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What the Hell is Makeup Primer?

What the Hell is Makeup Primer?
Carly Jacobs

 

I asked this question of a friend only last year, that’s how out-of-the-beauty loop I am. The response of ‘It’s like a foundation for your foundation!‘ displeased me greatly. That’s like saying ‘It’s like underwear for your underwear!‘ But actually, it’s not.

It’s more like a ridge filler, for lack of a better non-handyman, non-spackle related phrase. It smoothes on like silk and your foundation kind of sticks to it and makes your whole face of slap last all day.

I always thought it was remarkably unnecessary to use such a product but on special occasions and evenings out, I’ve become a total primer gal. I’ve even been using eye shadow primer. I’ve totally gone to the dark side.

The one I’ve been using is perfect for summer, it’s the Smashbox Photofinish Luminising Primer. I’ve never been one to play up a tan or go down the bronze path but I’m liking the lil’ kick of colour I get from this product. Makes me look less pale and moody than usual.

What about you? Do you use a foundation primer?

My Smashbox one is running low and any recommendations would be tops.

This product was offered to Smaggle for editorial consideration. 

15 Comments

  1. MsCritique.com 12 years ago

    I love this post. I always thought I was somehow immune to certain beauty rule. Nope. I was the same about concealer until recently – wipes 5 years off the under eye area. Highly recc Body Shop concealer pencils if you’re after one!

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      Me too! Zoe Fosters Amazing Face totally changed my life. 

  2. Sig 12 years ago

    I used to be a total primer girl and then….stopped. I was using the Napoleon Perdis one, probably because I had a makeover there and walked away with $300 worth of products. Sigh.

    From what I remember of it, it DID make my foundation last a lot longer and smoothed things out, but I think I go tired of having to add yet another step to my everyday beauty routine.

    Am considering going back now, so am hoping people can give some good recommendations too! 🙂

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      Napolean will do that to you. 

  3. Nicole 12 years ago

    I use a combination of Benefit’s Porefessional and
    L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base. The Porefessional because I have massive pores around my nose area. I’m talking pores so big they would send a trypophobic running. And the L’Oreal because it really is like face spackle, it takes care of everything else.

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      I LOVE Porefessional. Never going back on that one. 

  4. Shawna G 12 years ago

    i use the urban decay eyeshadow primer and it’s fab. the foundation primer is probably great too but i’ve sampled the smashbox and loved it!

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      It’s so silky isn’t it?

  5. Nessbow 12 years ago

    I’m a total primer devotee, although I jumped on the bandwagon rather late in the piece.  My favorite face primer is the green Smashbox Photo Op primer, which helps to even out redness.  Benefit has one called Porefessional that is also really great.  For eyes, I like Benefit’s Lemonaid

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      I literally started using primer THIS YEAR! Terrible for a quasi beauty blogger. 

  6. Brandi Hofmann 12 years ago

    Benefit Porefessional for the face and urban decay for eyes. Wowza.

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      I love Urban Decay eyes! I only have the little one that came with my Naked Palette though. 

  7. Alex 12 years ago

    Laura Mercier Eye Basics – cannot go past it for an eye base. And I have been through a couple of tubes of Laura Mercier primer, which is beautiful, but I have recently discovered Too Faced Primed and Poreless. It’s like a whole new face. But really.

    • Author
      Smaggle 12 years ago

      I think we all love a bit of Laura Mercier. 

Pingbacks

  1. […] elusive I just have a really crap memory. So I’m a total newbie in the land of primers but since I discovered their wizardry last year I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect primer. I actually own about three at the moment […]

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