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