Makeup Primer | Beauty and Fashion Tech

The Best Makeup Primer

The best makeup primer is a multi-tasker. Makeup primer should smooth the skin, fill lines, absorb oil, and allow makeup or foundation to last longer. The magic ingredient for all of this is usually silicone, which is why the makeup primers on this list all have that as an ingredient. I find that most silicone makeup primers work pretty well, but a few stand out for me. So here are the top three silicone makeup primers based on those that I have tried. With any of these primers, a tiny bit goes a long way. One good way to apply it is to spread a dab across your fingertips—skin heat helps it thin out, and then apply it. It doesn’t take much to cover your entire face.

(1) DHC Velvet Skin Coat (read previous DCH Velvet Skin Coat review): DHC skincare makes a number of excellent products, including my favorite DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. Velvet Skin Coat is also my favorite primer. This primer is a bit thicker than the others on my list, which I like, because it fills in fine lines and wrinkles better that way. It provides a nice smooth surface for makeup, and I find that it makes a great base for both liquid foundation and mineral makeup. The one downside to it is that the tube is rather small for the price. However, this makeup primer thins out rather well, so only a very small amount is needed at any given time. DHC Velvet Skin Coat is the primer that I have repurchased the most often.

(2) Per-fekt Skin Protection Gel (read previous Per-fekt Skin Primer review): Per-fekt primer has a great combination of anti-aging ingredients and makeup priming properties. It also is tinted, so it can be used alone for a light cover or under makeup for a more finished look. It too comes a bit on the small side, but covers well with only a small amount. I particularly like this one as a mineral makeup primer. The full size is pricey, but there is a mini size that is cheaper if you want to test it before committing to the full size version (see the shopping boxes below for both). Per-fekt is available in translucent and in a number of tint shades.

(3) Exuviance Matte Perfection (read previous Exuviance Matte Perfection review): Exuviance primer is the absolute best for oily skin. While other silicone based primers tend to do well on oily skin, the Exuviance makeup primer is specifically formulated to absorb oil, and it does so quite well, leading to perfectly matte skin. Like the other primers, it also fills in lines and smoothes the skin nicely.

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My review of the Per-fekt primer is based on a product that was given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosures page.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Mehron Velvet Finish Skin Primer

Mehron is a theatrical makeup company that happens to have some great products for everyday use. One of those is their Velvet Finish Primer, which combines a great makeup primer with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Aloe Vera Extract, for antioxidant protection, anti-aging, and moisturizing.

I love this stuff. I’m a big fan of using primer, whether under liquid foundation or mineral makeup. There also tend to be a number of good ones out there. But there are not as many that add in protective or treatment ingredients, other than perhaps sunscreen. The ones that do tend to particularly impress me.

Velvet Finish comes in pump bottle and just a little is needed to provide a nice makeup base. The primer helps your makeup wear longer and smoother and the extra ingredients provide for a bit of protection and treatment. At $19.95, the price is pretty good too. Many similar primers cost more.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel: Primer, Anti-Aging, and Light Makeup in One

Per-fekt Beauty Skin Perfection Gel is an interesting product. It basically is a tinted primer, making it perfect for a sheer smooth look or as a base for makeup. But it also adds Alpha Lipoic Acid and Vitamins A and E for anti-aging properties. I am rather in love with the stuff!

As a primer, it works beautifully. It fills fine lines and smoothes the skin, leaving a nice base for powder or makeup. With a sheer tint (a transparent version is also available), it can also be worn alone. Since I have melasma and like to try to cover up the areas of pigmentation, I use it as a primer. I find that it adds just what I need to ensure that hyperpigmentation gets nicely covered with makeup. It works great as a base for mineral makeup too!I found that my mineral makeup lasted most of the day when I used per-fekt as a primer for it.

As an anti-aging treatment, I don’t know that I have noticed much difference, but I like the addition of Alpha Lipoic Acid. It also is slightly moisturizing, which worked well for me, even though I have been on the oily side lately. With that said, if you are really oily. I suggest using a mattifying primer instead such as Exuviance Matte Perfection (read review).

Per-fekt is a bit pricy in the full size version, but there is also a small tube of it that retails for less: Per-fekt Beauty Skin Perfection Mini Gel.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Exuviance Matte Perfection

I am in love with this mattifier! Exuviance Matte Perfection is a light, oil-free gel primer. Aside from acting as a mattifier, it also contains Mandelic Acid, a naturally occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) found in almonds, and Gluconolactone to improve uneven pigmentation and roughness. Mandelic Acid can also help a bit with acne.

The primer feels like most silicone primers and absorbs quickly. It can be worn alone as a mattifier and treatment product, but it also provides a nice base for makeup by filling in fine lines and smoothing the skin. When I use it I find that I tend to stay shine free for most of the day with it.

Exuviance has a real winner with this one!

Comparison shop for Exuviance skin care products

Popularity: 2% [?]

Etude House BB Magic Cream SPF 30 and Foundation Review

Update! Look for Etude House, especially the BB Magic Cream on COSME-DE.COM. There isn’t a lot there, but there but there are a couple of COSME-DE.COM (who also usually has free shipping) shopping boxes at the end of this post, along with a few Amazon links.

Etude House is a South Korean cosmetics brand that sells out of stores fashioned as adorable princess type houses. If you are able to get it at regular price, the Etude House line is one of the best bets out there for very affordable quality. Unfortunately, however, it is pretty hard to get Etude House outside of Korea and a few other Asian countries. You can purchase the brand from several excellent Ebay sellers, but will have to pay a markup. I actually think it is still of such quality that it is worth that markup, but still, it would be nice to be able to get their items at a better price.

I recently gave a number of Etude House items a try. Today’s review looks at the popular Etude House BB Magic Cream and their foundation.

Etude House Magic Cream is essentially a makeup primer. The BB in Magic Cream stands for blemish balm, which is meant as a soothing treatment balm that also covers redness and blemishes, but it is not really an acne treatment. The Blemish Balm is lightly tinted so as to provide a bit of coverage and evening of the skin tone, but it also provides a good base for foundation. Overall, this is one of the better and more interesting makeup primers that I have used. I provides a nice base, and I particularly find that it works well as a light primer for mineral makeup or powder foundations. Between the tint in the blemish balm and that in the makeup, it covers my areas of redness and melasma very well without making me look way too overly made up.

Etude House’s regular Blemish Balm formulation is a bit on the oily side. I have had no problems with it breaking me out, but if you have oily skin, you might prefer one of their formulations for that skin type. The added SPF 30 to the product is a big bonus, and actually is what I think makes it seem initially oily because the oily feeling goes away after it absorbs.

There are a couple of downsides to the Etude House Magic Cream. First, it has a pump tube, which I really don’t care for all that much. Those tend to either break or they leave too much unused product when the tube gets low. Second, although labeled as a blemish balm, Magic Cream doesn’t really conceal quite enough to be used alone. It is better as an overall tinted base for foundation or powder unless you want particularly sheer coverage. Etude House does make a heavier blemish Etudbalm though that covers more.

Etude House Dream On Foundation is wonderful stuff and is my new favorite in the area of liquid foundations. Etude House foundation has a moisturizing feel to it, but it is not at all oily. I wear it just fine on my currently oily skin. It sits on the skin quite well, without sinking into pores, which makes me wonder if it has some silicone in it—something that I love in a foundation. Because they are in Korean, I can’t read the ingredients to tell, but it feels like it does. Coverage is sheer-medium. Use the blemish balm under it, or a mineral powder over it for a bit more coverage. Use it alone for the most natural look if you are lucky (I’m not so lucky) and don’t have pigmentation to cover.

Right now Ebay is one way to get Etude House outside of a few Asian countries, but Cosme-De, linked above can be a good option. They also are a great source for asian beauty products in general.On Ebay, I have purchased from both iabsolutefashions and rumistyle. Both gave great service and included some samples with my package, which was nice.

I will be reviewing more Etude House makeup items in the future as I purchased quite a bit in order to maximize on shipping costs. So far, I love everything that I have ordered!

At Amazon:

ETUDE HOUSE BB Magic Cream
ETUDE HOUSE VIP Dear Darling Lips PK007

Another Update: Also look at Etude House USA for items. They are rather new and I have not purchased from them, but they seem to have a decent selection.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Neutrogena Skin Soothing Eye Tint

Neutrogena Skin Soothing Eye Tint is a fun little cream eye shimmer, good for use as a light illuminizing base or as a targeted highlight.

I find the the tint to be a pretty good way to add a subtle shimmer without going overboard. This can also be used elsewhere on the face. I like to use the light pink shade (petal shimmer, linked above) on my cheek bones under a generally matte blush. I also have used it on my brow bones. Overall, it is a fun and inexpensive way to add just a bit of subtle shimmer anywhere you want it.

Neutrogena Eye Tint also has a cooling aspect to it, so it feels nice and can reduce puffiness. So that is a bonus!

Aside from the petal shade, it also comes in the shade Honey Shimmer.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Makeup from DHC Skincare: Moist Color Base, Q10 Foundation, and Q10 Powder

DHC skincare is a Japanese skin care and cosmetics company. I have been a long time fan of DHC skincare products, especially their Olive Oil cleanser (read previous DHC review), but until recently, I had not tried much of DHC’s Makeup. So I decide to change that and sent in an order.

I decided to try out a combination of DHC foundation and makeup products to see how well I could achieve a look using them that would hopefully lessen the appearance of my melasma, but without using a full coverage foundation. I found a good mix for that. These item also contain Coenzyme Q as an anti-aging ingredient. So you can get some double duty action out of them!

First off, I applied DHC Q10 Moist Color Base . This product comes in several varieties:

Pink: Lends a rosy glow to diminish yellow undertones
Apricot: Adds warmth to liven pale, dull complexions
Beige: Balances uneven tones for a natural neutral look
Yellow: Ideal for moderate redness and unwanted pinkness
Green: Helps conceal severe redness issues

I used beige, which was advertised to help even out the appearance of discoloration. I found that it worked fairly well for that. The base is a light beige tone that doesn’t really tint much, but does help lessen the look of hyperpigmentation. Despite the term “moist” in the name, It came out quite matte, which I liked since I was fairly oily at the time that I tried it. Because of its shade, I think it would work for fair to medium skin, but those with truly porcelain skin or with brown skin might not find it very useful. The base acts quite well as a basic makeup primer, but if you want a true silicon primer, try out DHC Velvet Skin Coat instead (read review). That one is also clear, so it works well with all skin colors.

Next, I applied DHC Q10 Liquid Foundation. This is a sheer foundation with Coenzyme Q10 to add anti-aging properties. I appreciate double duty products, so I liked the idea of this item before I even tried it. Once I did try it, I loved the product. DHC Q10 foundation is sheer and a bit moisturizing, making it very comfortable to wear. Coverage is sheer, so while this doesn’t cover my melasma well alone, I found that it worked well in conjunction with the moist color base. For those wanting just a bit of sheer evening of redness and such, this foundation would be a good choice. One downside though is that the container rather small for the price point.

My favorite of the bunch was the DHC Q10 Face Powder . In fact, this has become my favorite facial powder, replacing my previous and more expensive favorite, Laura Mercier powder. This powder has a wonderful silky feeling to it and it sits well on the skin without overly settling into wrinkles and pores. The container is also of a decent size. I love it and will be a repeat purchaser.

Items from DHC skincare are generally available only online or through mail order. You are allowed to select four DHC samples with each order and their catalog comes with samples included, so it is a good mailing list to be on!