Makeup primer is a clear or tinted gel that dries on the surface of the skin to prepare the skin for a full-coverage product like foundation or concealer. It creates a smoother finish to give foundation a more even application and a smooth surface for applying your eye makeup. With the right primer, you won’t need to reapply your makeup during the day. In the long run, this means you will use less of your foundation or concealer. If you think of it that way, your primer will pay for itself.
If you’re not convinced yet, there are many other benefits to wearing primer:
- Keeps makeup fresh longer
- Helps prevent the creases that occur in makeup throughout the day. The use of primer on the eyelids can prevent the creasing of eyeshadow.
- Can cause the skin’s surface to appear level, which helps when using concealer to cover scars, skin discolorations and age spots. (The right primer can even fill sunken scars to make them level.)
- Helps smooth the fine lines and wrinkles for aging skin
- Conceals large pores
- Helps control excess oil
- Helps even out redness in skin
- Benefits eye shadow by bringing out the true pigment in the shadow. (An eye primer is essential if you have oily eyelids.)
- Allows you to use less foundation and/or concealer because you won’t need as much coverage
- Helps skin retain moisture.
To get these advantages of primer, it is important to pick the right one for your skin type to get all the benefits of using primer.
Here are a few quick tips to applying primer:
- Primers are applied after your moisturizer and before your foundation.
- Take a small amount of lotion, the size of a pea or dime, and dab it on the bridge of your nose, your cheeks, chin, and forehead. When you’re using a face primer, a little goes a long way.
- Smooth over your face with your fingers.
- Be sure to cover the areas of the face that are more susceptible to fine lines, like around the eyes and mouth.
- Wait a few minutes for it to dry and then apply your foundation.
Disadvantages:
There are only two small disadvantages of primer. One possible disadvantage can be avoided and the other is just time. One disadvantage is that some primers may clog the pores of the skin because of the product’s texture. For this reason, I recommend using oil-free primer. I also recommend that you thoroughly wash your makeup off at the end of the day. Primer is also an extra step which adds at least an extra 5 minutes to your routine. However, the many benefits to wearing primer make it an essential product!
To find your best makeup primer, try a few samples first. Wear them for a whole day before deciding on a primer.
By: Lady Emmy