What: Tarte‘s Clean Slate primer

Physical: This primer is scent-free, and packed full of dimethicone. Now, I know that a lot of people are staying away from the -cones (some people think they clog their pores) but personally? I’m kinda hooked on them. It’ll vary from person to person, but I haven’t had any issues with -cone ingredients. What the dimethicone does is give the product an incredibly smooth, almost slippery, feel. There’s a huge difference between soft-feeling skin and skin that has a dimethicone-based moisturiser or primer on it… I just can’t stop touching the latter! It’s one of those things that’s hard to describe online, so you’ll just have to check it out in person to really get what I mean.

Awesome stuff: Free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes (this is a translucent/clear gel), petro-chemicals, and phtalates. People always talk about how Smashbox’s primer is “the best”, but it honestly doesn’t hold a candle to Tarte’s! I love the velvety glow that this gives, as well as the incredibly smooth-to-touch finish — Smashbox’s does the same types of things, but not as well.

Other stuff: At $27/1.16oz, this is actually a little bit cheaper than my standby Vitamin C Skin Boost ($26/1.01oz; review Friday) in the US (but the Skin Boost is slightly cheaper in Canada!) A pea-sized amount really is enough for your whole face (any more and you’ll feel too slippery) so a tube should last you quite a while. And on the subject of the tube — I quite like the sleek packaging, which makes it easy to control how much you’re using!

The verdict: If you’re looking for something for travel, or something free of parabens and fragrances, this is the one! I’ve been absolutely loving this recently.