Illamasqua Hydra and Matte Veil Serum Primer | Review

For someone who has never used Illamasqua products before, I was definitely excited to try out this brand not knowing what to expect. I had always known about the brand, but never really heard a huge hype about much of their products apart from the veil’s, so naturally these were the first products I wanted to try.

I purchased both the Hydra and Matte versions of the veil’s because I naturally have combination skin. Although I favour a matte look more, I was curious to try the hydra veil to see if it would give me a nice dewy look which I’m still trying to achieve (without look like a hot sweaty mess)!

Illamasqua describes the Hydra Veil as:

Part hydrator, part primer, Hydra Veil instantly hydrates and smooths skin through a self-levelling, futuristic clear gel. Microalgae, Vitamin C and B3 work together to help maintain skins hydration levels, creating a healthy looking, balanced finish. Plant extracts also provide a calming and refreshing feeling, leaving skin fully prepped to apply your chosen foundation.

And for the Matte Veil as:

An oil control primer, Matte Veil preps the skin to create the perfect matte base for make-up application. It’s mattifying cream-gel formula absorbs excess oil whilst retaining the skin`s natural moisture levels, providing a silky, soft finish. Enhancing make-up longevity, Matte Veil also controls shine throughout the day and into the evening, keeping skin feeling healthy and balanced.

I have used both products separately and together, and I must say, they are unlike anything I have tried. Although they may be considered as a ‘primer’, I would also describe them as a base – a product that gives your face a fresh blank canvas ready for light and heavy-duty makeup.

What’s interesting is that the Hydra Veil solidifies as a smooth gel, but when the product is mixed with the little spatula provided, it turns lumpy and the gel breaks into little pieces (it’s quite cool actually). With the matte veil, it is like a moisturiser, and smells/feels like yoghurt. With both veil’s, you really don’t need a lot of product and little really does go a long way. One lump of product is enough to cover the whole face with each veil, and it doesn’t take long for the product to absorb into the skin, which means you can continue with your normal makeup routine fairly quickly. I find that I don’t need to use an additional primer when using these veils because they are enough to keep my makeup on for longer.

The only gripe  (and it’s not something I’ll lose sleep over) is the packaging. Although I love the packaging, it is not travel friendly and it doesn’t fit in my acrylic muji storage, however I love that they give you a little spatula with the product, which is definitely a hygienic bonus for me.

For the price (£32 each), they are definitely not the cheapest. Is it something I would re-stock on? Yes, I probably would. I am very open to trying out new products, especially primers/foundation bases, so unless I end up finding something else in the meantime – I would probably buy these again.

I am interested in trying out other products from Illamasqua (I like the look of the eye products), have you tried anything from Illamasqua before? Let me know your recommendations.