The Do's and Don'ts of Face Primers

Face primers are not for everyone. People have all different skin types, but I have found in most cases that primers tend to do more good than bad. They extend the longevity of your makeup, and they create a smooth canvas for foundation. Depending on the primer, some of them blur out pores, fine lines, and they can even help to counteract redness.

Here are some of the primers that I use. Most of them are from the drugstore, as usual. Many primers contain silicone, which, although it prolongs the amount of time that makeup will stay on your face, can be very irritating to anyone with silicone allergies. Always be sure to check the ingredients on the box before you purchase a primer. I don't mind silicone-based primers, but it does feel somewhat more rubbery than silicone-free primers.

The best way to apply primer is 10-30 minutes after moisturizing and right before applying your makeup. If you use a lightweight moisturizer, you'll only need to wait about 10 minutes before priming, but if your moisturizer is a heavier formula, I would wait as long as 30 minutes before applying face primer to allow the moisturizer to sink into your skin before you start piling products on top of it. The most effective application is pressing the primer into your skin with your fingertips rather than just smearing it around.

These four are my most-loved face primers. Two of them are from the drugstore and two of them are high end, but they all offer similar promises: mattifying, pore minimizing, smoothing, etc, which is great for my acne-prone, combination/oily skin.

 Nyx Cosmetics Angel Veil Primer

This is a drugstore face primer, and I bought mine at Ulta Beauty. Nyx describes this product as  a "super silky, light and fresh formula that creates a comfortable cushion on your skin to enhance makeup application. The incredible formula creates a smooth, uniform canvas that minimizes shine and makes application flawless. Your skin will feel like it has been touched by an angel." The Angel Veil does contain silicone, but I find that silicone-based primers work the best at keeping my skin matte all day and preventing oil from shining through in my T-zone.

Benefit Porefessional. 

The Porefessional costs almost twice as much as the Nyx Angel Veil, and it is described by Benefit as a "pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores."This primer has been around for a long time and it is loved by many. It also contains silicone, and it is great at evening out the skin tone. This is probably one of the most popular skin primers among beauty bloggers, and it really does provide a smooth, flawless base for your foundation.

L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur

The Miracle Blur is surprisingly pricey for being from the drugstore, and I only use the oil-free version. This Instant Skin Smoother claims to "instantly erase the look of lines, wrinkles, and pores." It too contains silicone, and a tiny amount of this products goes such a long way; I use less than a pea-sized amount for my entire face and neck. I also really enjoy using this product on days when I'm not wearing other makeup because of how flawless it makes the skin look.

Smashbox Pore Minimizing Primer

I only have the travel-size version of this primer because you get more bang for you buck that way, and this one is by far the most effective at mattifying my skin. Not only does it completely cover up my pores, but it really helps prevent the oil from breaking through to the surface of my skin. This would be the most expensive of the primers that I own (if you bought the full size, that is), but it really is an amazing product for porous or oily skin. It is, however, a non-drying formula, which means that people with dry skin could use it, too.

Those are the primers that I use the most often, but there are a couple of others that I use if I'm wearing a lighter coverage foundation and need help counteracting the redness in my skin.

\

Green-based primers are meant for cancelling out redness, and I know it may seem strange at first, putting something green all over your face, but once you rub it in, and it has had time to set, you'll notice that it doesn't actually look green on your skin. It just diminishes any redness or blotchiness in your face and creates a more even complexion. These are the L'Oreal Magic Anti-Redness primer and the Maybelline Master Prime Blur + Redness Control. 

That's it for today! I hope you enjoyed this post and found my information on primers useful! I'd love to know what primers you all are using, and if you have any recommendations for me. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see what products I'm loving day by day!