Primers and Why You Need Them in Your Life

Primers are applied after moisturizer but before any makeup. Face primers work to smooth the skin, prepping for foundation, while helping your makeup wear better and last longer. Eye primers are the same idea! Eyeshadow primers boost the colours of your shadows, prevent any creasing, and make sure your perfectly blended shadow masterpiece lasts!

The right primer will change your life! In addition to helping your makeup last, your foundation with go on smoothly, evenly, and will make your skin appear more radiant. You’ll also notice that throughout the day, your contour, bronzer, blush, and highlight don’t disappear or go blotchy.

If you are considering purchasing a face primer, you may have heard the water-based vs silcone-based debate. Firstly, silicone-based primers work best with silicone-based foundations and water-based primers work best with water-based foundations.

To determine which primer is best for you, keep in mind the following: Silicone-based primers have a texture similar to vaseline, blurs fine lines, and diminishes pores. These primers feel like they “sit” on the skin, acting as a barrier between your foundation and your skin. If you have tried a silicone-based product on your skin, you may have noticed that your skin feels super soft, almost like suede. To figure out if a primer is silicone-based, look for ingredients ending in “-cone” or starting with “silica-.” These primers are best for oily skin and can act as oil controlling. My favourites are MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Skin and TooFaced Primed and Poreless.

Water-based primers have a lighter texture than silicone-based, almost like a lightweight moisturizer, making these primers great for dry skin (dry skin may have trouble absorbing a silicone-based primer due to smaller pores). These primers tend to by more of a “barely there” feel. My Favourite is MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Natural Radiance.

Eyeshadow primers are similar to face primers in that they prep the skin for makeup. Eyeshadow primers prevent creasing, make your shadows appear brighter and more true to colour, and ensure that your blending will last all day. This is probably one of the easiest steps in your morning makeup routine but one of the most effective! No more raccoon eyes at the end of the day for you!

My tried and true eye shadow primers are: Urban Decay Primer Potion You’ve probably heard every beauty guru under the sun talk about these primers, and for good reason! The formula is lightweight and comes in the original formula as well as one for oily skin (“Eden”) and one for mature skin. They even have a primer potion with a slight champagne-shimmer to make your shimmer shadows be the best they can be!

MAC Cosmetics Paint Pots MAC’s paint pots will forever be #1 in my heart. Your shadows will not budge and they come in a ton of different colours and finishes (like matte and pearlescent), so you can use them under shadow or on their own. I prefer to apply these primers with my fingers. The heat from you skin will warm up the product, making it easier to blend over your lid. Too much, too little, or uneven product will all have the opposite effect of what you want these primers to do. “Painterly” is easily their best seller because it’s the perfect neutral tone. If you need a bit more yellow, try “Soft Ochre.”

Bonus: TooFaced Glitter Glue If you love adding glitter to your look, you will love this primer! It’s a stickier formula, making the perfect base for your loose glitter to adhere. To use Glitter Glue, I finish my eyeshadow look completely (usually before doing my complexion since you may still get some fallout). I take a small amount of the primer on my finger and pat it exactly and only where I want the glitter to be. With a small shader brush, I pick up the loose glitter, tapping to avoid fallout as much as we can, and patting the glitter on top of the Glitter Glue. I use this product every time I want a glittery eye and honestly, my glitter lasted 10 hours with no creasing! Amazing!