Base to Full Face Week – Witch Clearing Serum & Primer + Giveaway

Okay let’s kick off this Base to Full Face series with the most logical thing. Primer. I received the Witch Daily Primer and Clearing Serum at an event last summer, and it’s one that I’ve been meaning to try properly and get round to reviewing.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve used this primer, I have used it on and off since around October, but I’ve only tended to use it one or two days at a time before going back to something else. But over the past few weeks I’ve been using this just about every day as my daily primer for work.

I like anything that’s two in one, especially when it comes to pre-makeup skincare, my skin type is oily and anything where I start layering product over product over product increases the liklihood that my skin is going to get greasy faster and my makeup will not apply as nicely on top. On a daily basis pre-makeup I tend to just use a SPF then a primer and if my skin is feeling a little drier I might combine a moisturiser or serum into the mix as well.

witch-daily-primer-clearing-serum-review

The Witch Daily Primer & Clearing Serum I remember being launched some time last year (I remember a vlogger talking about going to a launch for it), and I’m not sure whether it’s another product which may have been discontinued before I’ve had the chance to review it. I have been trying to research the price but can’t find this listed on the Boots and Superdrug website and can only seem to spot it on eBay.

Witch is a brand which I used to use a lot in my early teens, and I’m sure even if you’re unaware of the brand you can probably guess that the main ingredient the brand focusses around is Witch-hazel. Witch describe this as a primer perfect for spot prone and sensitive skin, through January my skin has been particularly spotty which I’m 99% sure that’s due to a hell of a lot of wedding stress this month. This two in one power product is formulated to even out skin tone whilst holding makeup in place. It’s oil free (yay) and helps keep the complexion clear from new spots. Exactly what I needed.

The packaging feels cheap but cheerful, it comes in a light plastic container with a pump on the lid to easily get out your daily dose and I’ve been finding that I’ve been reaching for it more often than not. probably because it’s the only primer in my collection that currently has a coloured label so I just know ‘oh that’s primer’ rather than having to look at a mass of white tubes and wonder ‘is this what I’m looking for again?’.

witch-daily-clearing-primer-and-serum-texture

The formula of this is a thick cream, there’s something about this that makes me think it’s got something a bit different in it as when it’s freshly applied it has a slightly tacky formula. One full pump of this is slightly too much and I tend to half press it down to get the perfect amount of product.

I’ve never really paid attention in the month’s I’ve used this for what effects this has on the skin once applied visually so I did my best to take a picture. Along with my spots I’ve had enlarged & blocked pores this month so it was a great time to actually see what this did upclose. I don’t think there’s anything that significantly changes the look of the skin for me on the pore front, it’s not a pore filling or smoothing primer – however I do think that it does slightly mattify the complexion pre-application which for me is a great place to start.

Before Primer

witch-daily-daily-primer-clearing-serum-before

After Primer

witch-daily-daily-primer-clearing-serum-after

I have to wait about minute or so to let that slightly tacky feeling disappear prior to putting my foundation on, however makeup does apply nicely on top once it’s had chance to settle in. I don’t think this is the best primer for making my makeup last all day – I find something more pore filling and silicone based generally a bit better for my oilier complexion as they’re drier for the get go and do a better job of soaking up oil for me before it effects my makeup. If you have slightly drier skin though I think this would be an option that you’d probably love.  But it’s been by no means terrible, and it’s been one I’ve really been happily using over the past fortnight or so.

Over the past two weeks since using this product my spots have cleared up and they seem to have healed faster then they maybe would have done usually. I don’t know that I can 100% credit the fact that they’ve healed over to this – as it could just be the passing of time/relief that I’ve finally got my wedding invites finished, printed and posted.

witch-daily-clearing-primer-and-serum-review

If you know this is definitely still available please let me know. It seems like such a shame if they discontinued this after such a short space of time, I think this would have been a great product for me in my teens when I was rebelling wearing foundation to school and went through phases of having spots, and the fact as it’s witch and should mean it comes in at a budget friendly price would have made it a perfect option for me to. And hell, even as an adult I like this primer.


Competition

win-revolution-lip-kit

To celebrate the week I’ll be giving away the spare Grandee Lip Kit I hauled a few weeks and the gorgeous eye and highlighter Makeup Revolution Palette too. There are 2 Ways to enter:

1. Follow Me on Twitter & retweet the competition tweet (linked here!)

or

2. Be following my blog either via wordpress/email or bloglovin & comment on any of the posts in this series including this one (unless you tell me you’re not entering I’ll presume that you are!). Comments on each post are counted as multiple entries so come back all week to increase your chances of winning!

Entries close 11.59pm on the 20th February.
Open Internationally.
I’ll be announcing the winner week commencing Monday 20th February 2017!


What are your favourite daily primers?

Stay tuned for the second in the Base to Full Face Series: The Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation

rachael-signature

FacebookInstagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

Helpless Whilst Drying

Email: helplesswhilstdrying@gmail.com

Follow:
Share:

34 Comments

  1. sara rai
    February 14, 2017 / 6:56 am

    Love the detailed review on the primer. Thanks for the giveaway.

  2. February 14, 2017 / 7:43 am

    It’s such a shame this seems to have been discontinued as it looks like the kind of primer I tend to prefer!

    • February 14, 2017 / 6:26 pm

      It seems odd it was only introduced in summer and it’s already gone?! I’ve dropped them an email to see if I can get more info as to if it’s still about and available

  3. February 14, 2017 / 8:35 am

    I have nearly finished a bottle of this and I love the thick texture as it feels so nourishing, however I don’t think it really does anything and I don’t like how makeup sits on top of it which is a shame! I’ve been using it as a light morning moisturiser instead as I also find I can’t put additional moisturiser on after as my face feels like it has a visible film. I’m really on the fence with this though as I love the feel of putting it on my face 😂 xxx

  4. sophieinwonderlandxo
    February 14, 2017 / 10:26 am

    I had one similar to this I can’t remember the name of it now but it is hard to get so maybe it’s been discontinued, I use it every single day on my chin and above my nose as they are the only bits that get spotty so I don’t want to use any other primer and I still get spots but I dread to think how bad it would be if I didn’t use it, you know what I mean?! xx

    • February 14, 2017 / 6:27 pm

      Yeah, like multi masking but multi priming?! Yes I do know what you mean I have a few products that tackle spots and you do wonder how bad it would be if you’re not using them

  5. February 14, 2017 / 11:13 am

    This sounds interesting! I like witch hazel – it works well for my sensitive skin. 😊

  6. February 14, 2017 / 2:07 pm

    Argh, so annoying when stuff you like gets discontinued! 🙁

  7. CaptainMeow (@captainmeowx)
    February 14, 2017 / 3:34 pm

    I’ve yet to try a primer, and this has got me thinking that maybe I should jump on the bandwagon. Would you say this is hydrating?

  8. February 14, 2017 / 4:45 pm

    It’s nice that this a primer and serum in one. Fingers crossed this is still available!
    I’ve been using the Benefit POREfessional (sample) and it’s just ok – nothing special though.

    • February 14, 2017 / 6:23 pm

      Yeah I don’t get the hype of progressional, got that sample from the box yesterday and going to retry it but never loved it the first few times!

  9. February 14, 2017 / 5:20 pm

    It really does look interesting to me as I also have oily skin but don’t like heavy feel silicone based primers give me. Shame it looks like it was discontinued (by Witch šité it should be available in Supedrug, Sainsburys and Tesco but none of those have it online) or maybe it is available instore only.

  10. Irena
    February 14, 2017 / 8:50 pm

    Thank you for the amazing giveaway!

  11. Rebecca McBride
    February 14, 2017 / 8:52 pm

    Brilliant review! Do you have a favourite primer for oily skin? My face is an oil slick by the end of the day no matter what I seem to use!!

    • February 14, 2017 / 9:06 pm

      The best primers I’ve found for me so far have been the makeup forever smoothing primer and the body shop instablur! I want to try the oil control one next from mufe, I’m hoping it’s a better version of the smoothing one! Xxx

  12. February 15, 2017 / 1:28 am

    It’s so frustrating when products get discontinued, it happens too often!

  13. February 15, 2017 / 6:36 am

    The daily primer I use is CoverGirl TruBlend Primer. It does the trick, though I don’t love it. I am always on the look out for something more organic!

  14. February 15, 2017 / 1:20 pm

    Great review! Really sad if it has been discontinued 🙁 I have never used a primer! Everyone raves about using the Nivea Post-Shaving Balm but I have also heard that it is really bad to use on your skin as a primer? Who knows! Thanks for the giveaway too 🙂

    • February 15, 2017 / 2:01 pm

      You lucky gal, my makeup wouldn’t stay on without one!
      I think you can use the shaving balm for an odd occassion but it contains such high alcohol it must dry your skin out in the long term! xxx

  15. Sherry
    February 16, 2017 / 7:20 am

    I love this stuff personally! I use it mainly at weekend when the makeup face comes out 🙂 It really helps keep my skin clear and fresh. I use a lot of Witch products though especially round my T-Zone to help with the oil and pesky blackheads. They really seem to have cleared up since using this.
    Sherry x

  16. Charlotte
    February 20, 2017 / 6:41 pm

    This looks good, just what I need at the moment to prevent brake outs x

Leave a Reply and Let's Have a Chat