Put a finger down if your makeup bag has primer in it! Put a finger down if you use it daily. Now… put a finger down if you know you’re using the right primer for your skin! If you have no idea what we’re talking about, you’re in the right place.
Let’s go over why you need a primer… and how to choose the right type of primer whether your skin is dry, oily, or combination.
Why should you use a face primer?
Let’s say you didn’t put a finger down for using primer or even having it at all. What’s the big deal? Well, primer prepares your face for foundation and other makeup. Primer ensures your face is smooth and ready to layer on products; without it, the final result may look cakey or highlight dry skin, pores, and creases. When you use the right primer, the end result is smooth, even-toned, and even-textured skin! Trust us, if you don’t use it yet, you’ll love the difference it makes.
Not only does it have aesthetic benefits, but primer also keeps your skin healthy. It forms a barrier between your skin and the makeup you use — a barrier that keeps your pores from getting clogged or your skin from getting dried out or irritated by your makeup.
See why we love primer? Great. Now let’s review which primer is best for your skin type to maximize benefits!
Dry skin
If you have dry skin, you’re gonna want a primer that hydrates your skin and locks in moisture. Nothing’s worse than realizing that you’ve got that dreaded ashy look that comes from putting makeup on skin that’s too dry. Your ideal primer contains some sort of moisturizing ingredient, such as hyaluronic acid.
Make sure you’re also using a water-based primer. We recommend our Pretty Filter Icy Sherbet Primer! It locks in moisture with our water-capturing technology for all-day hydration. It’s also silicone- and oil-free — plus, it has a luxurious cooling effect upon application.
Oily skin
Oily skin, on the other hand, needs its own special primer. Your skin already looks dewy and slick, so you want to combat that. Also, if you’re prone to acne or blackheads/whiteheads, you don’t want to exacerbate the problem with the wrong primer. The wrong primer can clog your pores and end up doing more harm than good. Your ideal primer is something with a matte finish and is silicone-based rather than water-based.
If you have oily skin, try our No Poreblem Primer. This silicone-based primer has the added benefit of filling in any pesky enlarged pores.
Mature skin
If you have mature skin, you’ll want a primer with good coverage that fills in fine lines and wrinkles to reduce their appearance. You should also look for a hydrating primer since skin that’s not moisturized can cause wrinkles and fine lines to look worse than they really are. And for extra help, look for a primer with some sort of anti-aging ingredient, like our No PoreBlem Primer which contains skin-firming collagen. Or try our No PoreBlem Hybrid Primer with 10% extra pore (and fine line and wrinkle) coverage! It also has a velvety, richer texture and is more emollient than our original No PoreBlem primer.
Combination skin
Say you’ve got oily skin in the T-zone (your forehead, around your nose, and your chin) but your cheeks are often dry. One option is to just buy separate primers, one geared toward dry skin and one geared toward oily skin, and place each on different parts of your face as needed. But let’s say you’re not looking to have to buy and use two separate primers. What should you do?
For this type of skin, you want something mild but also something that doesn’t irritate your pores. It’s best to focus on an oil-free primer to keep your oily or acne-prone spots in the clear while layering some extra moisturizer on your dry skin areas. Or opt for an oil-free primer that also contains a light, hydrating ingredient (such as hyaluronic acid, as opposed to a more heavy moisturizer like anything with the word “butter” in it). You can go with a silicone-based primer, but make sure it’s not high up in the ingredient list so it doesn’t exacerbate acne.
Eyelid primer
Whatever your skin type, you should use a special primer for your eyelids. Eyelid primer prepares the delicate eyelid area for eyeshadow and can help your eyeshadow last longer and keep it smudge-free. We recommend our No PoreBlem Eye Primer that comes in an easy-to-apply sponge tip pen applicator!
