GURL, when it concerns primer, I’m a believer — like hands in the air, testifying with my eyes closed and my head up to the sky, hollering “PRRRRRRIMERRRRRR!” as tears run down my cheeks and a children’s choir sings in the background.
A day rarely passes when I skip it. primer is as integral to my makeup routine as a lash curler and brow filler.
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Face primers
The main reason I love face primer so much is, quite frankly, my damned pores! primer makes the texture of my cheeks, forehead and nose look smoother, and it’s a pretty visible difference in real life and pics.
For face primers, I use two (sounds like overkill, I know, but it works for me). I start by prepping my skin for foundation using MAC Prep + Prime natural radiance ($41) all over my face, which makes whichever foundation I layer on top of it “sit” better and last longer.
After giving Prep + Prime a minute or two to sink in, I go back in with Smashbox Pore reducing photo finish ($39), which I spot apply on the apples of my cheeks, my nose and around my mouth.
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Essentially, photo finish works like spackling paste or putty, filling any uneven dips and pores on the skin to make foundation, powder and blush appear much more smooth and silky.
Eye primers
I’ve got mad love for eye primers, too, but if we get into the nitty-gritty details of which ones and why, we’ll seriously be here till Tuesday.
So, for my eyes, the short answer is that I typically use some combination of the following: NARS Pro-Prime Smudge proof Eyeshadow Base by itself, or with MAC paint Pot in Soft Ochre or Painterly buffed on top.
As for those other primers…
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Like those primers for lips and primers for lashes — I don’t really use any of them often, but I wonder if I should.
How about you, my friend? Let’s talk primers. What’s your current favorite primer (or primers) and why?
Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,
Karen