With all the cosmetics products out there, sometimes its hard to figure out the actual purpose of these products and what benefits they truly provide. Sometimes I find myself wondering, do I really need this or is this just another time-consuming step in my already long makeup routine?? Well in a series of posts, I'm going to break down some of those products that you often run across at the drugstore and think, "Now what the f#&% is this for???" I know, sometimes it just feels like the cosmetic companies come up with stuff and its not until after we are introduced to the product that fixes the problem, that we realize we had that problem in the first place. I swear I wasn't aware I had short, stubbly lashes until all those eyelash growth serums came out and showed me what real eyelashes should look like!! Those damn cosmetics companies, I'm blaming them for my OBD. Well here is my attempt to show you what products I think are beneficial and what ones are better left on the shelf. Let's start with face primer....
Face Primer: The main purpose of this is to smooth the texture of your skin, like filling in fine lines and wrinkles and making pores less noticeable (Remember: No cosmetic product will ever physically reduce the size of your pores but there are products on the market designed to make them appear smaller) and to serve as a base for your foundation to go on much smoother and last longer throughout the day. Some formulas will also give you a nice matte finish. They will most likely contain ingredients such as cyclohexasiloxane or cyclopentasiloxane which are basically silicone-based emollients and dimethicone which is a form of silicone and is reported to protect the skin against moisture loss. It will give your face a very silky, soft feeling. Some people claim it breaks them out so if you have acne-prone or super oily skin, I would opt for an oil-free formula. Some companies also make color correcting primers designed to deal with redness or uneven skin tone.
The Bottom Line: I don't think primer makes a huge difference in the way your skin looks. Yes it will make your skin feel very soft but the appearance of it won't be dramatically changed. (Or maybe I don't have many wrinkles and lines to fill in so it doesn't seem to be making a difference, hmmm...I'll just tell myself that). Cosmetic companies claim you can wear it alone with no foundation over it but if you already have beautiful, flawless skin that doesn't need foundation then you probably don't need primer either. I would highly recommend this to people, like me, who wear foundation and want it to glide on much smoother and to last longer. I find that when I wear primer, my foundation will last all through the night.
Recommendations:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- This is a staple in every makeup artist's kit and by far my favorite face primer. It also contains all kinds of skin-boosting vitamins and antioxidants. Bonus!! If the original formula is too heavy for your skin, try their oil-free formula. They also make tinted ones to combat specific skin issues such as a green-tinted one to tone down redness. This stuff makes my foundation look silky smooth and it keeps it on all night.
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base- A drugstore, read: "cheaper", face primer. I really like this and for only $12.99 its worth checking out. It made my skin have a nice matte finish and it made my foundation last a lot longer.
Benefit's The Pore fessional- This stuff doesn't actually claim to be a face primer. Its advertised as a balm to minimize the appearance of pores. It has many of the same ingredients as the other primers though so it basically does the same thing. No, it didn't make my pores look significantly smaller but it did provide a nice base for my foundation. Its lightweight and oil-free and it has a nice tint to it so if you wanna wear it alone, it doesn't make your face look whiter. But what I like the best about this stuff is that you can use it over your makeup to touch it up during the day.
Hope this helps to clear up some of the questions associated with face primers. Happy Primer Hunting!!
xo Courtney
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