The Find: The men's shaving balm that doubles as a brilliant primer.

Image: Supplied.

Forget shelling out for expensive primers or having four steps before you even get to your foundation – the secret to a flawless base could very well be hiding in your partner’s bathroom cabinet.

Right there next to his razor. We’re talking about shaving balm, people.

Dutch Vlogging royalty Nikki Tutorials (you may recognise her from her viral video The Power of Makeup) first stumbled upon this hack when she was without primer and had to quickly improvise with items at her boyfriend’s house.

She claimed the Nivea Post Shave Balm, $11.49, is “a product that has changed my primer life” – and beauty lovers online have been raving about it ever since – including Kylie Jenner who recommends it as a moisturiser alternative for those with oily skin. But can a man’s shaving product really do the job? We put it to the test. (Watch: The Glow tried shaving-balm-as-primer. Post continues after video.)

I’ll be honest – I was skeptical. How on earth was a shaving product formulated for men going to give me the hydrated and smooth base that even some primers can’t?

But heading into the supermarket to purchase it, I spotted just one left on the shelf, the unmistakable sign of some serious shelf ravaging.

The first thing you notice is the smell. It's got that typical men's aftershave scent which is not unpleasant, but certainly unexpected in a makeup product.

After rubbing a pea-sized amount into your hands until tacky, you simply apply all over your face (focusing on problem areas such as nose and chin) and let sit for a minute. Then apply your foundation as normal.

As someone who suffers from dry skin, I'm used to sometimes having to accept less than perfection when it comes to my foundation. Not this time.

The balm had soothed and calmed my irritated skin, hydrated the dry parts and left me with an even and frankly flawless base. Even 10 hours later at the end of the day, my makeup looked just as fresh and even. (Post continues after gallery.)

The only downside? The smell. While it does disappear once the product has been absorbed into the skin a little, you're looking at around 25-30 minutes of smelling like a clean shaven man.

But with a price tag of just $11.49 (and requiring just a tiny bit each application so the bottle will last a while) and impressive results, I think I'll not only be borrowing from my boyfriend, but stocking for myself up too.

Have you used this product as a primer before?