What Is Makeup Primer and Do I Need It? (2024)

The best natural products use botanical ingredients instead of potentially toxic chemicals to prep and nourish your skin. Here are a few of our favorites for color-correcting, enhancing eye makeup, and for daily wear.


Vapour Beauty Essential Daily Primer

For a lightweight facial primer that hits all the marks, there’s Vapour Beauty’s daily primer. It enhances makeup application using nourishing macadamia and jojoba oils, cranberry water to clarify, and ginger water for an even skin tone and improved elasticity.

The best part? You just smooth it on with your fingertips — no tools needed.

Grove member Samantha K. says about this product, “I love, love, love this primer. It seems to keep my makeup in place and even last through days when I have to keep my mask on.”


PYT Beauty Baby Got Base Eye Primer

PYT Beauty’s eye primer is a sheer nude cream made with antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract, calming green tea, and moisturizing ginseng. It preps your lids to extend the wear of your eyeshadow without creasing, caking, or fading and works on a wide range of skin tones.

Plus it comes in a cute cherry red tube that’ll look great on your vanity.


Alima Pure Color Balancing Primer Powder

This vegan primer powder by Alima Pure is made from just two ingredients: mica powder and mineral pigment. It’s ideal for days when you don’t feel like wearing a full face of makeup but still want light coverage.

It works wonders for reducing redness caused by skin sensitivities, sunburn, and rosacea because of a green-based pigment that counters discoloration.

Grove member Molly B. wrote “I love this neutral tone powder as it is super fine and blends into your pores perfectly without having any dangerous chemicals or irritants in it. it is perfect for blending on the forehead and over highlighted and lighter areas, under the eyes, as well as your whole face. Keeper!”

Need a brush for your powder? Check out our top ten makeup brushes, and treat yourself to a fresh set!

What Is Makeup Primer and Do I Need It? (2024)

FAQs

What Is Makeup Primer and Do I Need It? ›

Face primers prep skin ready for smooth foundation application. Think of your skin and makeup like canvas and paint. You can apply paint directly to your canvas/skin, but priming it first increases the longevity of your work and makes the surface easier to work on, so you won't have to use as much paint aka foundation.

Is makeup primer really necessary? ›

Primer is often referred to as a base for Foundation or a Foundation primer. They are most commonly used to achieve a controlled matte finish. It isn't necessary to use a Primer before foundation, yet there are many benefits to adding this product into your makeup bag.

What happens if I don't use primer makeup? ›

Your makeup may not last as long. Primer works. to create an ideal canvas for applying your. foundation, and it can help it last longer.

How much makeup primer do I need? ›

Simply use a small pea-sized amount on the back of your hand and dab it on with your fingers with a light patting motion. To avoid build-up of product or patchiness, the key is to wait a full minute after applying makeup primer before following with foundation.

Do you actually need a primer? ›

While primer is an important step, it's not always necessary. You don't need to use a primer if your paint project has all of these conditions: You're painting drywall surfaces that are smooth, clean, and don't need repair. Surfaces were previously painted with latex in a flat or eggshell finish.

What can be used instead of primer? ›

Aloe Vera Gel + Moisturizer

The best way to hold onto your makeup without using a primer is to use a mixture of aloe vera gel and a moisturizer along. This combination works best for creating a dewy finish that can help you with your further makeup application.

Does primer fill in wrinkles? ›

What Does Makeup Primer Do? Primer fills in fine lines and blurs imperfections, and with a smooth, even surface, your products will apply more easily.

What type of makeup is best for older skin? ›

On mature skin, professional makeup artist J Guerra prefers the combination of medium coverage and concealer rather than full coverage, as it “will give a more natural finish, allowing you to build up in areas where you need more coverage with a fuller coverage concealer.”

What are the disadvantages of using a primer? ›

When you apply a silicone-based primer to your skin on a daily basis; It makes them greasy and sweaty, which leads to pimples and acne. Also, it may clog your skin pores; This causes many skin problems, especially for oily skin, such as black and white heads, pimples and acne.

Do I need primer all over my face? ›

Yes – primer is best applied to your entire face to create the appearance of a more even-looking canvas. Think of your makeup look like a painting, darlings; your primer is the secret to smoothing out the look of skin before painting on makeup products like foundation, concealer, bronzer and blush.

How do I choose a primer for beginners? ›

Look for primers with words like “hydrating,” “soothing,” or “replenishing.” Pick a mattifying primer if you have oily skin. If you struggle with excess oil and shine, you want to combat this with your primer. To do so, your best bet is a great mattifying primer that will reduce your skin's oil production.

How do you know if you have enough primer? ›

As long as the primer applies uniformly over the previous color, then one or two coats should be sufficient. Again, it is not necessary to apply several coats of primer to try to get a perfect white finish. That is the job of the topcoat (paint) which has to be applied on top of the primer.

Can I use moisturizer instead of primer? ›

What's the difference between primer and moisturiser? While you can use a moisturiser instead of primer if you just want a hydrated base, I wouldn't suggest using makeup primer as a moisturiser. Hydrating primers are designed to be an additional step for dry skin, not a substitute for moisturiser.

Can makeup look good without primer? ›

Many also feel that it doesn't make a difference, and find that their foundation sits well on top of their skin without the need of a primer. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether or not you want to use primer in your makeup routine.

Is primer pointless? ›

There are different types of stain-blocking primers for specific uses, but some of the more common situations where their use is necessary are: keeping water and smoke stains/damage from bleeding through the finish coat; painting over top of crayon, marker, or grease; and making a dramatic color change – especially ...

What are the disadvantages of makeup primer? ›

When you apply a silicone-based primer to your skin on a daily basis; It makes them greasy and sweaty, which leads to pimples and acne. Also, it may clog your skin pores; This causes many skin problems, especially for oily skin, such as black and white heads, pimples and acne.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Aron Pacocha

Last Updated:

Views: 6010

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Aron Pacocha

Birthday: 1999-08-12

Address: 3808 Moen Corner, Gorczanyport, FL 67364-2074

Phone: +393457723392

Job: Retail Consultant

Hobby: Jewelry making, Cooking, Gaming, Reading, Juggling, Cabaret, Origami

Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.