Face primers, are they an essential step to flawless looking makeup? As a makeup artist, It's a question I get asked a lot.
What is a Primer?
So a face primer is essentially a makeup product used to prepare your skin for makeup application. It goes on after your moisturiser and before your foundation and targets specific skin concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, visible pores,
pigementation, dry skin and oily skin, the list goes on. It can help to improve the finish of foundation, especially in problem areas.
Be sure to purchase a primer suitable for your skin type, keep reading for some help with this!
In conjunction with setting sprays, face primers help increase the staying power of your makeup, especially for those events where your makeup needs to go a long way! For example, face primers
are an essential product in my Bridal makeup kit. Brides are likely to have a long and emotional day ahead of them. The are center stage (sorry Grooms but you know it's true) so their makeup has to stay put as well as looking fresh for their event, wedding pictures and videos!
What are the benefits of using a face primer?
1.Can help makeup last longer
Do you find yourself in situations where you've nailed your makeup, but halfway through the day it starts to wear off? Well a face primer might be the thing you're missing! With a face primer, the foundation has something to adhere to and in turn, helps makeup last longer.
Team it with a setting spray to really lock your makeup in!
2. Can help dry skin achieve a healthy glow!
Dry skin can sometimes absorb the makeup and as a result, you may find your makeup isn't lasting very long. Hydrating face primers are a great way of tackling this! They help by adding a layer of moisture to your skin, allowing your foundation to blend and mix with the primer and giving your skin a healthy glow!
3. Helps to mattify Skin and reduce the appearance of pores
Just as dry skin can be troublesome for makeup, so can oily skin! Excess oil can effect the staying power of makeup as makeup is more prone to movement and slip.
That's where a mattifying primer comes in. This baby will help to absorb excess oil and keep those oily areas matte and secure.
Non comedogonic, silicone based primers are excellent at blurring visible pores as they smooth over these problem areas filling in lines wrinkles and pores, providing a smooth canvas for your foundation. These are best applied by tapping or pushing the product into the skin rather than rubbing.
Always go for "non comedogonic" primers as these won't clog your pores.
How to Use
A good primer can last you ages.
There is no need to apply primer to the entire face. Yes, you read that correctly - a little behind the scenes makeup trick for you there.
For instance, for someone who has combination skin (Oily T Zone and dry cheeks), the last thing you want to do is apply a mattifying primer to dry skin! No! No! No! Instead, use the mattifying primer on the oily areas and a hydrating primer on the dry areas.
Mixing a small amount of primer with your foundation before application is another great little way of increasing the longevity of makeup as well as improving the overall finish. This is a little trick I use for my Brides who have very dry or dehydrated skin. I like to mix a small amount of a hydrating primer with foundation before application to give skin a healthy glow!
Suitable Face Primers for your Skin type
Okay, so you know why face primers are beneficial, but which one should I be using I hear you cry! Worry not! Here is my Humble guide to the perfect primer according to skin type.
Oily skin: Non comedogenic silicone based primers
Great for those oily T-Zones! This little gem blurs the look of pores as well as absorbing excess oils with micro powders. Gives the skin a lovely velvety feel, enabling the foundation to glide on and more importantly, stay on! A staple in my bridal kit! Click here to purchase
If you want some real staying power, team this baby with the All Nighter Setting Spray and you've got yourself makeup that won't go anywhere. Helps blur the look of pores and gives your makeup real staying power! Click here to purchase
Dry/Dehydrated/Mature skin: Oil or Cream primers
This is my favorite go to light infused primer for clients with mature/dry/dehydrated skin. It uses advanced blurring and optimal light diffusion technology to provide a smooth canvas for makeup as boosting radiance, giving your skin a healthy glow. Click here to purchase
This is dry skin's dream! It's a primer and a moisturiser in one product. Containing ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Shea Butter Vitamin B5, Vitamic C and E, this gives skin a boost of hydration, radiance as well as helping to protect the skin from environmental damage such as UV exposure and free radicals.
Rich and creamy in texture but absorbs really well into skin, leaving a non greasy finish! Click here to purchase.
Normal Skin: You have free reign over which primer you go for!
NARS never lets me down. Radiance Primer is great for all skin types! This primer is amazing at giving your makeup a healthy, lit from within look due to it's sheer, pearlescent coverage. Helps to invigorate dull looking skin, making it look healthy, glowing and refreshed! Click here to purchase.
A Cult Classic! The PhotoFinish foundation primer is a well rounded primer. The gel formulation helps smooth skin, blurs fine lines and pores, improving the appearance of skin and providing the perfect smooth canvas for makeup. Its light weight, cruelty free, contains Vitamins A and E, helping to protect skin from environmental damage. Click here to purchase
Combination skin: Use a combination of two primers to tackle the two different skin types. A non comedogenic silicone based primer for the oily areas and oil or cream primer for the dry areas.
So in my Humble opinion, face primers take your makeup to the next level by giving it additonal staying power and a beautiful finish! This one step could be make or break for your makeup!
Give it a go, comment or ask me questions in the comments section below.
Thanks for reading!
The Humble Artist - Rajshree