Make Up For Ever Primer Dupe

I am quite oily skinned, so primer is an absolute essential for me. I had seen so many people talk about the Make Up For Ever Mattifying Primer and so off I trotted to my iPad to make a swift purchase. At £14.20 for 15ml, I had high hopes; Does it make your dinner? Maybe it also sweeps the kitchen floor.

After using it on numerous occasions with various foundations, I found that yes, it did have a positive, oil controlling effect on my oily chin. However, no more so than other mattifying primers I had tried. It glides onto skin and shows an instant matte finish, and skin is left even and silky smooth. I did still end up having to powder during the day, but that is normal for me regardless of which primer or foundation I am wearing.

Previous to my MUFE purchase, I had discovered KIKO Mattifying Base Primer (£9.90 for 25ml) in my terribly unorganised make up drawer. I remembered purchasing it and being quite impressed by how it had performed on my oily areas, however I had cast it aside in order to try a new one from Smashbox.

So recently I have been using the KIKO primer every day on my chin and around my nose where I would tend to become quite oily quite quickly. This primer is of an almost sticky consistency, which did initially put me off. I press it onto any troublesome areas and although at first you can feel the stickiness, it soon disappears when it dries. I also find it's important to blend it in quite quickly as when it dries it is hard to move.

Your skin isn't left at all sticky, in fact it's smooth and shine free. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't stay super matte all day, because quite frankly that would be a miracle. However, the KIKO primer does ensure my make up stays shine free for a lot longer than other primers and it's also a fraction of the price of the Make Up For Ever offering.

The KIKO product feels a lot more wet when it's applied as oppose to the MUFE which dries pretty much instantly, which is good but you have to make sure it's not clinging in any areas such as around your nose. I'm in no way bashing the MUFE primer, as I know so many people who use it and love it, however, for the price I simply cannot justify repurchasing it as it didn't do anything drastic for my skin. The KIKO primer works just as well for me, and although it's not a total miracle worker, it's much cheaper and basically does the same thing as the expensive Make Up For Ever version.


You can find the MUFE primer here, and it's also available in a 30ml for £25.50. The KIKO primer can be found right here.