Does primer actually make your make up stay? I’ve been wondering recently if the extra base layer actually works, and if I really need it. Some swear by primers and wouldn’t expect their base to last the whole day or night long without it.
Whereas on the other hand, some makeup artists such as Wayne Goss aren’t too convinced.
There is something to be said about preping your skin for makeup, making sure it has a good base to sit on, but is primer really the answer? Almost each and every makeup brand, high street and high end alike, are marketing their new and improved primer formulas. But should we be buying into the hype?
Personally I have never seen massive benefits from wearing a primer, I think my makeup stays put just as well without it. In my university days I applied a primer under my makeup for every night out, and looking back at photographs I do not see any longevity results, just makeup that looks very heavy.
I think that the heaviness primers can often give to foundation is amplified if the primer is silicone based. The one I used throughout my uni days was the Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer. A clear gel that leaves the skin with a matte finish, the Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer was a very bad choice. It would often bunch up on my skin as I tried to buff my foundation on top and it always felt cakey. Maybe it was a good choice for long nights of dancing, but I am not sure I would ever go back to this one. Going straight in the bin after this post.
After my experience with the Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer, I was hesitant to try the Benefit POREfessional as it is another silicone-based formula. Whilst I find the Poressional is a much more sophisticated formula than the Maybelline Dream Smooth, this one is still not for me. I have never used this one all over my face, only on small areas of my face such as my nose, which has enlarged pores. Even in small areas, using only a sparing amount, I found it bunched on my skin too easily and gave me too matte a finish for my liking.
I now use primers such as the Revlon Photoready Skinlights to give my makeup something other than just supposed staying power. The Revlon Skinlights, in either shade 100 Bare Light or 400 Bronze Light, to give my skin the glow it can sometimes lack. Just a small amount smoothed onto the skin under foundation will provide you with an all day glow that’s natural and not at all glittery. On the plus side, these products can be used on top of your makeup; as liquid bronzers and highlighters, ace!
The next type of primer I use is more like what you might think of as a traditional primer. The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer both have a semi-matte finish that perfects the skin. Both cast a veil across pores, imperfections and scars alike whilst giving the skin a beautiful luminosity. I would recommend either of them to most people, expect those with very oily skin, who may find they add too much slip to their makeup after a few hours wear.
So tell me, what are you favourite primers? Do you believe in primers? Or are you a simply moisturise and go kinda’ girl?