What is Primer Makeup?

What exactly does a primer even do? In short it basically preps your face before you put on your makeup to make it last longer, look way better and more professionally finished.. Makeup primers often contain silicone which gives it that super soft, velvet-y feeling that makes your foundation (and concealer) glide on smoothly so they don’t settle into lines and cake-up around pores or acne scars. Once applied to your face it acts like a second skin and because of the nature of silicone helps you avoid any unwanted slippage throughout the day.
 

• It keeps your makeup in place for longer
  Have you ever dealt with the heartbreak of finally finding the right shade of foundation only to discover that it has zero staying power? Before you throw it away, or make peace with having to reapply every hour, get a face primer. It will grab hold of your foundation, making it last for hours longer than usual.
  
  If you don’t have an issue with the longevity of your foundation then you might not need a primer, especially if your foundation already has priming elements in it (look for labels like ’24-hour wear’ or ‘long-lasting’). However long wear is only one of the benefits that you get from using a primer.

 

• It gives an airbrushed, poreless look
  Primer is kind of like Photoshop for your face. The formula fills in wrinkles, lines, acne scars and any other uneven areas of your face. This goes for large pores too, so it’s good news for those with oily skin who wish their pores weren’t so massive. Many primers are also illuminating for a perfect glowing finish.

 

• It gets the best out of your products
  Like how artists prime their canvases to get their paint to come out just right, primer helps all the products you apply on top of it really work. Highlighters become extra glowy, foundation is super smooth, lipsticks stay put, and eyeshadows come out the colour they’re supposed to.

 

• It has a bunch of skin care benefits too
  Some primers are true little multitaskers by including skin care ingredients that range from helping to reduce oiliness to those which moisturise dry skin (or eyes), as well as minimise pores, fade dark spots, brighten skin tone, and some even include SPF protection.

Not only are there many different types of primers for your face, but there are also ones to keep your eyeshadow and lipstick in place, as well eyelash primers to give your lashes a welcome volume boost.

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Different Types of Primer

 

• Face or Foundation Primer
  If you’re only going to spend money on one type of makeup primer, make it a face primer. And face primers can do more than make your foundation last longer and airbrush your face. Some have colour-correcting properties. For redness use a green-tinged primer, for sallow skin try one with a purple hue and to brighten dull skin use a pale pink primer.
  
  Others have multiple skin care benefits and can help with issues like an oily skin as they have a mattifying effect. Primer makeup can also reduce the appearance of pores and brighten your face with illuminators to help blur fine lines and wrinkles. Some even include SPF which means you can cut your pre-primer skin care routine to just your moisturiser, and skip your usual separate sunscreen step.
  
  Using multi-purpose makeup primers means you won’t have to apply as much foundation, leaving you with a lighter more natural look. You also won’t have to buy a new foundation as often.
  
  Our face primer makeup product picks:
  Best primers for oily, acne-prone skin:
  Rimmel Matte Primer for all day shine control helps regulate oil production without drying out skin.
  Maybelline Fit Me Hydrating Primer SPF 20 with mattifying clay to absorb and control oil, and minimize look of pores.
  Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Mattifying And Pore Reducing Primer with salicylic acid and AHAs to mop up oil and artichoke extract to help reduce the look of pores.
  L'Oréal Infallible Super Grip Primer acts like double tape that grips skin and sticks to makeup. Lightweight, ultra-longwear matte finish even on oily skin.
  
  Best primers for dry or mature skin:
  Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Perfecting And Smoothing Primer with Vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid for smoothing fine lines and an instant moisture boost.
  Catrice Ten!sational 10 In 1 Dream Primer, a multipurpose primer that firms, hydrates, reduces wrinkles, minimizes pores, evens out skin tone and blurs imperfections. Anti-pollution and anti-oxidisation with an SPF of 15.
  Maybelline Fit Me Hydrating Primer SPF 20 with vitamin E to hydrate and smooth normal to dry skin for a dewy, luminous finish.
  Essence Hello Good Stuff Primer Serum contains blueberry extract, hyaluronic acid and squalane to moisturize and plump up the skin for a complexion that looks young, pampered and radiant.
  
  Best primers for large pores:
  Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer with insta-blur technology, this clear formula instantly erases pores and visibly transforms skin with a matte finish and baby soft feel.
  Essence Poreless Partner Primer with skin boosting niacinamide to hydrate and blur pores. Mattifies the skin to keep oil at bay.
  Catrice The Perfector Poreless Blur Primer with niacinamide blurs fine lines and pores and evens skin texture to ensure a flawless application.
  
  View Video. How To Hide Enlarged Pores & Make Your Pores Disappear!
  
  Best primers for colour correcting:
  LA Girl Pro Prep HD Color Correcting Concealers prep the skin for makeup application while correcting skin tone. Yellow brightens dull skin, green neutralizes redness, pink brightens and illuminates, orange cancels dark spots, and colourless for nourishing moisture. Contains sodium hyaluronic acid and vitamin B to help hold moisture, and chamomile and cornflower extract to soothe skin.
  Essence Redness Reducer Primer to balance out skin tone and calm with green tea extract.
  
  Best illuminating primers for brightening and glowing skin:
  Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Make-up Brightening & Skin Toning Evening Primer with optical pearls, lemon extract, exfoliating lactic acid and vitamins C&E to brighten dull skin tone and minimize dark spots.
  Catrice The Glowifier Illuminating Primer Glow Rush perfectly preps the skin for make-up, but also gives it a naturally radiant finish. With nourishing watermelon extract, it has a delicate golden shimmer for an illuminating, glowing effect.
  Revlon PhotoReady Rose Glow Hydrating & Illuminating Primer for a rosy pearlescent glow, plus, it helps skin feel hydrated for up to 24 hours.
  
  Best primers for SPF protection:
  Rimmel Fix & Protect UV Shield Makeup Primer SPF 25 that optically blurs imperfections and improves the skin's texture overtime. Wear under foundation or alone as a brightening protective shield.
  Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25, a sheer, broad-spectrum UVA/UVB daily sunscreen and invisible makeup primer. Lightweight formula helps wick away perspiration and absorb excess oil.
  Maybelline Fit Me Primer Luminous and Smooth for Normal to Dry Skin SPF20 deeply hydrates while minimising enlarged pores and fine lines, for a flawless, luminous-looking skin.
  
  Read More. The Ultimate Pro Guide on How to Do Foundation Perfectly
   

 

• Eyeshadow Base Primer
  Straight after you’ve applied your eyeshadow it’s hard to see why you’d need a primer, but it’s a couple hours later where you will see the difference. Without priming you will probably notice how your shadow slides into creases, leaving you with lines across your lids (especially if you have oily lids). So not the look you were going for that morning.
  
  Using an eyeshadow primer as a base will make your eyelids look freshly applied for longer. Not only does it keep your shadow on for hours, it makes your colours come to life. Whatever you apply over a primed eyelid will be its ‘true’ colour (what it looks like in the compact) and will give a gorgeous even, smooth and matte finish.
  
  An eye primer is also multi-use. You can use it on your lips too if you can’t afford to shell out for a lip primer and on particularly uneven parts of your face like crow’s feet or acne scarring.
  
  Our best eyeshadow base primer picks:
  LA Girl HD pro primer eyeshadow stick is a multi-tasking primer that has a smooth, light weight, non-sticky formula that sets for a flawless, even and long-lasting eye makeup application.
  Palladio Eyeshadow Primer which is infused with skin-loving botanicals and vitamins so is great for mature skins.
  Essence Prime Like A Boss Eyeshadow Base is a waterproof, long-lasting, non-creasing eyeshadow primer that instantly intensifies colour and prevents slippage.
  
  Pro tip: If you don’t want to add another item to your makeup kit, applying a light layer of concealer is just as effective when used as an eyeshadow base.

 
Read More. The Only Eye Makeup Tip You Need to Take Your Eyes from Ordinary to Great
 

• Eyelash Primer
  Another primer that isn’t completely necessary but gives amazing results, especially if you have thin and straggly lashes. Lash primer coats your lashes either white or black, making whatever colour mascara you apply on top really pop. It will also give your lashes an additional coat of product, making them extra fat and plump.
  
  And if it’s big, bushy brows you’re after you can totally cheat it by slicking a layer of eyelash primer on them before using a tinted brow gel on top.
  
  Our best eyelash primer picks: L'Oréal Voluminous Paradise Mascara Primer in white that is also suitable for sensitive eyes, Maybelline Sky High Mascara Primer for amplified lashes with extended length and volume, and the more wallet-friendly Essence Volume Booster Lash Primer.

 
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• Lip Primer
  Of all the types of primer makeup, a lip primer is probably the least important. However, if you’re someone who hates having to run to the bathroom to reapply every half an hour then it could be a good investment buy for you.
  
  One of the tricks to all-night lip colour is filling in your lips with a lip pencil before applying your lipstick over it. The problem with this is you don’t always find the right lip pencil shade, plus it means having to spend more money on pencils (one for every lipstick you own!). Instead, use a clear ‘invisible’ lipliner pencil like LA Girl Precision Lip Liner in Nude.
  
  A lip primer is neutral in colour so can be worn under anything. It keeps your lippie in place and prevents feathering. And no, it’s not the same as just using a lip balm as it doesn’t leave your lips slippery.
  
  Our best lip primer picks: Passion Pro Lip Primer and Catrice Better Than Fake Lips Plumping Lip Primer.
  
  Pro tip: Use some foundation as a primer on your lips to neutralise your natural lip colour before you apply your lipstick so that the ‘true’ colour pops.

 
Read More. Skin Undertones: Making It Super Easy To Choose The Right Makeup Shades For You

Primer Myths Buster

 

• Myth: A primer is a waste of money
  In fact, a primer could save you money. Some primers are multi-purpose, meaning you can save on eye cream, moisturiser and even sunscreen. Also, you only need about a raisin-sized amount of primer so you won’t go through a bottle as quick as you might think. You will also find you use less foundation.

 

• Myth: Primers clog up your pores and make you break out
  If you break out in pimples it’s more likely that you had an irritation or inflammation just waiting to come to the surface any way and your make up pushed it over the edge. This means that primer is not the cause of your break out, and you need to rather focus on your skincare routine.
  
  Primers can actually act as a barrier between your skin and your foundation. This makes it great for those of us who are prone to breaking out after wearing makeup as it prevents your skin from soaking up your foundation.

 

• Myth: A primer just doesn’t work for my skin
  Most people who experience caking or flaking even after using a primer probably just aren’t doing it right. There is only so much magic a primer can work, and you need to ensure that you’re sticking to a good skincare routine so that you’re not applying any kind of makeup on top of skin that is already super oily or dry.
  
  You could also be using the wrong primer formula. If you have dry skin then look for one with hydrating properties. For oily skin types try one that aims to absorb oil to further decrease the chances your face slides off in the heat.
  
  Also make sure you’re not using a silicone-based primer with a water-based oil-free foundation or vice versa as this will make your foundation flake and ball. Match up what your formulas are based on, like how you wouldn’t use a cream blush with a powder bronzer.

 
Now that you have found how much makeup primers can do for your face and skin, and just how easy they are to use to enhance your whole look, you may be wondering why you’ve never used one before…

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