Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer review, swatch, photos

After I used up the Bourjois Flower Perfection Primer (reviewed here) in December, I went to the Bourjois counter to repurchase it and noticed the Happy Light Base Serum Matte primer. I can never resist trying a new primer, particularly if it includes the word "matte", so I picked it up, along with a couple of pots of Flower Perfection - one of those pots is in my giveaway here!
I am a fan of Bourjois and think it is the best drugstore brand here. That said, I found this primer great if worked in a certain way, and not-so-great if worked with in another way. But, as usual, I get ahead of myself.

Here is the review of the Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer and how to make it work.

Packaging of Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer

It comes in a glass bottle of 15ml. The applicator is a pump, which is neat, though the pump dispenses too much product. I love how the bottle looks!

Formula of Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer

Here's the deal-breaker - this primer contains no silicones! The product is thick but applies very light and does not feel heavy at all. It is absorbed nicely and feels more like a serum than like a primer.

Bourjois says the formula is non-occlusive, non-comedogenic and non-drying. It certainly has not broken me out in more than two months. They also say it gives velvety soft skin, which is not something I experienced on using it... "lightweight serum texture" is absolutely right, though.

How to use the Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer

This primer is a little tricky to work with. But once you get the hang of it, it will reduce pores nicely and will keep your foundation on for four hours nicely before you need to powder the T-zone.

First of all, if you are going to apply all that primer - this is from one pump - on your bare face or over heavy moisturiser, it is going to pill. Make sure you use one-thirds of that quantity for the whole face. The pilling below is one pump over bare skin.

Secondly, if you are going to apply it over either 1. no moisturiser, or 2. too much heavy moisturiser, it is going to pill.

The trick is to apply it over a light moisturiser, AFTER waiting for the moisturiser to be wholly absorbed. I use it over the Mua Star Cream from my Wish Box and it works brilliantly - there is no pilling whatsoever, and the skin looks matte and smooth, as you can see below. It also works well over Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser and Clarins Ultra Matte Rebalancing Lotion.

Ideally, if you stipple, bounce or dapple on your foundation with the Beautyblender or a stippling brush - instead of swiping or "dragging" or rubbing in foundation with fingers, sponge or brush - this will work best and you will have no pilling. I always apply foundation bounced on with my Beautyblender Pro, so I do not have pilling with this primer.

But when I try the regular foundation-brush-swipe-on method, it doesn't look as flawless. Let's have a look at what it does to my pores.
The picture below is with the Bourjois primer worn over moisturiser, below makeup, on skin recovering from breakouts thanks to Lancome Dream Tone. Photograph unedited - I don't know how to, lol - except for cropping. The crater above the watermark is where I poked myself with a pencil in school (long story).

And the picture below is makeup WITHOUT the Bourjois Happy Light primer (M.A.C. Studio Tech Compact). Note the pores - that crater above the watermark is the pencil thing I told you about.

You tell me if this primer worked on my pores or not.
One thing I have noticed is that this primer helps me get away with minimal makeup - just the Star Cream, the Bourjois Primer and a few bounces of Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact, and I'm set for the day (apart from eyes and lips, of course). If you have a stippling brush or a Beautyblender, or prefer powder foundation, this is going to work out just fine for you!
Bottom Line
This primer costs £10.99 or INR915 for 15ml. It is great for those with combination skin and sensitivity to silicones. But bear in mind to keep the quantity to the minimum and apply with a sponge, over a very light moisturiser, and wait for the moisturiser to dry. Ideally, if you have large pores and want to reduce them, this primer is for you! However, Flower Perfection keeps the oil at bay - for me - for longer.