Fashion & Beauty / 7 April, 2017 / My Baba

The Beauty Toolkit: Picking Your Perfect Primer

Prepping your face before starting your makeup routine is vital. After you’ve cleansed, toned, and moisturised, it’s important to add a primer as a base for your makeup. There are plenty of primers on the market and they can vary quite a bit when it comes to sheen, consistency and durability. So we’ve put together a quick and handy guide to our favourite primers.

The smooth one: Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional

This Benefit primer is the smoothest and creamiest balm we’ve come across. What’s more, it’s oil-free – great preventing skin from become shiny an hour or so after you’ve added your foundation. You can wear the POREfessional by itself for reduced appearance of pores, so it’s great for when we go foundation-free.

The spritzer one: Urban Decay B6 Complexion Prep Spray

We can’t get enough of this magical Urban Decay Spray. Seriously, I use it literally all the time. Not only can it be used as a primer, but also a setting spray and an afternoon pick-me-up to leave you and your face feeling revitalised. I love using it in the morning as the primer of my routine because it helps to reduce redness, hydrate my skin and reduce signs of pores (especially those pesky ones on my nose!).

The classic: Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

We love this Laura Mercier silky foundation primer because it makes skin look lovely and luminous — even under foundation you can see it glowing on your skin. Use a tiny amount and spread it thinly and evenly across the skin.  It’s a light peachy colour which helps to even out skin tone if you’re wearing it without foundation.

The one we can’t live without: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

This is big beauty favourite around here. It’s lightweight and feels so soft and silky against your skin. We recommend applying your moisturiser and allowing it soak in, then adding a pea-sized amount of this Smashbox primer for gloriously smooth photo-finished skin. We’ve just caught wind of their oil primer too — we can’t wait to try it!

The anti-ageing one: Jane Iredale Smooth Affair

We’ve got a soft spot for this one because it works as more than just a primer. It hydrates skin, locks in moisture, and makes it feel firmer. It’s full of natural ingredients including grapefruit extract, and green and white tea leaf extracts.

The one worth the investment: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

For me, this is the holy grail of primers. It’s been designed especially for oily skin, but I believe it works well for any complexion. It hides any red patches, smoothes over wrinkles, and makes foundation look absolutely flawless. It also offers sun protection with SPF, essential for preventing wrinkles and sun damage.