Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.
The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors quite literally can't shut up about. This time around, I'm highlighting the Refy Glow and Sculpt Face Primer With Niacinamide.
When it comes to face primers, I've gone through more than I can count. From drugstore favorites to high-end luxury buys, I've searched high and low to find a primer that will have a permanent spot in my makeup routine. After constantly ending up with mediocre results, I decided it was time to give up on the product a long time ago and figured that sticking to using my moisturizer before applying makeup would suffice. That was until I scrolled through enough videos on TikTok praising Refy's Glow and Sculpt to pique my interest.
I'm sort of a pessimist, so whenever I see a product go big on TikTok, I take the review with a grain of salt. (I'm no fool, internet!) But this primer was one I couldn't escape. Video after video, every user started their routine by rolling this onto their skin to the rhythm of a viral song and ended it with a perfect and glowy face of makeup. Next thing you know, I have a Refy package waiting for me at my desk.
Let's talk about my first impression. Right when the product hit my skin, I had an intense feeling in my gut—TikTok was certainly on to something. The roller was a tiny bit messy, but the applicator glided easily on my skin. The cooling sensation combined with the sculpting roller was soothing and relaxing for my skin. I can't say it'll "sculpt" like a gua sha would, but it certainly was a nice feeling to start my routine with. I know what you're thinking: I should see how my makeup looks before giving the product a stamp of approval, but my gut feeling was right after all. The aftereffect proved to be even more than what I was looking for.
I struggle with eczema, but with this primer, my tinted moisturizer and concealer applied smoothly to my skin instead of clinging to any dry patches. The primer added a subtle "from within" glow, so much so that I didn't even need to apply a highlighter. It looked like I had already applied some. Even several hours later when I removed my makeup, my skin still felt soft and supple.
According to Refy's co-founder, Jess Hunt, it was all about finding a product that works for your skin and makeup routine. "This primer is a skincare and makeup-prep hybrid that leaves skin looking and feeling healthy and hydrated while helping to reduce the appearance of redness." shares Hunt.
It's like she already knew I was using my moisturizer in place of a primer. But unlike my moisturizer, this product hydrates and keeps my makeup on. "The applicator in the form of a facial roller sculpts your face whilst priming, giving the perfect healthy glow and helping your makeup stay on for up to eight hours," says Hunt on the primer's long-lasting capabilities. While I only had my makeup on for a few hours, it didn't budge, and the glow lasted until I had to take it off. Hunt also claims that the product is perfect on its own for no-makeup days, which I have yet to try myself but plan to do soon.
While it's great to find a primer that keeps your makeup in place, the ingredients used are equally important. The niacinamide visibly brightens skin and reduces the appearance of redness so your makeup looks flawless, and the glycerin keeps the skin hydrated. Both power ingredients work together to pack the perfect punch of a primer.
Ever since I first tried the primer, it's become a staple in my daily beauty routine. I'm not saying every TikTok-viral product is a must-have, but I'm certainly glad I gave this one a try. I won't be so quick to judge a book by its cover the next time I see a product all over my feed.
