Versus

Rare Beauty Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection Versus Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Shine Control

Face Primer
Face Primer
American Brand United States
French Brand France

Updated on May 12, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and reef safe face primers. They have a total of 3 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, reducing pores 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

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Pore Diffusing Primer - Always an Optimist Collection

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient 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.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

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

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

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

When to use

11 Routines
82% use in am
18% use in pm
100% use every day
1 Routine
100% use in am
0% use in pm
100% use every day

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

1 year ago
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 makeup slides off faster on my nose during the day.

MichelleR's avatar

MichelleR

1 year ago
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 Shine Control 9 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
Matte (1)
justphil's avatar

Philip

2 months ago
Review

I only tried this over makeup, as touchup, after watching a TikTok video from a pro MUA. So, please take this review with a grain of salt. While it does help reduce oiliness, it can make the makeup appear cakey. And I don’t like the texture. This feels too silicone-y.

#matte