Paul & Joe Pearl Foundation Primer 001 Bonbon

The new Pearl Foundation Primer 001 Bonbon (£23) from Paul & Joe is a limited edition release for this spring. It was released at Harrods in London last week and will be available on ASOS.com and Beautybay.com starting 1 April. It is currently on temporary backorder at Beautyhabit.com where it retails for US$35.

Blended with Paul & Joe’s signature Secret D’or formula, it contains "sparkling pearls in a rainbow of perfectly proportioned shades of yellow, blue, white, pink and purple that reflect light for a radiant glow". It is also infused with orange flower water, white lily extract, jojoba oil and apricot extract for hydration benefits.

According to UrCosme.com, the primer was inspired by an entry submitted by a BA from Mitsukoshi Nagoya in the Sparkling design competition held in 2009 at P&J counters in Japan. Taking inspiration from a mermaid, she envisaged a nine-colored magical foundation primer.

The primer has a convenient pump packaging that is easy to control. Two pumps dispense enough for one application. The same pump is actually used in Ladurée Fluid Foundation and Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation (see comparison pics on Miss Bitter) as Paul & Joe and Ladurée are both made by Albion in Japan. Albion and Jill Stuart Beauty are both owned by Kosé.


Bonbon is an apt name for the primer as the colored pastel spheres remind one of French macaroons. Much like Guerlain Meteorites, the various hues each contribute a quality: white for a highlighting effect; yellow for a natural, soft bare skin effect; pink for a brightening, healthy glow; blue melds into the skin; and purple for enhanced translucency. The concept is not new, as both Guerlain and Etude House have similar radiance-adding primers that contain these spheres.



The primer comes out of the pump as a clear liquid shot through with pearl shimmer.

It feels cooling on the skin, spreading easily and drying down in a couple of minutes to a smooth, non-oily finish with tiny micro-sparkles that are visible only when you look very closely. The hydrating effect is quite light, so if you have very dry skin, you probably need to use a separate moisturiser.

After applying powder foundation on top of the primer, I was still able to see the micro-sparkles on my skin when under the sun, but the effect is quite subtle. It won't make you look like a disco ball or Edward Cullen twinkling in the sun. As a foundation primer, this adds a nice highlighting effect that I think is perfect for parties or date nights. If you abhor shimmer in your base makeup products, then this is clearly not for you.

For this look, I used the Pearl Foundation Primer under Lancome Maqui Miracle Foundation with Anna Sui Lip Gloss R #450. The primer does help to provide a smoother canvas for the powder foundation. It also did not make my skin more oily than usual, with my T-zone starting to show a bit of shine after about two hours. As a primer, it does a decent job although I think the radiance effect can be easily recreated with Guerlain Meteorites. Ultimately, it's the cute aesthetics and the fact that it is limited edition that made this a must-buy for me.


List of ingredients.