no problems with it despite my super sensitive skin. So far, I'm totally loving it. It smooths out the pores but best of all, it makes my make up last all day into night long. It's non sticky and non greasy.


Monistat Chaffing Gel
Well, like everyone did mentioned, Monistat is indeed comparable to SmashBox Photo Finish. The texture is almost the same as well. Some minor differences is that it doesn't have the dewy glow that SBPF gives and also it doesn't make my make up last as long as SBPF. I don't work 9-5 job although it's stated in my contract, I work roughly 8 - 13 hours a day depending on days. Not to mention I'm sometimes under the sun and then in the extremely cold office and I'm out again and so forth so I really needed a primer that can help my make up stay put atleast till I can go home.

I'm liking SBPF much better in the end but comparing both Monistat and SBPF's price, Monistat is definitely more afforable.

Much thanks and love to Elyn for the samples!!

Edit (15/3): It might just be me but I think I broke out after using Monistat. >.>;;
After using Prep and Prime SPF50 yet again after a long hiatus, I found that it's pretty okay for my skin now. It's no longer all that oily and it does make my make up stay but it's still remains the fact that I would NOT buy it again.