Per-fekt | Beauty and Fashion Tech

May 19, 2012

Choosing and Using Makeup Primer

May 19, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

Makeup primer is the foundation to a fresh face for hours of the day. As Cindy Ingalls of Prime Beauty notes:

“Primers are your new best friends. A good face primer will fill in wrinkles, fine lines, make pores appear smaller and even color correct your complexion! There are formulas available for all skin types and issues.”

In order to select the appropriate makeup primer for your skin, first the type of primer desired must be determined. There are numerous types of primers available from many different manufacturers. Different skin types will react in different ways to the primer selected. Once the desired type of primer is determined and purchased, tackling the application is the next step. After applying the primer correctly, your face will be a canvass for artistic makeup design.

30 Days of Beauty, Day 18, Fundamentals of Selecting and Using the Correct Makeup Primer

Selecting a Primer

Decide whether a corrective, tinted, or oil-free makeup primer is desired. These decisions will often be determined by the type of skin and its needs. A corrective primer will be a good choice if trying to disguise dark spots, acne scars, or other blemishes. These primers help to camouflage these imperfections in the skin to make it flawless. If a tinted primer is desired the look of foundation will be enhanced. Tinted primer will provide more facial color and a flawless finish. Oil-free makeup primers are ideal for the candidate with sensitive skin that is often irritated by cosmetics. This style of primer will work to keep skin at a healthy, workable state.

While there are products developed specifically as primers, other items that do double duty can also work. Heather Walczuk from Beauty Unbiased notes the following: “Depending on the level of coverage needed, you can achieve a sheer, barely there look with tinted moisturizer; moderate, luminizing color with beauty balm (BB cream).”

When it comes to products labeled specifically as primer, silcone based primers will often fill in lines nicely. But Heather Adessa: *Gloss & Tell, Makeup By Heather A. suggests a different route:

“Use a primer (or foundation) with Matrixyl rather than silicone is better for your skin. Matrixyl stimules collagen growth which will decrease the amount of lines and wrinkles. So over time, your skin actually is turning back time. Silicone fills in the lines, but that is all. It doesn't make any long-term changes.”

Applying the Primer

Applying primer effectively is an art in and of itself. Many use a liquid primer application, while there are some that prefer the spray type. This all comes down to personal preference. When applying a makeup primer, it is key to warm the primer up by putting some in your hands and rubbing them together. The heat of the primer will allow more to be absorbed into the skin to set the foundation.

To apply, don't wipe the primer from the hands directly to the face. This will cause the spread of oils and can cause alterations to the primer's role. Use a sponge to apply the primer evenly. Many prefer to mix makeup primer with a moisturizer to provide more coverage and conditioning of the skin before applying makeup. After applying the primer, allow time for the primer to fully dry before applying foundation. This will make for a flawless face.

Makeup Primer Tips

Tip #1: Select a primer with vitamin E to provide your face with a extra nutrients for a easy glow.

Tip #2: Don't buy a primer solely because of its price, do your research and make the investment if the primer has everything you need. It will be worth it in the long run!

Tip #3: When applying a primer, make sure your face is freshly cleaned with no makeup residue present.

Tip #4: A little primer goes a long way. Do not load up on primer, instead start with a small amount and add more later if it is needed.

Tip#5: Love double duty products? Try a BB cream for priming, coverage, and treatment! (click here for U.S. BB creams and Tinted Moisturizers)

Favorite Primers

Here at Beauty and Fashion Tech, we love the following primers:

Smashbox Photo Finish with Dermaxyl and SPF (read our Smashbox and DHC Review)

DHC Velvet Skin Coat

Per-fekt Beauty (read our Per-fekt Review)

We also love BB Creams, especially the Asian brands (Missha and Hanskin area couple of our top favorites).

Want something more affordable? Laura Yoder from 24-7 Style recommends this affordable primer:

Rimmel's Fix and Perfect Primer I think primer is a must if you wear foundation. I was willing to pay big bucks for anything to help conceal my pores and make my makeup last just a little bit longer. When Rimmel came out with this though, on a whim I bought it (thinking it would be inferior to anything I had). It actually is the best I've ever used...everything you would expect a primer to do for the lowest price I've ever paid!

Shop the Beauty.com list of Primers

Tomorrow, Day 19, Choosing and Using Foundation

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: 30 Days of Beauty, Makeup Primer Tagged With: BB Cream, DHC, Hanskin, Missha, Per-fekt, Primer, Rimmel, Smashbox

Jan 4, 2010

The Best Makeup Primer

January 4, 2010 By Carleenp 5 Comments

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.

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.

Filed Under: Makeup Primer Tagged With: DHC, Exuviance, Per-fekt, Primer

Apr 30, 2009

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

April 30, 2009 By Carleenp 5 Comments

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.