Benefit That Gal primer review

Let’s have some light bright relief from all the murders with a new beauty review, and they don’t come much lighter, brighter and better than Benefit’s That Gal primer.

You may remember, I snagged one of these in the exclusive Hong Kong 5^th anniversary gift set and I confess, thus far it’s the only one I’ve actually opened yet. What can I say?! I just can’t bear to part with that pretty packaging!

Good job I managed it for That Gal though – it’s a fantastic product. If you’re unfamiliar with primers, let me introduce you to your new best friend. Especially beneficial for hot humid summers (are there any others in HK?!), primer is essentially a base that provides a smooth surface for your make-up and helps keep it in check throughout the day. The difference is immediately obvious to the touch both when you put your make-up on (it glides on so much more smoothly and evenly) and when you take it off at the end of the day (there’s still lots left to remove, even after a sweaty 8 hours in the sun!).

Some people have complained that primers clog up their pores but I’ve actually experienced the opposite effect – primers being far less heavy than the products that go on top of it, I’ve noticed my pores actually seem to be in better shape, especially if you apply it after moisturiser but before foundation (or in my case, tinted moisturiser).

That Gal boasts all these great benefits of a primer and more, delivering on their promise of taking you ‘from dull to darling’. It feels much lighter than other primers I’ve used in the past and glides on really smoothly, easily and evenly, with a pleasant floral/fruity scent. Its shimmery pink colour (similar to Benefit’s High Beam) adds just the right amount of dewy radiance to your skin, visibly brightening your complexion and adding a healthy glow that works pretty nicely on its own, even without a further tint on top. AND it comes in a small but perfectly-formed container, featuring an ultra-convenient non-messy method of dispensing, whereby you twist the base and product comes out the top in small amounts, allowing you to sweep it on with your fingertips.

Used almost daily, one tube of That Gal lasted me about 4 months (not as long as I hoped) and the nature of the dispenser means you can’t predict when it’s on its last legs – so have a primer spare unless you wanna be left high and dry! But as ever with Benefit, one of my hero brands, it’s a happy marriage between lovely packaging and fantastic quality. That Gal is here to stay!

Benefit That Gal primer, $280 for 11ml