To (Makeup) Primer or Not to Primer?

Have you ever wondered what’s the big deal about makeup primer, and if you really need to bother with using one? Or maybe you’re asking yourself “What is a ‘makeup primer‘?” No matter which camp you fall into, we’re going to find out the why’s and the what’s about primers.

Does your makeup fade or go on unevenly? Well a makeup primer is just the ticket to help! Primers keep your makeup fresh, long-lasting, and help give you even coverage. A primer also has the added benefit of helping to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.

Primers come in may different formulas and each has it’s own benefits:

• Foundation primers

  These are generally a gel-like consistency and will often contain silicone, botanicals, and sometimes antioxidants designed to seal in your moisturizer. You don’t need to wear a foundation primer every day unless you have a problem with your foundation not lasting, going on unevenly, or if you have a problem with your makeup setting into your fine lines or wrinkles.

  If you need to have flawless makeup all day (or night!), then using a foundation primer is perfect for a special occasion such as a wedding, a party, or a even a hot date! I’d encourage you to try it at least once, because I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how evenly your makeup goes on and how long it lasts.

• Eye primers

  Personally, I can’t live without these. Eye primers are usually a light weight cream or lotion that you apply before you put on your eyeshadow, and there are some creaseless cream eyeshadows that make an amazing primer for your powder eyeshadow. You’ll also end up using less eyeshadow because the primer brings out more pigment in the shadows.

  I love eyeshadow primer because my eyelids tend to be a bit more oily and my eyeshadow will crease by the end of the day. But with the eye primer, not only will it not crease, it’ll stay on all day and look as if I just put it on, no matter how much later I’m taking it off.

• Lip primers

  These are also usually found as a lightweight cream or gel that you put on your lips or on your lipline to give your lipstick a longer wear. It will also prevent your lip color from traveling or bleeding. Lip primers work great with any color, but are best with darker shades because they are more noticeable and you can really see the feathering and/or bleeding with deeper hues.

So that’s it for the basics of makeup primers. Go out and see for yourself what these primers can do for you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much of a difference a little priming can make.