Ren Perfect Canvas; a Primer, a Serum and Much, Much More

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Ren Perfect Canvas review

I love a perfect face. I haven’t got one, but one can dream. I may have a Botticelli body, but not that creamy Venus skin. My oily skin, big pores and rosacea bumps really make the look of perfection difficult. But I just tried Ren Perfect Canvas (30 ml $55), and I realized that my neglected, angry skin could look a whole lot closer to piece of art than I had ever hoped.

I am an artist myself. Ish. I never really took it anywhere. There were the high school elective drawing classes, a few awards. I never learned how to paint, but paint I do. Once, with my paintings hanging in a restaurant, a local critic stopped by and asked me questions. “What is your medium?” he asked. “Mixed,” I replied. Really, I used whatever was close by—acrylic, oil, pastel, spray paint, model paint, clay, torn paper bags, flour and water. It wasn’t as progressive as you might think. I just didn’t know what I was doing.

When someone asked me about stretching and prepping my canvas, they were speaking another language. I bought my canvas at the store, on a frame, wrapped in plastic. Just add paint.
This is the way I do everything. I give everything a go, and stick with what works. I’m a trial and error gal, cutting corners in a classic low-maintenance-meets-lazy kind of way. Unfortunately, this often goes for my face, as well as my art.

I tried primers for my face before. Most had silicone and clogged my pores, causing breakouts and oil slicks. Some were better, but none significantly improved my skin or the appearance of my makeup—certainly not enough to justify the expense of another product. So, more or less, I slap on the paint and go.

This trial-and-error girl just made a benchmark find in Ren Perfect Canvas ($55 for 1 oz), though. This is a silicone-free primer that actually has skincare benefits! Pro-biotics are added to help smooth the skin and encourage cell renewal. Agave extract is the primer that makes the skin makeup-ready. Color me impressed.

The product is dispensed through a dropper, with two or three drops being plenty for a single application (for a 30 ml bottle, that’s a lot of applications!) Immediately there is a tightening sensation that occurs, smoothing over pores. The tightening, however, is not drying. In fact, skin somehow feels plump and soft to the touch. The lift, tighten and filling are all achieved using natural sugars.

My red rosacea bumps are lessened as well. I attribute this to Ren’s claim that Perfect Canvas boosts skin’s immune system. A strong immune system is a good front line in rosacea battler. Ren says it helps with redness, but it isn’t billed as an rosacea defense product. Who would expect that from a primer? I find this product hugely amazing.

Now that my face is pretty as a picture, maybe it’s time for an art class and a little gesso?

we heartsters, What do you all look for in your primer?

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