The Best and Worst: Primer Edition

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truth

Today, I’ll be telling you guys the truth behind makeup primers. I have some holy grails, and I’ve tried some highly reviewed products that I absolutely hate. I’m here to tell you all the little details behind them both.

Primers

Let’s start with the bad news first, shall we? I have tried a wide variety of primers throughout the years, giving me a good idea of what I like in a primer. These are a few primers that I have tried on several occasions, and they just do not work for me.

Worst Primers:

1. No primer at all

2. Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer

3. MAC Prep + Prime Skin

Prime Thoughts

1. The first primer I hate should be self-explanatory. I don’t like not wearing a primer unless I have applied a thicker moisturizer as a substitute.

2. Smashbox’s undereye primer was something that I wanted to work for me as I love the other products apart of the Photo Finish line. When I would wear it under my eyes, it never really helped prevent my concealer from creasing like it was said to do. I saw that it actually caused my concealer to crease more while using it. It also has a strong chemical scent that I did not enjoy.

3. MAC’s Prep + Prime was a primer that I was super excited to try. It failed to live up to my expectations since it was a MAC product. I didn’t like this primer because it had a toothpaste-like consistency and was filled with a white shimmer leaving my face feeling like it had glitter on it. It was supposed to help mask redness, but all it did for me was leave a white cast on my skin.

Holy Grail Of Primers

My all-time favorite primers all share the same promise of minimizing pores, but my top three primers vary between mattifying and hydrating.

My three favorites are:

1. Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Pore Minimizing Primer

2. Ciate London Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer

3. Hard Candy Hydrating 12 Hour Makeup Grip + Hyaluronic Acid Primer

Prime Thoughts:

1. The Benefit primer is the best at covering up any pores you have while leaving your face with a matte finish. This specific primer actually comes in three different finishes: matte, natural, and radiant. I’m going to try out the radiant version this summer; hopefully, it will give my skin a glow. I’m always amazed at how good my makeup looks when I use this primer.

2. The Watermelon Burst primer was something I was first afraid to try. The primer’s marketing was based on how it was hydrating and pore-minimizing, something that I never tried before. After my first use, I was in love with how my skin felt after applying it, plus it has a real watermelon scent, not artificial.

3. The Hard Candy Hydrating Grip primer was said to be a great dupe for the Milk Hydro Grip. I wanted to venture out into using hydrating primers more, so this was a great place to start instead of investing in the higher-end primer by Milk. This primer really helps give my foundation something to stick to, making my makeup last longer.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has a different opinion on what they like when it comes to primer, so if any of my recommendations don’t work for you, that’s okay. This is just a small guide to help point you in the right direction when it comes to primers. Come back next time to learn all about my favorite and not-so-favorite setting sprays.