What it is: Supergoop Mineral Matte Screen is A VERY lightly tinted, mostly transparent, all mineral sunscreen (titanium dioxide 1.3% and zinc oxide 17.4%) with a slight matte finish and the feel of a slick silicone primer.

Price/Quantity: There is a larger size which is $40 for 1.5 oz (45 mL) and a mini size which is $24 for 0.68 oz (20 mL).

Availability: Supergoop!, Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, Kohl’s, Nordstrom among several others

Shade Range: 1 Shade. This is tinted but it’s not really a product to use for coverage. The tint mainly helps to discourage the look of a white cast on the skin.

Packaging: Flattened squeeze tube with a twist off lid. It feels like decent quality, and it is easy to remove the cap and put it back on. The product is not very liquidy and it does not spill out of the container if I leave it laying on its side with the lid off.

Smell/Fragrance: It does have a light scent which is not hard to smell if I go looking for it but it isn’t something I notice with normal use. The packaging says it contains “no synthetic fragrance” and I’d agree that it does not smell fragranced at all. The scent is like subtle dry earthiness and it dissipates very quickly.

Expiration/Shelf Life: Mine has an expiration date of 03/2027 and I purchased it in September 2024. I didn’t find an “after opening” shelf life indicator on the packaging.

Ingredients (from the Supergoop! website):

Active Ingredients

Titanium Dioxide 1.33%, Zinc Oxide 17.42%

Inactive Ingredients

Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, C9-12 Alkane, Glycerin, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Ethylhexylglycerin, Water (Aqua), Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Silica, Stearic Acid, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT INGREDIENT LISTS MAY CHANGE OR VARY FROM TIME TO TIME. PLEASE REFER TO THE INGREDIENT LIST ON THE PRODUCT PACKAGE YOU RECEIVE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE LIST OF INGREDIENTS

Performance

This product is not something that was ever on my radar. I only became aware of it shortly before I purchased it, though I know it was out for a while already by then. I don’t remember whether I was specifically looking for a sunscreen at the time or why I stumbled upon it but reviews sold me on it. 

You should know that I primarily use this product as makeup but I enjoy greatly that it offers me SPF 40 at the same time! 99% of the time, I hate having to wear sunscreen under makeup. It usually destroys the finish of a perfectly fine foundation and the vast majority of the ones I’ve tried feel heavier or greasier than I’d like. I generally tolerate sunscreen by itself just fine, but would rather not wear makeup over it.

If you handed me this product while blindfolded and asked me to guess what it is, I’d tell you it’s a primer. It does not feel or smell like a sunscreen. Makeup does not sit on top of it the way it does with most of my other sunscreens. Makeup sits on top of it as if it’s a silicone primer.

It feels slick and silky the way a primer feels but it doesn’t feel oily or greasy. It doesn’t totally matte out my face but it does tone down light reflection a bit. I notice the mattifying effect a bit more when I pair it with a foundation (it will tone down the finish of the foundation to have less of a glow).

It comes in one tinted shade, a light peachy nude, but it offers pretty much zero coverage. It’s not like a skin tint. The added color helps it give off less of a white cast on the skin. When I look at a before and after of this on myself, I can see the very slightest hint of a white cast but it’s incredibly subtle. Not sure how much more noticeable this might be on a deeper complexion.

I only started using this as the days began to get shorter and now, being wintertime, it’s difficult to tell how effective this is. I will say, if I knew I was going to be out in bright sun for quite a while, I probably wouldn’t use this by itself, and might choose another sunscreen over it just to *feel* that I’m using enough sun protection. I prefer SPF 50 or higher and preferably something with more coverage or in combination with a foundation. Over the years, I have noticed that if I wear a high SPF and a relatively high coverage foundation over top, I tend to end up with less dark spots / freckles. 

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Actually feels nice to the touch (not heavy/greasy/thick feeling)
• Hardly any smell
• Wears well under my go to foundations
• Helps smooth the look of pores
• Doesn’t add shine and sometimes mattifies a little depending what I pair it with

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I’d feel more comfortable with a higher SPF when spending long periods of time in sunny conditions
• Doesn’t work with every foundation I pair it with
• Another couple of shades would be nice for deeper complexions
• Might feel too slick for those with very oily skin
• Not water resistant, so not the best choice if you are going swimming or to the beach

Do I Recommend It?

If you like silicone primers, yes. If you hate them, no. That’s exactly what it feels like and how it wears under makeup. I used to have much oilier skin when I was younger and I remember not enjoying silicone primers at that point, whereas I enjoy them much more now. If you are looking for something that will give your skin a matte finish, I’d recommend with caution. It does mattify A BIT but not as much as a powder. It works best as a mattifying product in conjunction with other mattifying products.

What it is: The matte version of the original Elf Power Grip Primer. It is a clear gel foundation primer with a semi-tacky finish that helps to smooth the look of pores and texture when worn under foundation. The sticky feel is supposed to help “grab” onto foundation and make it wear longer while the matte formulation is supposed to help keep shine at bay throughout the day.

Price/Quantity: There are two sizes available to purchase. The larger option is 0.87 oz for $10, and the smaller one is 0.5 oz for $5. Oddly, the smaller one is a better value.

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Target

Shade Range: These primers do not come in shades. They are all clear. However, there are 3 versions of the Elf Power Grip Primer: the original green one, the pink one with niacinamide, and now this one with a matte finish. 

Packaging: Both size options come in a squeeze tube with a twist off cap. Neither one comes with a pump like the original Elf Power Grip Primer in the larger size. Personally I have no issues with this packaging. It is not difficult for me to remove or replace the lid and I have very good control of how much product I dispense from the tube.

Smell/Fragrance: It has hardly any smell to it, but what I can detect is vaguely herbal. It has an ingredient called Lemon Myrtle Extract, which is where I’m guessing this scent comes from.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 Months after opening

Ingredients (from elf’s website): water (aqua), glycerin, silica, butylene glycol, peg-150 distearate, niacinamide, polysorbate 80, backhousia citriodora leaf extract, tocopherol, ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol, potassium laurate, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, peg-240/hdi copolymer bis-decyltetradeceth-20 ether, phenoxyethanol, disodium edta

Performance

Application: I’ve been applying this in sections rather than applying it to the entire face at once because it does start drying down very quickly. I’ll give it about a minute to completely set on the face before applying foundation over top. Some foundations are more difficult or time consuming to apply over this product compared to just applying them over clean moisturized skin. For example, matte finish foundations tended to require longer blending times to get as even an application than without the primer.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It is a thick gel that spreads over the skin fairly easily and dries down to a slightly tacky finish. It’s not as sticky as the original primer and leaves the skin feeling simultaneously silky and tacky. Feels cooling and hydrating during application.

Longevity: I’m not convinced this is SUPER effective at increasing wear time but I do think it helps a little bit. My foundation still looks pretty decent even after a long day when I use this underneath.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Smooths skin as well as the original green Elf Power Grip Primer.
• Not as sticky or shiny on the skin as the original.
• Seems to help some foundations last a little bit longer than without.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Doesn’t play well with some of my foundations. So far it seems to work best with thinner, more hydrating formulas. Heavier/drier formulas with more of a matte finish didn’t sit as well over this primer.
• It’s not really all that mattifying. It just doesn’t add shine.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. It’s a nice product BUT if you are specifically looking for a matte look, I’d caution you to look for other options. The finish it gives the skin is more of a natural finish. On me, I find my skin still reflects light with a soft glow even with this on and being that it has worked best with thinner more hydrating foundations, I never actually end up with a matte skin finish. As long as you’re fine with that and the foundations you plan to pair it with sound like they might work together, I think it’s worth giving a try.

Where I think this product adds the most benefit is in solving a problem with the original formulation. The original one is awesome at smoothing the skin underneath foundation but for my preference, it adds too much of a glow and too much of a tack to the skin. Even powder doesn’t quite do enough to tone it down. This one gives me that smoothing effect under some foundations (not all) but I don’t have the issue with it giving me excess glow when I don’t want it. I don’t feel the need to use so much powder either to keep that sticky feel in check.

I’m still figuring out how well it improves wear time and prevents oil breakthrough with different foundations. So far it has only been *slightly* effective in combination with Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation and Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation at helping keep my natural oils from breaking through the foundation. I haven’t noticed much increase in wear time with any other foundation so far.

Above, I am showing you what it looks like without primer (first quadrant), with the primer by itself (second quadrant), and with a couple of foundations over top (third and fourth quadrants). On the lower left I’m wearing Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation over the elf primer. This combo works very well together. On the lower right, I’m wearing Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation with the elf primer on only one half of the face. This combo was okay together but not as good as the previous one. I didn’t feel the elf primer added any additional matte effect to the skin (the right and left side of the face look pretty much the same) and it also didn’t add too much of a smoothing effect either.

Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore Smooth Blur Drops ($32 for 30ml / 1 fl. oz.) is a combination product that can either be used as a step in your skincare routine or as a primer under foundation. It has salicylic acid in it to help keep pores clear and micro fine powders to help keep shine at bay. I liked the idea of being able to incorporate salicylic acid into my skincare route where I’m not using it at the same time as other products with ingredients that would interfere with each other. My intent was to mainly use it as a primer and get the skincare benefits at the same time.

What stands out:

• The twist off lid is on the bottom of the packaging so it stands upside down on its lid. This is fine except I can’t stand it up with the lid off. I find this kind of annoying.

• It has a thin consistency that dries down pretty quickly, so I find myself squeezing more product out 2-3 additional times to completely cover my face. It’s somewhat tricky to control how much comes out. I can see myself very quickly running through the contents of the bottle. It is not cost effective. 

• It leaves the skin with a mattified appearance and whatever makeup I put over it is noticeably more matte as well. The few times I tried it, it kept shine under control the entire day. I think this could be great in the middle of summer when I struggle with oilier skin but it almost seems too drying for the rest of the year.

• As a primer, I don’t find this very smoothing and it dries down so much that it makes foundation harder to apply over it. It hardly makes any difference in the look of texture/pores in the short term when used as a makeup product. 

• I don’t notice any smell or fragrance though fragrance is listed in the ingredients.

Was it worth the purchase?

No. I like the idea but it fell short. If it worked well as a primer, this could have been an excellent way to incorporate salicylic acid into my skincare routine without interfering with other actives. A similar type of primer is the Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Primer, it is less drying and a bit more effective at smoothing the skin.

Kosas Dream Beam ($40 for 40 mL / 1.4 fl oz.) is a tinted mineral sunscreen with SPF40 that blends aspects of skincare and makeup. It has moisturizing ingredients and gives the skin a smooth and subtly glowy finish. Used as a foundation primer, it helps to smooth out the look of texture and pores and the subtle glow shows through foundation ever so slightly. It can also just be used by itself as your primary face sunscreen, leaving no white cast on the complexion thanks to the peachy tint.

What stands out:

• This isn’t the cheapest sunscreen/primer but I like the quality and the price is not outrageous.

• Packaging is somewhat unique, seems well designed. The lid twists off easily and there is a precision dispenser. The product isn’t too runny or thick and it is easy to squeeze out exactly the amount I want. 

• It is heavily scented. Heavily may be a slight exaggeration but it is very noticeable and it lingers after application. It is a rosy-floral scent. I’m not totally against fragrance in skincare but I’m glad I like the fragrance, otherwise the intensity would bother me.

• It’s slightly glowy with super fine shimmer particles. The individual particles are not really noticeable, meaning I don’t get a sparkly effect from it. The finish is a smooth, even glow that mimics dew from well moisturized skin. If you inspect super closely in the just the right lighting using a magnifying mirror, you MIGHT be able to pick out the individual shimmer particles.

• It feels very moisturizing and smoothing. It works great underneath heavier coverage foundations and is one of the more effective primers I’ve tried for minimizing the look of texture/pores. I haven’t used it for all that long but based on the texture, I imagine my combination skin would get along well with this most of the year. Some reviews I’ve read mention this feeling too oily for oilier skin types, so it potentially might not be a go to during the hottest summer months for me.

• Coverage is barely noticeable. The tint seems pretty neutral and very close to my skin tone. I wouldn’t use this in place of foundation because it just doesn’t even out the skin tone enough by itself.

• I read several reviews mentioning that this pills. I have only had this pill when combined with one other product (Glow Recipe Blur Drops), but have experienced zero pilling by itself or with any foundation I’ve used it with.

Was it worth the purchase?

Yep. I’m happy with it and I see myself reaching for this often for a quite a while to come. My favorite thing about it is how well it smooths the skin under makeup and isn’t too shiny/glowy under foundation.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer is a lightweight, oil-free primer that mattifies, smooths skin texture, and extends the wear of foundation. It can be worn alone to give a smoother look to the skin or as a primer to make foundation last longer. It costs about $16 for 1.02 fl. oz. / 30 mL and can be purchased from NYX and Ulta. I found mine at Fred Meyer and I expect other stores that carry NYX will probably be getting it shortly.

It only comes in this one shade. It would be nice to see a tinted version with a few different shades to choose from. In the very few reviews that are available (so far), I have read that one person with a deeper skin tone claimed that it left a white cast on her skin. I wouldn’t doubt that for one second – just take a look at the before/after photos below. You can see that the product did slightly lighten up my complexion. On me, this really isn’t a big issue but for someone with darker skin this could really be a problem.

The texture is not as slippery as some primers and it leaves the skin feeling like velvet. It’s very comfortable to wear because there is no greasy or heavy feeling to it. It spreads over the skin and blends in as easily as a moisturizer. I only need a thin layer to keep shine away and a slightly thicker layer where I want to blur pores. What it doesn’t blur are the blackheads on my nose and it doesn’t tone down redness or discoloration. If you have oily skin, the oil is probably still going to come through but for me it came through at a slower rate. Instead of looking like a grease ball by noon, my forehead was somewhat dewy in a way that looked healthy, not gross. I still had to blot around mid-afternoon but I appreciate any oil control I can get.

The one thing that I didn’t like so much about this product was that it didn’t work with with all foundations. The one it worked best with was NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation – it blended out easily, looked smoother, and made it last significantly longer on me. The one it was worst with was Lorac POREfection Foundation – it made blending pretty hard, caused the foundation to pool in pores, and made the peach fuzz on my face really obvious.

Worth Buying?

I’m pleased with how this looks, especially on camera. It doesn’t offer any coverage but it does a really good job of toning down shine and a pretty good job of blurring pores. This is the first primer that has actually worked to give me some oil control on my forehead (the oiliest part of my face). Most primers work well to smooth out my skin but this one seems to slow the process of oil breaking down my foundation. Just be warned that it doesn’t work well with all foundations and might create a white cast on darker complexions.

Product Description

Price/Quantity: About $20 for 35 mL
Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer
Selection: There is only one option available.
Color/Finish: This does not have any “color” in it. It is essentially transparent and casts a soft-focus effect over skin, minimizing the look of pores and shine.
Packaging: Flat squeeze tube.
Smell/Taste: Moderate sunscreen smell.

Performance

Application: I just apply this with my fingers. It is quite thick and even a little hard to get out of the tube but it smoothes over skin easily.
Texture: It feels like silicone with very fine powder in it but it also has a bit of greasy/heavy feel on the skin. I can feel it on my face.
Longevity: The soft focus and mattifying effect lasts for a few hours and then shine starts poking through again which does nothing to help the look of my pores, of course.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• SPF 30
• Reduces shine
• Reduces look of pores

Cons:

• Feels heavy and greasy
• Doesn’t last all that long
• Doesn’t offer any kind of color or coverage for redness or blemishes
• Pricey

Would I buy this again? No. It doesn’t last long enough for me to put up with the heavy feeling. For what it does, it seems over priced to me.