Primer is a cosmetic product that helps to create a smooth, even base for your makeup, and it’s applied as the first step in your makeup routine. Primers also help keep your makeup in place, and they can even prolong wear. The most popular kind of primer is face primer, but there are also specialized primers for foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, and even mascara.
Face primers can come in different kinds of formulas with ingredients best suited for specific skin types.
If you have dull skin or just like a dewy finish, an illuminating primer is best for you as it will add radiance to your skin. This is also perfect for people who find that traditional highlighters are too shiny and want that lit-from-within look.
Matte primers help to mattify the skin and reduce the appearance of oil and large pores. Perfect for those with oily and combination skin, matte primer is great for combatting shine before you even apply any makeup.
While many primers focus on mattifying and controlling oil and shine on the skin, there are some primers that are meant to hydrate dry skin, creating a moisturized base for your makeup.
While all primers help create a smooth base, silicone-based primers are particularly great at evening the skin’s texture, as the ingredient also helps to fill in pores and fine lines. These primers are also usually very mattifying.
Color-correcting primers come in different colors to help conceal skin care concerns like redness or dark spots. When you’re using a color-correcting primer, you can skip color corrector and just apply the primer.
Most people will benefit from a makeup primer to make their makeup last longer, but it's particularly effective for people that have oily skin and find that their makeup fades and moves around a lot. You can apply your makeup without primer and it may wear fine, but it’s a toss up. Applying primer won’t hurt your makeup, it will only help it, so it makes sense to take the extra minute it takes to put it on and fade-proof your face.
When it comes to picking a face primer, you should look at the formula, your skin type and your personal preference. If you have dry skin, go for a cream primer to hydrate it, while oily skin types should choose a gel consistency to help with shine.
If you have acne-prone skin, you can also check if your primer contains ingredients like salicylic acid to combat blemishes, but you always want to make sure it’s non-comedogenic.
When it comes to acing your makeup base, it all comes down to finding the best primer for your skin type. Choose from the following options, picking the face primer that suits your skin’s needs.
If you have oily skin, you likely have experienced your complexion looking shiny by midday. So, look for a primer that has a matte finish, like the L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Matte Setter, and layer some of it on after completing your skin care routine. This mattifying primer helps blur the look of imperfections and has a matte finish to help you reduce shine.
The L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Matte Setter is a good choice for acne-prone skin, as the formula contains salicylic acid to treat and prevent blemishes. Salicylic acid also has light exfoliation properties, which can make your skin look smoother.
Instead of using makeup to mask dullness, reach for a primer that will give your complexion a radiant finish, like the L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Dullness Reducer. The primer offers an instant brightening effect, and the orange color will also help color correct any dark spots or discoloration you may be experiencing.
Is smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, or an overall uneven skin texture one of your biggest skin concerns? Apply an even layer of the L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Makeup Blurring Face Primer infused with Serum, which includes a caring serum to blur the look of pores and lines, which can be a common skin concern for those with mature skin.
Dry skin can cause your foundation to look flaky, but the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer can help to brighten and moisturize the skin. Enriched with glycerin and shea butter, the formula leaves skin looking more luminous, and it can be worn underneath foundation or on its own.
Instead of using a color corrector and then reaching for primer, try the L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Redness Eraser, which will reduce the look of redness on the skin while also creating an even base for your makeup, in one easy step.
No matter how full-coverage your foundation is, large pores can still peak through. To address this, use the L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer, a primer that gives the skin a blurring effect to reduce the look of pores.
People with combination skin deal with multiple skin concerns at once but the L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base is equipped to deal with both. The silky, lightweight formula leaves skin feeling smooth, and you can use it all over your face or on certain areas. Try it on the under-eye area to smooth over fine lines, the nose and cheeks to minimize the look of pores, or just on the T-zone for a matte look.
Now that you know how to choose the best makeup primer for your skin type, it’s time to learn how to put it to use in your makeup routine. Follow the easy steps below.
Using primer should be the first step in your makeup routine, but it’s definitely not meant to be the first step in your entire beauty routine. After all, you don’t want to apply your makeup primer on unwashed or unmoisturized skin. So, start by going through your normal skin care routine — cleansing, applying facial moisturizer, and then sunscreen.
You can use your hands or a makeup sponge to apply primer. Smooth an even layer of your primer pick onto your face, from your forehead down to your chin. Wait a few minutes for the product to sink in, then continue with your makeup routine.
If you don’t have any primers for your eyes or lips, you can move on to applying your makeup. But if you do have these products, you should apply them according to the product instructions before applying the makeup for their areas.
Now that your face is primed, you can apply your makeup as usual. When you’re done, you can further prolong the wear of your makeup by sealing your look with setting spray like the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray and Set Make-Up Oil-Free Setting Spray.
Next: Why a Skin Care-Inspired Makeup Primer is Exactly What Your Routine Needs
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Wondering what is a face primer and what it does? Often a skipped over step in our beauty rituals, makeup primers actually have a lot of benefits you might be missing out on. A primer makes a huge difference in the look and wear of your makeup. If you’re dealing with smudging, creasing, or disappearing foundation throughout the day, add a face primer to your morning product lineup and you’ll notice the benefits instantly.
OK, so first up, what is makeup primer? Like an IG filter, but make it IRL. Face primers prep skin ready for smooth foundation application. Think of your skin and makeup like canvas and paint. You can apply paint directly to your canvas/skin, but priming it first increases the longevity of your work and makes the surface easier to work on, so you won't have to use as much paint aka foundation. And, less foundation makes for a more natural second-skin finish. It’s a win-win situation.
But the benefits to adding a primer to your makeup kit don’t end there. Primers can also target specific skin concerns such as oily and shiny skin—meet our Mattifying Primer, texture or visible pores—our Blurring Primer will be a game-changer, dull and uneven skin—you'll love Illuminating Primer, or dry skin—hello Hydrating Primer. Helping to target your skin concerns while smoothing the way for your most flawless foundation ever, primers help extend makeup weartime, meaning your look stays fresh and in place for longer.
Reducing the appearance of pores and hyperpigmentation, filling fine lines, color-correcting, and protecting skin from damaging free radicals, finding the right skincare-powered primer for your skin’s needs will make the world of difference.
"If you love your foundation and you want something that will really elevate the experience of that makeup, extend the weartime and help make your skin look fresh throughout the day, these primers deliver all that and so much more," shares Anna De La Cruz, Glo's VP of Product Development.
Best Makeup Primer For All Skin Types
Forget everything you thought you knew about primers of the past. "Redefining priming, our four new Solution Primers are loaded with skincare ingredients to target specific concerns," shares Anna.
Great for your skin, magic for your makeup, the Solution Primers are expertly tailored to your skin’s specific needs, from mattifying to hydrating, illuminating to blurring, in finishes ranging from modern mattes to dewy radiants. And, the best part? You can mix and match different primers, depending on what your skin needs, when it needs it.
"This isn't about looking like you have a heavy face of makeup. Whatever your foundation coverage preference is, by adding a primer as your starting step after applying your skincare, you're creating a cared-for, nourished base that will help your foundation apply so much more seamlessly and look its very best. And, these primers are so versatile, even if you don’t want to do a full face, you can strategically place them across areas of your face to target specific concerns such as shine in the T-zone or dry patches on your cheeks."
Different Types of Makeup Primers
One of the most versatile of our Solution Primers, Illuminating Primer delivers instant radiance and is loaded with vitamin C to brighten and even skin tone under your makeup. Squalane and jojoba oil help target pigmentation while conditioning skin, allowing for a silky smooth application. And, ethically-sourced mica imparts a sheer peachy tone for a glass skin effect. Bringing luminosity to every skin type; “You can also mix it with your liquid foundation to level up your luminosity.”
Large pores, fine lines, and textural concerns begone with this blurr-fect primer. Not just a pretty face, Blurring Primer delivers major blurring action, filing fine lines and smoothing texture to create a silky semi-matte finish.
“We really like using silicone for its support of the skin barrier. We used a larger size, separated molecule for this so it easily allows your skin to breathe. So, it gives you the feel you want, but it won’t break you out,” explains Anna.
Powered by skin-strengthening ceramides too, it actually helps improve skin’s barrier and texture over time.
Instant mattification? Yes please! Mattifying Primer is a weightless, shine-eliminating primer, to clear and purify skin, and help makeup grip in place, imparting a modern matte velvet veil. Powered by niacinamide to balance and decongest skin, tea tree and mushroom extract to purify and calm, and aloe vera and caffeine to hydrate, soothe, and brighten skin, it boosts skin’s health under your makeup.
“If you struggle with oiliness, you’ll be looking for a primer that won’t clog pores and that will not only target shine but also help hydrate skin too,” says Anna. “We made this formula especially soothing and balancing to provide weightless skin prep.”
If you struggle with your makeup clinging to dry patches or generally just have skin that’s in need of added hydration, Hydrating Primer will be a tall glass of water for your beauty kit. Cushioning and calming with hyaluronic acid and botanicals like gardenia and mango extracts, it locks moisture into skin, providing a plumped and nourished prep for your foundation. “It gives a beautifully dewy finish too,” adds Anna.
Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30 is our new and improved take on our best-selling Tinted Primer. A true multitasking makeup-skincare hybrid, along with boosted priming power to extend your makeup weartime and promote a smoother complexion canvas, we’ve loaded it with skin-nourishing and balancing ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, and salicylic acid, updated it to a reef-safe all-mineral sunscreen. And, if that wasn’t enough the tint range is now expanded for even more color-correcting coverage.
Perfect for all skin types, it creates a soft-focus skin filter effect, so you can wear it solo, add concealer for a barely-there makeup look, or layer on before your foundation for a smoother application and to keep your makeup looking its best, for longer.
And, you can also find primers for your eyes too. Shadow Primer makes the perfect prep for your eyeshadow, while Essential Eye Base is a multitasking eye tint and primer in one.
Primer fills in fine lines and blurs imperfections, and with a smooth, even surface, your products will apply more easily. Since you’ll need to use less makeup to get the same coverage, you will save on product and pennies in the long run. Plus, primers creates superior surface adhesion, so your makeup stays in place and lasts longer, especially in extreme weather temperatures and conditions. Hot and humid in the summer or cold and dry in the winter, primer is going to be your new BFF.
You may be wondering what the difference is between a tinted moisturizer like our C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint and a tinted primer like Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30 and which one might be right for your skin.
Think of C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint as a skincare-makeup hybrid—it is a skin-conditioning moisturizer loaded with vitamin C and SPF to help protect against blue light and sun damage, and has a sheer mineral makeup tint to even out skin tone. It has a dewy, radiant finish and can be worn instead of a foundation for a more natural no-makeup-makeup look.
Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30 on the other hand is a makeup-skincare hybrid. Think elevated priming power, with color-correcting mineral tints to even out skin tone in a semi-matte finish, with added skincare benefits including vitamin C and skin-balancing niacinamide and salicylic acid, plus SPF 30. Wear it under your foundation to create a smoother canvas and boost makeup weartime.
Does Makeup Primer Really Make a Difference?
Absolutely! A good primer can make all the difference to the smoothness and evenness of your complexion. If you’re looking to achieve a super natural, your-skin-but-better look, adding a primer will be your go-to.
What Brush Should I Use to Apply Makeup Primer?
We recommend using a dome shape brush, but you can also use your fingers or even a makeup blender sponge depending on your preference Applying primer with your fingers will help warm the product so it melts into your skin. If you’re using a sponge, spritz it with a hydrating mist first then stipple the primer onto your complexion.
Can You Use a Primer Without Makeup?
Yes, for minimalist makeup days or if that’s just your general vibe, you can use a primer without makeup as skincare-makeup hybrid. Perfect for your no-makeup-makeup look, adding a tinted primer after your skincare and heading out for the day will give you a smoothed complexion, with flexible and customizable coverage, while neutralizing any unwanted color issues or blemishes.
And, if you’re using a tinted face primer with SPF that will also help protect your skin from premature aging caused by free radical damage. If your primer doesn’t have SPF in it, be sure to layer on a sunscreen after you moisturize and before you add your primer.
For perfected, even skin, get your concealer game strong with our pro tips.
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