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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection versus Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer .

Last updated on October 22, 2023. Published on February 08, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both face primers. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Face Primer American Brand United States
Face Primer French Brand France

Face Primer

A base to help makeup products last longer on the face or to help control shine.

Face Primer

A base to help makeup products last longer on the face or to help control shine.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E (2)
Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid (3)

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection contains this as ingredient number 1.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 21.

2
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection contains this as ingredient number 2.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone used to improve the texture of products and absorb oil. It does not get absorbed into the skin.

Like other silicones, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer helps condition the skin by creating a barrier. In this sense, it can act as an emollient and trap moisture in.

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection contains this as ingredient number 8.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection contains this as ingredient number 19.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 10.

5
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection contains this as ingredient number 30.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 17.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

43% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet
14% are loved or liked
24% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
19% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection 30 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 2 ratings
tiffchikin's avatar

tiffchikin

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Didn't do anything
Didn't do anything on my combination skin, not for pore minimizing or longevity of my makeup. I find that it actually makes my...

Didn't do anything
Didn't do anything on my combination skin, not for pore minimizing or longevity of my makeup. I find that it actually makes my makeup slides off faster on my nose during the day.

MichelleR's avatar

MichelleR

6 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

So I don’t hate it. It just doesn’t make any noticeable difference. Maybe my pores are just too large.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer 21 ingredients

Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer hasn't been rated yet.
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