Face & Eye Primers!

What do you do before you paint a wall??

YOU PRIME IT!

Priming your face after moisturizing and before applying foundation creates a smooth, even base for your foundations and powders. Primers also reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores and smoothes out pigment discolorations leaving your skin looking flawless and smooth.

I’ve spent some time in the sun over the years and even though I don’t suffer from major pigment discoloration, I still like that all-over flawless finish. Primers do the trick!

Recommended FACE primers:

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Blend-This is my primary primer. It works amazing for everyday use. A little goes a long way!

Benefit Cosmetics "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer- This product is great if you are looking for an illuminator & primer in one. I use this product on the weekends & nights that I go out. It’s pink (like Smashbox’s Color Correcting Blend-see above) and contains light-reflecting pigments to brighten your complexion. I HIGHLY recommend this product!!

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Adjust (GREEN)-The first time I tried this product I was getting over a mild sunburn and TRUST me, it did just the trick. Don’t be fooled by it’s green color-there is nothing green about it once it’s applied. I would recommend this product for those who suffer from rosacea and other redness conditions, pigment discoloration or dark spots. This is a COLOR CORRECTING primer as well as a wrinkle reducer. It’s truly amazing!

Sephora Brand "Tricks of the Trade" Immediate Wrinkle Filler- I discovered this product in my mom’s bathroom and when I tried it I immediately went out and bought one for myself! I use this product primarily as wrinkle filler and not as a primer. I use it before OR after I put on a full face of makeup and apply it to those areas on my face (i.e. Laugh lines around the nose and mouth). It instantly fills in those lines and surface imperfections and the results are immediate!!

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- It’s Smashbox’s best selling primer. I would recommend this product if you have never used a primer before and you are not sure what you are looking for. You can wear this product alone or before applying foundation.

Bare Essentials Prime Time Foundation-I use this product ONLY with Bare Essentials products (i.e. mineral powder foundation or mineral veil)

Benefit Cosmetics Dr. Feel Good- This product is not necessarily meant to be used as a primer, but rather for patting and smoothing over makeup. I’ve used it as a base primer before and it works great in reducing fine lines and pores. Try it!

SOOO... Not everyone needs to use face primers BUT everyone should use EYE primer. UNLIKE applying face primer, I apply eye primer AFTER I use my eye brighteners, foundations, powders, bronzers, etc.

EYE PRIMERS-Eye primers lay the base for your eye shadows, cream shadows, gel/liquid eyeliners, brow highlighters etc. You will find that when you use an eye primer everything goes on smoother and lasts ALL day. Blending, smudging, and highlighting are a cinch!

Recommended EYE primers:

Mac Paints Peintures Sublime Nature- This product goes on as cream and dries as a powder. It’s nude and blends to the color of your lid. It’s super easy to apply and blend, and it leaves your lids looking crease-free and smooth. This is my favorite primer out there and it lasts forever!!

Mac Paints Peintures Base Light-This product does everything listed above the only difference is that it has a shimmer yellow tint to it. I like this product because it acts an eye brightener and primer in one (although I still recommend using eye brighteners prior to using eye primers)

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer- This product is similar to Mac’s Sublime Nature only it’s a liquid not a creme. I prefer the crème base to the liquid but some people prefer liquid.

Benefit's Lemon Aid Correcting Eye Primer-This product is a chalky-crème base that has the lemon color for a brighter appearance. It’s a great shadow base.

Benefit Cosmetics FY Eye!- This product is meant to be used as a nude primer but I’ve also used it as an under-eye concealer. Try it!

Ok so here's a new tip- I went to the mall after work today (You know, to kill traffic..) and I breezed by the Benefit counter ONLY to find two new products I may be interested in trying/buying. One of them is Benefit's 'Stay Don't Stray'- shadows stay put, concealers stay don't stray? Hmmmm sounds interesting? An eye primer perhaps?

The second product I breezed by at the Benefit counter was this cute little kit- you know I'm a big fan of their little (sometimes useless) kits- called 'Confessions of a Concealaholic' kit. The kit includes some of the products I have mentioned above. It includes 'that gal' brightening face primer; 'erase paste' brightening camouflage; 'boi-ing' industrial strenght concealer (??); 'lemon aid' eyelid primer; and last but not least ( and certainly my favorite) EYE BRIGHT! Does this sound like a cool kit? Well, I think i've just convinced my self to buy and try it LOL I'll keep you posted!

PS: Remember I love recommendations for new products!!