Perfect makeup is impossible without a special foundation (base): what it is and how necessary it is. Mary Kay Primer for Long Lasting Makeup How to Use Primer

22.04.2024 -

1. For radiant skin

You know that only a doll can have absolutely matte skin. Healthy, moisturized skin always shines a little! The Touche Éclat Primer base from Yves Saint Laurent will help you achieve this. The gel base will help you perfectly evenly distribute the fluid over the skin, and the shining particles in its composition will reflect the light, and your skin will look amazing.

2. To disguise facial wrinkles

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To prevent foundation or powder from getting into microfine wrinkles, suddenly emphasizing them, apply Prep+Prime base from M.A.C. to the forehead, wings of the nose and ocular bone in advance. And no wrinkles!

3. To moisturize the skin

The ideal base for dry and dehydrated skin is Brightening & Tightening from Urban Decay. The composition includes hyaluronic acid, and during the day the skin will be moisturized, which means that makeup will last longer and will not harm the skin.

4. To disguise redness

Those with oily and problem skin know what it’s like to simultaneously try to disguise telltale pimples and not make the situation worse by clogging the pores with foundation. There is a solution: before applying the tone, apply Effaclar A.I. to your skin. from La Roche-Posay. While you delight yourself and those around you with a beautiful view, the active components of this product will dry out pimples, remove redness and have an antibacterial effect.

5. For anti-age effect

At the same time, the new “Magic Care” product from Garnier can take care of skin with the first signs of age, smooth out wrinkles, remove age spots and automatically adapt to any skin tone.

6. For a healthy complexion

If you smoke, are constantly under stress, don't get enough sleep, or live in a large city (or all three), you've probably noticed that your skin takes on an unpleasant sallow hue over time. Météorites Perles from Guerlain will help you get rid of it and restore your face to a healthy glow and natural tone.

7. For long-lasting makeup

If your plans are to have fun until the morning, Le Blanc de Chanel base will help you not to worry about the condition of your makeup: in addition to all other advantages, it absorbs excess sebum!

8. To combat oily shine

Affinitone Primer from Maybelline New York is ideal for those who have problems with shine in the T-zone. Evens out skin tone, fills wrinkles and does not dry out the skin!

9. For easy lightening

If you want your skin to look a little lighter and glow from the inside, pay attention to the Lumi Magique “Magic of Light” makeup base from L’Oréal Paris. By the way, there are many chances that you won’t need foundation anymore!

10. For the perfect photo

Makeup “for shooting” requires a particularly even tone. Lasting Performance from Max Factor does an excellent job; makeup artists and make-up artists generally love it: it goes on smoothly, lasts a long time and mattifies perfectly.

Makeup base, or primer, is a light product, usually without a tinting effect, which is used before applying foundation or powder. This product can do a lot:

prolong the durability of makeup;

visually smooth the skin texture;

adjust color nuances.

The primer usually contains oils, glycerin, and shining particles. © iStock

What functions does the base perform?

Choose a primer according to the task you want to solve.

With the help of absorbent and sebum-regulating components, the base reduces sebum production. This allows you to extend the durability of your makeup and delay the appearance of oily shine for several hours.

Featuring nourishing and moisturizing ingredients such as oils, glycerin and hyaluronic acid, the primer removes flaking, moisturizes and nourishes skin.

Primers-color correctors contain pigments that allow level out color unevenness skin. Red will hide blue circles under the eyes, green will hide redness, and pink will add freshness to a dull face.

Silicone bases visually smooth the skin. They fill pores and fine lines, making them almost invisible. As a result, foundation or powder is applied in a more even layer.

Choose a makeup base according to your skin type. © iStock

First of all, focus on your individual characteristics, because now makeup bases are developed taking into account the needs of each skin type.

For dry skin

A good choice would be a makeup base that guarantees hydration: it will enhance the effect of the cream and create an additional barrier between the skin and foundation, which often dries it out.

For oily skin

The eternal problem of oily skin is shine in the forehead and nose, the appearance of which can be delayed for a decent amount of time thanks to mattifying primers. They will also make your makeup last longer.

For combination skin

Typically, this type of skin is only shiny in the T-zone, so you can only use mattifying primers in this area. You can also distribute the silicone base there: it will smooth out and visually reduce pores.

For problem skin

It is characterized by inflammation and redness. A green concealer can help disguise red pigment, but be careful: when applied all over your face, it will give an unattractive, earthy tone, so use these products spot on.

Primers are silicone, moisturizing, matting. © iStock

Types of primers

Now let's talk about what makeup bases exist on the market and what you should pay attention to when choosing them.

Matting

Controls shine through the drying effect of alcohol and absorbent ingredients such as talc. It is important not to dry out oily skin - this will only cause it to produce even more sebum.

When using mattifying primers on a regular basis, do not neglect moisturizing.

Silicone

Fill in uneven areas, visually smoothing them out. But not every skin likes silicones. Sometimes these products cause clogged pores and inflammation.

Tinted

As for pink primers, they are not suitable for skin with closely located blood vessels, as they will only emphasize the redness.

Moisturizing

These bases are unlikely to harm dry skin, but can contribute to clogged pores on oily skin due to their high oil content.

Primer composition

Below is a short list of the main components that can be included in the makeup base.

1
Alcohol- an aggressive substance that cosmetics manufacturers still include in mattifying products.
2
Talc absorbs fat.
3
Mika- especially finely ground pearlescent particles that give the skin radiance.
4
Silicones smooth out unevenness and form a protective barrier between the skin and foundation.
5
Oils, glycerin and other humectants soften the skin and prepare it for makeup.

Cosmetics review

We offer you three products with good caring properties that can be used as makeup bases.

Products that are suitable as a base for makeup

Product name	Action	Active Ingredients
Skin tone correcting and evening product, Kiehl’s	Due to silicones, it visually evens out skin tone and texture and reduces the visibility of pores. Improves skin condition, the effect is noticeable after 4 weeks.	LHA acid, lentil and eperua tree bark extracts
Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow, Yves Saint Laurent	Moisturizes the skin for 72 hours and gives it radiance thanks to a special light-reflecting complex. It has a light toning effect and adapts to most skin tones.	glycerin, ginger extract
Day anti-aging face cream “Magic care”, Garnier	The texture suits all skin tones not only to hydrate but also reduce the signs of aging.	proretinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, peptides, ginger extract

Girls often use fluids or any available moisturizing products as a basis for applying foundation. They make the skin silky and ensure uniform application of cosmetics. A makeup base is needed to obtain perfect skin with an even, radiant color, as well as to extend the life of your makeup.

What is a makeup base and why is it needed?

A makeup base is a special cosmetic product that helps prepare the skin for further application of makeup. According to many makeup artists, this product is not a must-have in your makeup bag, but will be very useful for special occasions. It is not recommended to use the base every day due to its ability to clog pores. It is thanks to its dense consistency that it eliminates small wrinkles and irregularities on the epidermis, which make it difficult to distribute foundation.

Why do you need a makeup base:

For long-lasting make-up. Due to the mineral particles that are often included in such products, this product absorbs skin secretions and moisture. Due to this, shadows, powder and foundation stay on the face much longer than usual;
For perfectly smooth skin. Many people have noticed that even after applying a thick foundation, some imperfections remain noticeable. In order for the epidermis to be smooth and brightened, “like in the picture,” you need to use a special base;
To create the effect of inner glow. Mineral particles, in addition to absorbing properties, also have the ability to reflect light. Thanks to this property, the makeup base creates the effect of a soft natural glow of the epidermis.

Types of makeup bases

Depending on the functions they perform, makeup bases are classified according to their properties.

Among all products there are types:

Leveling base

Almost no professional make-up is complete without smoothing the epidermis. There is an opinion that such a procedure can be replaced with moisturizing cream, but this is not so. The skin of the eyes, cheeks, lips and even décolleté requires deep nourishment and filling of folds. Only this approach will ensure high-quality foundation application.

This option is also worth choosing if you urgently need to moisturize your face before applying the main layer of makeup, and also eliminate peeling. Often, products are enriched with vitamin or moisturizing complexes and have a light fluid or mousse structure.

Givenchy Actimine (Givenchy)– a good base for any makeup, characterized by the ability to neutralize yellow tints. Ideal for use with foundation that has a yellow or other unnaturally warm tint. Contains milk extracts, kiwi and other fruit extracts. A little cheaper, but very similar, Givenchy Mister smooth base lissante.

L’Oreal Lumi Magique Base Concentre (Loreal Magic)– an inexpensive makeup base that performs several properties at once. It mattifies and hides skin imperfections, normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands, and prepares the epidermis for applying foundation or pressed cosmetic products. From a series of products, we also recommend trying L’Oreal Paris Infaillible Primer Base (L'Oreal Infaillible).

An excellent summer leveling base. Provides SPF 18, enriched with vitamins and mineral particles. Additionally, it has a soft moisturizing complex: smoothes the skin, but does not create a “wet” shine effect.

Concealing base

This is a pigmented or colored base. It differs from similar products by the presence of a certain shade in the structure. This allows you to more effectively hide some imperfections. For example, green VOV Pure Make-up Base is often used to correct problem skin.

Another feature of such products is their high density. To narrow pores and hide certain unevenness, the product should have a fairly thick consistency. Therefore, such products are often not suitable for daily use.

Collistar Face Primer Evening Brightening (Colistrar)– an elite base containing microdispersed mineral powder, stearic acid, mica. Tops the ranking of the most recommended databases of last year. It has reflective properties and does not contain silicones.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser (Maybelline)– a chic corrective base for everyday makeup. Unlike many analogues, it can be used daily and belongs to the middle segment. Contains cherry extract and safe silicones.

Chanel Le Blanc de Chanel (Chanel) An almost completely natural moisturizing foundation for any age group of women. The main feature of this product is its versatility: when applied locally, the base becomes a highlighter, foundation or tint veil. Contains kelp extract, licorice extracts, witch hazel, rose water, mineral particles.

Silicone base

Contains silicones as the main components. With their help, it provides a soft and uniform coating, a kind of beige veil. Ideal for creating evening makeup, as it is often water-repellent. Helps add radiance to the skin, prolong durability and improve evenness of foundation application.

Artdeco Make Up Base with Anti-aging Effect (Artdeco)– a dense enough base to replace the main foundation. On the face it creates the effect of a thin veil, evenly distributed over the folds and depressions. It has a slight lifting effect, contains safe silicones, and does not clog pores.

Manly Pro Elixir HD (Menly) Suitable for dry and dehydrated skin. It can be used as an everyday moisturizer, but applied in a thin layer, without excess. It is a budget analogue of the more famous Givenchy product. Contains plant extracts and silicone compounds.

Eclat Minute– pearlescent silicone base with polymers that add shine. As a result of application, the effect of illuminating the epidermis is formed. Very durable, but soft, due to which it does not clog pores. Suitable for use as a highlighter.

Base for oily skin

The main difference between a base for oily skin and any other is its consistency. It should be as light as possible so as not to clog pores, but at the same time dense enough to eliminate shine. Enriched with mineral components, extracts from various plants and oils.

Often non-comedogenic, which means it can be used every day. Also contains a minimal amount of silicones and additional moisturizing complexes. The most famous products are:

Korean Holika Holika Naked Face Tone-Up Base (Holika Holika)– ideal for problem skin. This makeup base is enriched with minerals, plant extracts and reflective particles.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer oil-free (Smashbox)– a shining base for any makeup. It has strong absorbent properties, eliminates oily shine and inflammation. Enriched with vitamins A, C, E, plant extracts, fruit extracts.

Max Factor Face Finiti All Day Primer (Max Factor)– professional basis. Known for its non-comedogenicity, due to which it can be used on problematic and sensitive skin. Contains moisturizing components and vitamin complexes.

How to apply makeup base on your face

To properly apply your makeup base, it is important to prepare your face. The skin is cleansed of dead cells by scrubbing, after which it is moisturized with day cream. Depending on the type of foundation chosen, it is recommended to select a cream with UF factors. We recommend NIVEA pre-makeup (Nivea).

Video: makeup base - choosing a primer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-umIMs2FHLw

Instructions on how to use Nyx Photo-loving primer (Nyx):

To create a dense layer, you need to apply the base using tapping movements using your fingertips. This technique is suitable for those with problematic or very dry epidermis. If you need a thin layer (to improve the distribution of foundation), then it is better to use a sponge;
The product should be applied along massage lines. The base does not rub, but is driven into the skin. The fact is that any top or primer becomes invisible with intensive rubbing. Therefore, it is better to simply gently distribute the product over the skin by tapping;
When the base is absorbed, you can apply foundation.

Which makeup base is better - review

Eva Mosaic Perfect Matt Primer (Eva Mosaic) consists of mineral particles and silicone compounds. Gives the skin a matte glow, normalizes pore function, and prolongs the durability of makeup.

Dior Glow Maximizer Light Boosting Primer (Dior) Offers not only the creation of a dense and uniform base for makeup, but also gentle moisturizing. This base has a very delicate mousse structure and does not form a film on the face when applied. Contains foam oil and alpinia extract.

Oriflame The ONE IlluSkin Face Primer (Oriflame)– an excellent product for visually narrowing pores and smoothing the skin. Contains silicone components and a moisturizing complex, prolongs the durability of the foundation, suitable for use on the eyes. This is a complete analogue of Avon (Avon) Lux, but costs slightly less.

Oriflame The ONE IlluSkin Face Primer

What is a makeup base and why is it needed?

Why do you need a makeup base:

For long-lasting make-up. Due to the mineral particles that are often included in such products, this product absorbs skin secretions and moisture. Due to this, shadows, powder and foundation stay on the face much longer than usual;
For perfectly smooth skin. Many people have noticed that even after applying a thick foundation, some imperfections remain noticeable. In order for the epidermis to be smooth and brightened, “like in the picture,” you need to use a special base;
To create the effect of inner glow. Mineral particles, in addition to absorbing properties, also have the ability to reflect light. Thanks to this property, the makeup base creates the effect of a soft natural glow of the epidermis.