Meet Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance, a daily moisturizer for combination and oily skin types.
Priming Moisturizer has a new younger sister. Meet Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance (PMB), a daily moisturizer to “help control shine and refine the look of pores for a dewy-matte finish.”
Priming Moisturizer Balance is a gel-cream that’s specifically formulated with combination and oily skin types in mind: Marine Extract (helps reduce shine), Niacinamide (reduces redness) and Willow Bark Extract (visibly smoothes and improve the look of pores). It can be applying morning and night as part of a daily routine. The product is also cruelty free, formulated without fragrance, alcohol free, oil free, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and GMO free.
Since I’m an affiliate with Glossier, the brand gifted me their newest launch a couple months ago and I was initially met with skepticism. Is a dewy-matte finish even possible? I’ve always been devoted to the classic Priming Moisturizer (recently hit empty and restocked) because I love a dewy finish and it has never irritated my skin, but I was open to the idea of trying something else.
For most of my 20s, I’ve always had dry skin with the occasional hormonal breakout but over the last year or so, my skin type has evolved into more combination of dry + oily, especially in the summertime. I’ve always had sensitivity concerns too.
Here’s what I like about Priming Moisturizer Balance: the gel-cream texture is really refreshing, especially for summer! I like the pump applicator too. It absorbs quickly into my skin and doesn’t have any sticky residue. My t-zone can get oily in the summer so this moisturizer definitely helps combat that particular problem. Paired with my usual tinted moisturizers (Skin Tint, Bareminerals) it works okay but I still prefer a makeup gripping primer to keep my makeup intact all day. I have been using this off and on over the last couple of months (couldn’t talk about it until the product launched) but I definitely enjoy using this.This is a nice option for the hot and humid DMV weather.
Is it a permanent replacement for my Priming Moisturizer? Truthfully, no. I still love and prefer the original over this one, especially during the colder months. But I will say Priming Moisturizer Balance comes in a close second and I will reach for this during the summer. I no longer use Priming Moisturizer Rich for a variety of reasons but mainly because my sensitive skin can’t tolerate the harsh ingredients.
If you have acne prone or oily skin and Priming Moisturizer just didn’t cut it for you, then you may want to try PMB. It’s definitely the lighter alternative and I like that it’s alcohol free and formulated without fragrance.
You can shop Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance here for $25 or on Sephora.com. If you decide to shop this or other Glossier products through my affiliate links, I’ll make a small commission. If you do, thank you so much for supporting me!
I swatched all three moisturizers below for reference, starting with Priming Moisturizer Balance at the top, Priming Moisturizer in the middle and Priming Moisturizer Rich on the bottom.
New to Glossier but not sure where to start? Check out my guide to the best and worst Glossier products, ranked!
I’m really fascinated by this product! My skin is either very oily or very dry, depending on the time of the year. I’ll definitely look into this!
Yes, I can relate to really dry or really oily depending on the season. Thanks so much for reading!
I’ve actually never tried Glossier products! But this sounds like it could be a good fit for my oily skin in the summer.
Alex | adoredbyalex.com
It’s definitely worth checking out! I’ve tried every Glossier makeup and skincare product so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Thanks so much for reading.