Pony effect Radiance glow starter Review + Demo

Primers has always been one of those items that I didn’t know if I should or shouldn’t use beforehand.  The handful of primers I have tried in  my life, I never really felt like it made a difference so I usually don’t rely on them.  Like how you all know, I am always struggling with my dry skin, especially when it comes to make up.  I exfoliate almost daily and moisturize my skin like no other.  When I got this in the mail, the name was already very intriguing, “radiance glow starter”.  Being the skeptic that I am, I questioned if this would just be another primer that is pretty much like a moisturizer in a tube or will it actually make a difference.  Let’s find out together shall we? σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

Full name of product:
Pony effect Radiance glow hydrating starter

Limited edition/ Permanent?:
Permanent

Description of product:
“This skin-perfecting makeup starter will give you that candle-lit glow without any visible shimmer. In addition to brightening and improving fine lines, it acts as a primer that allows makeup to go on evenly.”

Price:
$21

Amount of product:
30 mL

Duration before expiration:

Country of Manufacture:
Made in Korea
Manufactured by Memebox Inc.

Animal testing?:
No (,,๏ ⋏ ๏,,)

Where to buy:
Amazon

Ingredients:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Mica (CI 77019), Triethylhexanoin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Niacinamide, Methyl Trimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Pearl Extract, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Caprylyl Methicone, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-2 Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tromethamine, Stearic Acid, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Adenosine, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance(Parfum), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

How to use:
Right before apply your base make up, apply a thin layer of the Radiance glow hydrating starter and continue on with your regular make up routine.
Product packaging:
This product comes in a frosted plastic tube with the signature rose gold detailing for the lid and the bottom as well.  I’m not sure if this is one of those air tight dispensers which use pressure to push out the product or not, but it sure seems like it.  I unfortunately can’t screw it open to confirm so we can only go with predictions haha.

In the back is just the regular information in Korean.

Once you take off the lid, you are greeted with a black pump.

This pump is easy to use and control, so you can dispense as much as you want or as little as you want.

Color/ Pigmentation:
When you first squeeze this one the skin, this hydrating primer looks like a pale light pink.  Once you massage it into the skin, it becomes completely clear. There really isn’t a color to this primer, so any skin tones can use this.

Texture/ Finish:
I was honestly expecting this “primer” to be like any other silicone primer with tons of shimmers packed into the bottle.  To my surprise, this isn’t a silicone primer but a light weight, lotion like primer with very find shimmers built in.  So fine, even I’m questioning if there is any but there is definitely shimmers in it since I can see it sparking on my skin ever so faintly.  The shimmers reflects the light and makes it so that it looks like your skin is glowing from within.  The finish reminds me a lot of what the Hourglass ambient power does to the skin, that same skin like glow.  I’ve struggled with many primers that claim to moisturize and also gives my skin a glow, but it always ends up making my face look like a disco ball and doesn’t even hydrate at all.  Luckily, this one from Pony Effect actually does those two functions well and doesn’t make it look overdone.

The picture really doesn’t do it justice since the finish is so subtle, you have to experience it in real life.

Oh pictures, your still not helpful LOL.

Lasting power:
For me and my dry skin, I found this lasted on my skin for about 6 hours average before everything starts melting away.  Since when I do my make up now, i don’t set it with any powder, so I don’t really expect it to be long lasting anyways.  For a non silicone based primer, the lasting power is not half bad.

Fragrance?:
There is a slight floral, soapy scent to this primer.  Smell-o-scale: 4/10 in terms of the strength of the fragrance.

Okay demo time since the pictures above was not helpful whatsoever.

Let’s apply this just to the left side of my face and see if we can tell if there is a difference.

Right side is before, left side is after.

Before….

After. If you look closely, you can definitely tell there is a slight glow around the tops of my cheeks and on my nose.

Now with it all over my face.  There is definitely a difference here.  my skin looks a lot healthier and you can definitely get people to question of that glow is natural or not.

Side view so we can see that glow more prominently.

I’ve been using this product for a month now and I really love the finish it gives to my skin.  I won’t be doing the full face make up here since I’m saving it for the Pony effect strobing luminizer review, which I used both of the products and then did the full face make up.  I will upload that right after this review, so please do stay tuned!

Pro:
-very natural looking finish
-does what it claims to do
-affordable price range

Con:
-can only get it on Memebox USA or Korea

Repurchase?:
Yes!

Stars given out of 5:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall thoughts:
I’ve tried any primers in my life and I was never a believer in them until I came across Pony effect’s.  The radiance glow hydrating starter does exactly what it says it would do, hydrate and give the skin a lovely radiance.  Even if you don’t wear make up everyday and you are comfortable to go out bare face, I’d even use a little bit of this all over my face straight or mix it in with a moisturizer to give me an extra glowy effect to make people question if my skin is just that healthy or “is it Maybelline”. LOL oh my goodness, I got puns.  But in all seriousness, this primer is seriously so good.  It is almost holy grail rating but it is missing a little bit of “je ne sais quoi”.  Maybe when I run out of this bottle and am in the dying need of repurchasing it, maybe then I’d realize it is worthy for 5 stars.  For now, a solid 4 stars for this product.  I’d recommend this to all skin types, even if you are oily skin.  If you use this underneath matte make up, it still would be able to keep your skin looking skin like and not dry looking.  Overall I give this product two thumbs up and I’d highly recommend anyone to go check this product out if you are in the market for a primer + highlighter (ish).  I’d say this primer from Pony effect can even rival against Becca’s backlight priming filter which retails for $38.  Definitely check out Pony’s first, it’s so good! o(^◇^)o