What is Face Makeup Primer (& Do You REALLY Need It?)

If you’ve ever wondered what is makeup primer, how it works, or if it was even necessary, then you’re not alone. I was there too! 👋

However, after I stopped being lazy and figured it out, even then I still didn’t want to give it a try. Something about adding another step to my beauty routine just seemed like too much work. 😂

But recently, I started using an oil as a face primer, and it has completely changed my makeup game. I had no idea how big of difference it would make to my complexion and how much it would get rid of caking, creasing, and smudging.

And it happened by accident, but I’ll go into that and what I’m using later.

I always felt irritated whenever I would put on a full face of makeup, have it look incredible, and then two hours later, things would look messy and dry. But now I’m pretty glad it’s in my product lineup.

And if you’ve ever been there, then you’ll probably want to know what the benefits of a makeup primer are, and how it can make you look great too!

So scroll down to read over what is primer makeup and how it can make you look great.

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In This Article:

• What is Makeup Primer and What Does it Do?
• Do You Need Makeup Primer?
• How to Apply Makeup Primer
• How to Pick the Right Primer for Your Skin
• Common Foundation Primer Mistakes to Avoid
• What I Use for My Makeup Primer
• Frequently Asked Questions About Primer

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What is Makeup Primer and What Does it Do?

Face primer helps your makeup too look glowing, smooth, and blurred once you’ve applied it to your skin. Or in other words, it’s the base layer product that you put on your skin to prep it for makeup.

It’s the smoothing effect your skin and makeup needs, so think of it as a filter or even photoshop. I’m not saying it will make you look completely flawless, but it will get you as close as it can.

And depending on your skin, and what type of primer you choose, it’s the corrector you need to make sure that your makeup looks great before heading out.

Oh also, if you need any other reason to use facial primer, this study shows that some primer for makeup have been able to help with mild to moderate hyperpigmentation and fine lines. Pretty cool right?

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Do You Need Makeup Primer?

Technically you don’t need makeup primer. But now that you have the question answered, “what is primer used for?” I hope it makes sense to use it!

However, I would highly recommend it because I know the importance of primer in makeup.

For me personally, I see it as an essential part of the makeup process. It’s what keeps my makeup staying on longer, and looking incredible hours after I’ve applied my foundation and powder.

If applied right, it basically does for me what makeup foundation commercials SAY they will do for you. 🤷‍♀️

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How to Apply Makeup Primer

Now that you know what makeup primer is, and what it’s used for, here’s how to best apply face primer. Because if not put on correctly, it can completely mess up your makeup look.

1. First, wash your face.
2. Apply any sunscreens, moisturizers, or pre-makeup skincare products, and let them absorb before using primer.
3. Use a small amount of primer, and make sure it’s rubbed into your facial skin very well. I use an oil as my primer (which I’ll discuss down below), and find that if I just use a tiny bit, and rub it all over my face and neck really well, my makeup goes on and stays on. 👍 Of course, you can also just test the amount you put on, and see what works for your skin!
4. Apply it with your fingers in circular motions. You want to make sure you’re using your fingers instead of makeup sponges to apply primer. A makeup sponge will just rub it around, instead of applying it thoroughly.
5. Wait a couple of minutes for your makeup primer to set before applying makeup. This allows it to set and dry, and not just rub off.
6. And that’s it! Pretty simple. 🙂

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How to Pick the Right Primer for Your Skin

Makeup primer probably sounds super helpful by now, but let’s make sure you’re actually taken care of. Here are the different kinds of makeup primer:

Blurring

I think this is kind of the one we all want. 😂 Blurring primers help with covering up pores and rough textures. And if this is your skin concern, then I would give this type a try!

Hydrating

If you have dry skin, or live in a dry area, then a primer with a hydrating formula is a great way to give yourself that fresh look, and minimize creasing.

Mattifying

This type of primer is great for oily skin. If you deal with constantly needing to reapply powder, then grabbing a mattifying primer should be a good move for you.

Illuminating

This is a primer you put on that has light-reflecting particles in it. It gives you that pretty glowing look. 👌 Also, I’ve read that you don’t want to put makeup over it; the glowing look gets canceled out.

Color-Corrector

If you have skin that’s uneven in tone, then finding the right type of color-correcting primer is a helpful way in fixing this. Green (I know that sounds weird) helps correct red skin tones, peach helps with dark spots, and blue helps with yellow and sallow skin tones. The more you know! 🌠

Anti-Aging

If you have some creases, and other aging concerns, then an anti-aging primer might be a good idea! They also contain ingredients which MAY help with making your skin look more youthful. But I’m not going to make any certified beauty claims. I’d just test them out for yourself, and see what works.

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Common Foundation Primer Mistakes to Avoid

It’s so frustrating to get ready to leave, and then something happens with your makeup and you have to start all over again. 😤

So if you want to make sure that you’re not wasting your primer and getting the best look possible, then here are some mistakes to avoid when using primer with makeup:

• Putting Too Much Primer On: It only takes a small amount to work, and putting too much on can make it so that your foundation doesn’t stick. So you’re getting blotchy looking makeup before heading out.
• Not Waiting for It to Absorb: It can take around a couple of minutes for your skin to absorb primer. And not allowing it to sit, can make it so that your other makeup doesn’t apply right
• Not Getting the Right Primer for Your Skin Type: It’s so easy to go to the store, and grab a primer that sounds good. But if it doesn’t work with your skin type, then it most likely won’t help you get that nice finished look.
• Not Testing It With Your Foundation: It’s important to remember that some primers won’t work with your foundation. So it can be necessary to take your foundation to the store, and test it with the different primers (if allowed).
• Using Face Primer on Your Eyelids and Lips: Apparently, it’s best to stick with primers that work with those specific spots on your face. They’re made for them, and are supposed to give you the best look.
• Don’t Apply Too Many Primers: While it can be ok to apply a couple of primers, it’s best to test this out before buying. Too many, and it might not turn out right. Or better yet, just buy a primer that pulls double duty.
• Applying Skincare Products After Your Primer: You want to make sure that if you’re using skincare products, like serums, they go on first. That way, your skin can absorb the beneficial properties, and your primer can work well with your foundation.

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What I Use for My Makeup Primer

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Disclosure: The Bio-Oil Amazon link down below is an affiliate link. This just means that if you click through my special Amazon affiliate link and make a purchase, I will get commission at no extra cost to you. Also, just know that I didn’t originally use the product with the intention of making money. 🤷‍♀️

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Now I could go into a whole post on how Bio-Oil is the first facial skin product I’ve used, where I’ve seen BIG differences. But for now I’m going to talk about why I use this as my primer.

It was kind of (totally) by accident.

I had put some on not long before I was about to put makeup on, and go out. My mind was completely distracted, and when I realized I had made the mistake, I decided to just go with it.

And I feel like that was the first time I felt really confident in how my makeup looked on my skin.

Here’s how it made me look:

• It gave my skin this nice dewy look, where it wasn’t oily, but it did make my skin look very fresh!
• My makeup lasted the entire night, and still looked great. After going out to eat with friends, hanging out for hours, hopping over to a gelato shop, and getting stuck in traffic, I was honestly impressed with how well it extends makeup.

So if you have dry skin like me, or live in a dry area, then this is a great oil to use as a primer. 👌 

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Frequently Asked Questions About Primer

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I hope these simple tips made understanding the purpose of makeup primer and how to use it a whole lot easier.

Also, if you have any questions, just let me know in the comments down below so that I can help you out. 😊