Primers may not seem like an essential step in your makeup routine, but it makes a BIG difference. Not only does it maintain your makeup longer and look better, but also provide your skin with nourishing ingredients to keep it looking fresh even after the makeup wears off. Need examples? Take these top primers that are sure to offer your skin the hydration it needs.
How long should you let primer dry?
Primer is usually applied right before makeup and needs time to sink into the skin for full effectiveness.
That is why the primer should dry for a sufficient amount before proceeding with your makeup. This is also done to avoid interfering with the makeup, which can lead to uneven or patchy areas. Makeup artists tend to recommend that you wait a whole minute for the primer to dry before putting makeup on.
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Foundation is meant to hide your imperfections, but unfortunately, large pores are hard to miss. Luckily, this face primer from Benefit helps reduce the appearance of pores. Its hydrating formula glides smoothly over the skin, giving it immediate moisturization that lasts 12 hours while also filling in pores and fine lines. Hello youthful skin, goodbye pores!
Charlotte Tilbury’s Brightening Youth Glow Primer not only brightens the skin, but also does so much more. It promises to reduce redness and even regulates the skin’s production of melanin to minimize pigmentation. With its special colour-correcting feature, it also helps cover the appearance of blemishes and dark shadows while softening the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
What happens when you mix primer, moisturizer, foundation, sunscreen and anti-aging treatment in one tube? You get this convenient and multi-talented product by Tarte.
Lasting an impressive 12 hours before wearing off, this primer can be worn on its own or as a base to help your face makeup last for as long as you need it to. Offering SPF 30 protection from UVA and UVB rays, you know your skin is in good hands.
What better way to achieve super skin than with a primer that’s packed with superfood ingredients?
This priming moisturizer by First Aid Beauty is free of oil and contains minerals, electrolytes and proteins sourced from superfoods to work together to condition and moisturize the skin. It also uses reflective micro-pearls to help your skin achieve a beautiful, dewy appearance while blurring pores and fine lines.
When it comes to acne prone skin, many of the common ingredients used in skincare/makeup products can trigger a breakout. If this sounds like your skin type, you may want to give this product by Smashbox a try.
Free of silicone, alcohol and oil, its gentle formula will feel as light as water on your skin. It also features electrolytes that will help refresh and revive the skin, as well as restore much needed moisture.
Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer is the perfect product for a long lasting makeup primer that keeps your skin shine-free without drying it out. Its lightweight formula is enriched with powerful hydrating ingredients such as grape seed oil and sodium hyaluronate.
The primer also deals with pesky dry patches so the skin is left smooth enough for makeup to glide on effortlessly.
You may be hungover but your skin doesn’t have to be. This gentle creamy primer from Too Faced promises to restore moisture and vibrance into tired and dull skin.
Thanks to the help of coconut water, which is full of vitamins, this primer offers the nutrients your skin needs to achieve a natural and healthy glow. It is also packed with probiotics that encourages the renewal of skin cells for a more youthful appearance.
The Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer by Smashbox has a special formula that is moisturizing for the delicate area under the eyes.
Besides that, it also minimises the visibility of wrinkles, puffiness, redness and dark circles, brightening your eyes for an instant youthful boost. And the best part is that it actually transforms the texture of your skin, allowing for a smooth surface for makeup to glide on.
It would be a shame to let that bold eye look fade away before the night is even over. This shadow primer is specially made with that in mind.
Long lasting yet comfortable on the skin, this lightweight primer is packed with the powerful antioxidant vitamin E which is incredibly nourishing for your skin. It also helps your eyeshadow retain its vibrance for a whopping 24 hours.
Coconut, jojoba and grapeseed extract all work together within this primer to offer a gentle product that will keep your skin nourished and hydrated for an impressive 12 hours. Its formula quickly absorbs into the skin and allow for quick application of makeup. The primer also smoothens the skin surface to optimise the appearance of your foundation.
Keep those lips looking poppin’ with this lip primer by Mac Cosmetics. The colour-free primer is primarily used as a lipstick base applied before your lip product. It offers enough hydration to the lips to adequately smooth them for easy application of products. Besides that, it also helps boost the appearance of your lip colour while helping them last longer.
Face makeup can be tricky for those of us with combination skin. Get yourself a primer that works well on both dry and oily areas of the skin. This primer from 3CE is a fan favourite as it is able to remove excess oil while keeping your skin adequately hydrated.
At the same time, it minimises the appearance of blemishes and large pores, creating a smooth area for your foundation to sit on.
What if you could get a good quality primer for the price of a drugstore product? You already know the deal. Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Primer transforms your complexion from the inside out with its unique vitamin mix (A, C and B5).
Its formula sits gently on the skin without feeling sticky or greasy. Beyond that, its pigment correcting technology helps even out the skin tone and masks any irregularities.
Touch In Sol’s No Poreblem Primer is a pretty pink-hued primer that uses powerhouse ingredients such as collagen and green tea. Collagen as an ingredient, enhances the skin’s elasticity to create a plump and lifted appearance with reduced visibility of fine lines.
Meanwhile, green tea extract offers immense moisturization and also regulates the production of sebum, effectively fighting against acne breakouts.
Hydrated and flawless is just one spritz away! This priming spray from Urban Decay has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of pores, increase the radiance of the skin, and increase its hydration levels.
Not only is it convenient, but it also consists of nourishing ingredients such as vitamin B3, coconut water and patented Sepitonic. The ingredients all work together to moisturize the skin so that it is prepped for makeup.