You know how much I love my Augustinus Bader Rich Cream (reviewed here) so I was super excited to try the Victoria Beckham Beauty x Augustinus Bader primer (also known as the Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer). I was formally using the Augustinus Bader Cream in the mornings before makeup, and it worked alright as long as I let the moisturizer absorb completely. And then I would also use the Benefit POREfessional face primer, which I like for not breaking me out and also giving me a smoother surface for makeup application. So I thought wouldn’t it be great if I could replace those two products with this one? Also the Benefit primer has silicone in it which I’m trying to get away from.
Well, that would have been nice but unfortunately it isn’t quite that perfect. First off, it’s a great light moisturizing cream. I have acne-prone skin and I love that it doesn’t break me out. It moisturizes well enough, even in the winter. But I don’t see any transformative effects, though granted I’ve only been using it for about a month. I also am still using my AB Rich cream at night so I can’t really tell the effects of this moisturizing primer alone. I guess I’m a little meh about this priming moisturizer because it’s doesn’t really act a primer on its own. I still find myself using my Benefit primer over this one to get a really smooth starting canvas for makeup.
I do however like the bottle that this moisturizer comes in. It’s actually much better and feels way more luxe that the bulky plastic bottle the Augustinus Bader creams come in. The nozzle of the bottle is made from metal (aluminum I think?) and it dispenses really well. VB Beauty does make an effort in making their products sustainable and it shows with their packaging, from the bottle to the shipping materials. It was the first time I’ve received a package from a beauty company with non-plastic materials. Even the “dust bag” the item comes in reminds me of Celine bag dust bags.
Anyway I’m not sure if I would repurchase this item. But we’ll see how long this one bottle lasts. If it lasts longer and works just as well as the AB regular cream I might look into repurchasing this over the AB cream. I’m also interested to see how this primer will work with my makeup in the summer when my makeup tends to melt off more. But I’ll be sure to update this review answering all these questions in the future!
{May 2021 Update: So it’s been about a year and a half and I just finished this primer (I think I got the 30ml version). Granted, it was during a pandemic so I rarely wore makeup and thus haven’t touched this primer ffor most of the year. I think if I were to use this daily, I would be out in 6 months or so. Anyway now that I’ve finished it, would I repurchase? For me right now it’s a yes. I haven’t found any other primer I like that doesn’t break me out. I’m tempted to try the golden primer version but I’m afraid it might be too dark for my rather pale skin tone (and it’s pale because I avoid the sun like the plague). Also I’ve just recently joined the Augustinus Bader Club on their website where I earn loyalty points for future discounts, in which case I can re-purchase this primer at a slight discount (depending on the points I accumulate). Then I might try the golden one as well. If you’re interested in joining the AB Club to get 20% off your first order and a free body lotion with your AB replenishment order you can fill out this google form and I will send you the invite asap (usually within 24 hours). I’m a huge fan of the AB club since you can earn points to get savings on your next order, and if you do a replenishment order your 6th product is free. And I’m all for getting free AB products 😁
I purchased the two Primer set: one that is the original and one that is the golden. I’ll just say I’m still a huge fan of the original but I’m not a fan of the golden primer. I have a fairly light complexion and the golden makes me looks like I put on some bad self-tanner tbh. It doesn’t match my skin tone at all. Even under makeup, it changes my coloring a bit and I’m not a fan 🤷🏻♀️}
P.S. You can read all my other Augustinus Bader reviews here.