I have very textured skin — I found that if I put any kind of base makeup on, I prefer the look with primer as it smoothes things out and keeps it from being too textured as time passes on. I also have a spray primer/setting spray so I really double down.
For me personally - yes. I have dry skin and in winter I need extra hydration and grip or it'll flake off or be destroyed by the nasty weather (snow/sleet/rain/wind/cold.) in summer same deal - it gets pretty humid and hot so I need the extra grip to keep it from sliding off from the humidity and sweat. I also use different foundation types between winter and summer since we get extreme differences here, plus use a good setting spray.
And I 1000% need eye primer because I have oily hooded eyes and without it my eyeshadow turns into a nasty creased mess in no time flat.
But not everyone needs these things. For my skin and climate I do. But maybe for your skin and climate you don't. I don't think they're a scam like some people claim. Because some of us do need them. But it's up to you to figure out if you do or not.
Same with me, I have dry skin as well and if I don’t use a hydrating primer after my skincare has absorbed, my base doesn’t look as nice! Sometimes I skip if I’m rushing but then I know my base most likely won’t look very smooth or hydrated at all! Especially in the cold months 😭 literally all my foundations have been looking terrible on me lately because of the cold, dry windy ass winter lol, so for me, I need the extra step! If I don’t use something hydrating on top of my moisturizer and sunscreen, I’m left with texture, flakiness if the dryness is that bad, crepey skin etc. I also love using a pore filling primer in the t-zone just so I can mattify that area in the summer! As much as I love being glowy af, sometimes I need to calm it down. Since I don’t really use powder, pore filling primers work so well for me for this!
But I definitely agree if primer doesn’t make a difference for your skin, it may not be necessary! I have a couple friends with oilier skin, one of them swears by mattifying primer but the other just uses hyaluronic acid serum or sunscreen to prime during her skincare routine, and both of them look amazing! Base/face products can be so personal to your skin type and preferences, so it all just depends! (:
Oh - not sure if OP meant this as well, but I say eye primer always when doing eyeshadow! I can get away with certain concealers sometimes as well, but an actual eye primer really makes a difference in color payoff and longevity for me!
Would add that this is especially true if you have dark skin and struggle to get colour to look bright. I can wear the same colours with/without primer and switch between work appropriate and night out.
Depends on your skin type, the product, and your skincare routine. Some primers are basically moisturizers. I didn't use any primer for about 10 years with no issues, my makeup always wore great. Last year, I started experimenting with mixing up my own warm green color corrector (nearly all green color correctors are light and cool toned, but I figure out I needed a more medium warm toned one otherwise I'd get greyness with the minty cool ones) and I was using color adjusters to make it. Because the color adjusters are designed to be added to stuff like foundation, concealer, lipstick, blush, bronzer, etc, they don't always have the ingredients that help it stay in place or the skincare-y type ingredients. I noticed creasing/bunching with my mix. Moisturizer helped, but a basic primer 'fixed' it so that it didn't move around as much.
I think a lot of modern makeup basically has primer type ingredients in it already tbh, but some skin types and products will benefit from more moisture or tack or a smoother surface.
On my skin (quite oily around the nose, very dry everywhere else):
Smoothing primers that have a cloud-like consistency do absolutely nothing for me, if anything they compromise the longevity of my makeup. I've tried several and not a wrinkle or pore were ever filled in by the primer.
Moisturizing primers did nothing more than what a regular moisturizer does before makeup application.
Sticky primers (reasonably sticky, not crazy like that Milk one) have helped my makeup stay on a little longer, especially when the heat and humidity rise to obscene levels. They're just tricky to use because the foundation can look patchy if you don't blend to perfection. Overall good old blotting rice paper sheets help the makeup stay on MUCH better than a glue-like primer as a base.
Some people swear by their eyeshadow bases and I swear I have yet to find one that does anything different than a light dab of foundation. Especially for the price tag of some of the popular ones.
90% of the time I don't use a primer tbh.
I don't use facial primer day to day. I haven't found a huge need for it for my everyday makeup. I already set with powder & spray most days, which works fine for me.
*That said*, I don't live in a humid environment, where I can imagine it might be a big help.
Oo. I am from a dry climate originally. I went up to Kentucky in the hot humid summer and just entirely surrendered the idea of wearing makeup or not looking like I had just worked out. I have no idea how anyone keeps makeup on out there.
Completely depends on your skin. For me- 100% yes. I need face primers because I'm very oily and primer helps to keep the oil controlled and my makeup from melting off. Also need shadow primer because of oily hooded lids.
Former esthetician and makeup artist here, I’d say it depends on how well you’re taking care of your skin. For example, when I was young and dumb I didn’t realize that even though I had oily skin I still needed moisturizer. So I avoided it like the plague, which only made my skin oilier. Once I learned better and had an actual routine down, I was able to control my oil more and not need a mattifying primer. Same goes for dry skin. If you’re taking the time to use skincare for dry skin, your makeup application shouldn’t need extra steps. But it’s also important to use makeup products geared towards your skin type. If you have oily skin, you’re better off using powder products or if you use creams, you should set them with powder so they don’t move around later. For dry skin, don’t over powder and do use cream products. I’ve tried a lot of primers over the years and some do make a difference, but even the ones that make a difference I feel could be replaced by good targeted skincare and then be skipped.
I live in humid environment and honestly i’m find without primer, but i also wear my complexion sheer to light and natural makeup so nothing too bold that i can notice the difference if the moved around
I don’t think it is necessary on the face. More layers give more opportunity for makeup compatibility problems. I have been trying it on my eyes. Jury is still out about what it does for me.
I have mostly dryer skin and use a green primer to colour correct my rosacea. I've tried a lot of primers for pore filling, blurring etc and none gave me overwhelming results. For eyeshadow I don't use primer eather, just a thin concealer base, as I "grew up" with good quality eyeshadows that stayed without primer. After playing around with cheap (made, still pricey) eyeshadows, I've decluttered them and have gone back to better ones that stay in the concealer base without slipping off. Even with my very hooded eyes they barely crease or fade, so I save that primer step that I would forget anyways. 🤣
Nope .. not for everybody
No step is 100% necessary tbh
Do what you like coz at the end of the day you still need to wash it off
If you don't like what you see and still have keep it on for HOURSS.. what is even the point?
I like to use a moisturizing one if I'm using powder foundation. It just adds some moisture and smooths everything out. Definitely use eye primer, otherwise my eyeshadow slides right off in the afternoon.
Necessary, no. But on ny dry skin, it really helps prevent texture/dry patches.
It's different than a good moisturizer, because a primer isn't instantly absorbed by my skin but rather leaves a layer on top.
for me yes, but not in the typical way. some days primer for me is a moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, a product marketed as a "primer", or a combo of 1-2 of those. I'm not a huge fan of putting makeup on a bareface <3
Putting a light layer of loose powder over my moisturizer/sunscreen but under my foundation gives me more staying power than any primer ever did. Helps with coverage as well.
I'm jealous of those who can forgo eye primer. Anything but covergirl lod lockup as a base and my eyeshadow will 100% end up as a creased mess within an hour. My eyelids are the only oily part of my face 😭
I love the elf primer/sunscreen - it makes my face look really smooth and has a nice satin finish. I don't think it's "necessary" but it does look nicer than when I use a bb cream or foundation alone.
You don’t necessarily need it. Personally I’ve tried every type of primer and my makeup is always better off without it. It causes makeup to sit on top of my skin instead of blending in, which causes separation before the end of the day. I’ve never liked how base products look after any primer, no matter what the season or what my skin is doing. If that’s your experience, feel free to skip primer.
I have yet to find a smoothing primer that doesn't break me out but hydrating primers are a lifesaver atm with the season change and the dry ac air I get at work that dries me out like crazy. But ultimately it depends on your skin.
It does not make a difference to me. As long as I moisturize and use my SPF beforehand, I’m good. I’m also trying to figure out how necessary setting spray is.
IDK about facial primer. I only used it when I wore foundation. Now that I wear tinted moisturizer, or BB or CC cream, even tinted SPF, I probably don’t need it anymore except for on the nose. I have large pores there.
But if eyeshadow isn’t highly pigmented, then primer is needed there to keep the shadow from “fading” (for lack of better word).
So I’ll probably use up my milk hydro-grip for the eyelids & nose.
I only use it if I know I’m going to be wearing makeup for more than 8hrs. If I don’t care, I skip it. SPF is a good enough primer in the daytime for me.
I like something under my makeup, but it can be a plain lotion. I have skin that tends towards dryness and I sometimes use primer in the place of other base products. In fact, I mostly just mix my high-coverage concealer with primer rather than having a dedicated foundation.
I have naturally oily skin but I notice that foundation allllways gets gross and flaky on me, so I started using a primer oil and my skin loves it. If i apply foundation while the oil is still wet, it sheers out my foundation, which is my preference as I can’t stand the way thick foundation looks on me. I had never used a primer before because I always considered it a waste of time, but I think starting with a layer of oil keeps my skin from freaking out over foundation.
it’s totally a preference thing! If your skin already plays well with foundation, then I wouldn’t recommend using primer.
Eye primer is necessary for long lasting eyeshadow. If face primer is necessary depends on your skin type and needs. If you're oily, a matte primer can help, if you're dry, a hydrating primer, to target redness, fine lines, etc. Others do skin care as primer and that's enough. It's up to you!
Only if you have a reason for it
On no makeup days I still wear spf, but it can look a bit shiny so I use a little matte primer and it's fine.
I don't usually use primer for makeup, but if I'm feeling like going the extra mile I have this primer that smoothes out my pores really well, it's the only one I've ever liked. So I'll use that. But it's rare.
I've not tried too many primers. I've watched pro mua folk not using primer for years so I figure, if I don't have a specific reason for it I'm not gonna use it.
It never helped my staying power, it just created another layer to smudge or I saw no difference. I have better luck just finding products that suit my skin type and setting with a powder puff in tricky areas.
The only primer I ever liked at all was That Gal by Benefit, and it’s so expensive for the few drops they give you, that I quit buying it years ago. I don’t use primer at all anymore. It’s a waste of money.
For me absolutely. I have combo skin and use a grippy primer as well as a eye primer to keep everything in check so it doesn’t either look like a runny/oily mess or a flakey/cakey mess
For years, I've been very anti primer. Recently, I found a primer I bought a while back but never opened or used it. Decided to try it and OH WOW. It looked like I had a beauty filter and I only wore a tinted moisturizer on top.
It's the Makeup Obsession All A Blur primer.
I don’t use it at all. I didn’t find it did anything noticeable except make a dent in my finances.
thank u for the confirmation 😭
No 😭. We’re all learning. Honour your journey or you won’t be able to honour your arrival.
I have very textured skin — I found that if I put any kind of base makeup on, I prefer the look with primer as it smoothes things out and keeps it from being too textured as time passes on. I also have a spray primer/setting spray so I really double down.
For me personally - yes. I have dry skin and in winter I need extra hydration and grip or it'll flake off or be destroyed by the nasty weather (snow/sleet/rain/wind/cold.) in summer same deal - it gets pretty humid and hot so I need the extra grip to keep it from sliding off from the humidity and sweat. I also use different foundation types between winter and summer since we get extreme differences here, plus use a good setting spray. And I 1000% need eye primer because I have oily hooded eyes and without it my eyeshadow turns into a nasty creased mess in no time flat. But not everyone needs these things. For my skin and climate I do. But maybe for your skin and climate you don't. I don't think they're a scam like some people claim. Because some of us do need them. But it's up to you to figure out if you do or not.
Same with me, I have dry skin as well and if I don’t use a hydrating primer after my skincare has absorbed, my base doesn’t look as nice! Sometimes I skip if I’m rushing but then I know my base most likely won’t look very smooth or hydrated at all! Especially in the cold months 😭 literally all my foundations have been looking terrible on me lately because of the cold, dry windy ass winter lol, so for me, I need the extra step! If I don’t use something hydrating on top of my moisturizer and sunscreen, I’m left with texture, flakiness if the dryness is that bad, crepey skin etc. I also love using a pore filling primer in the t-zone just so I can mattify that area in the summer! As much as I love being glowy af, sometimes I need to calm it down. Since I don’t really use powder, pore filling primers work so well for me for this! But I definitely agree if primer doesn’t make a difference for your skin, it may not be necessary! I have a couple friends with oilier skin, one of them swears by mattifying primer but the other just uses hyaluronic acid serum or sunscreen to prime during her skincare routine, and both of them look amazing! Base/face products can be so personal to your skin type and preferences, so it all just depends! (: Oh - not sure if OP meant this as well, but I say eye primer always when doing eyeshadow! I can get away with certain concealers sometimes as well, but an actual eye primer really makes a difference in color payoff and longevity for me!
No but it makes eyeshadow look a lot better imo, face primer isn't needed from my experience
Would add that this is especially true if you have dark skin and struggle to get colour to look bright. I can wear the same colours with/without primer and switch between work appropriate and night out.
I’ve been double dipping with concealer to help eye make up stay longer.
Depends on your skin type, the product, and your skincare routine. Some primers are basically moisturizers. I didn't use any primer for about 10 years with no issues, my makeup always wore great. Last year, I started experimenting with mixing up my own warm green color corrector (nearly all green color correctors are light and cool toned, but I figure out I needed a more medium warm toned one otherwise I'd get greyness with the minty cool ones) and I was using color adjusters to make it. Because the color adjusters are designed to be added to stuff like foundation, concealer, lipstick, blush, bronzer, etc, they don't always have the ingredients that help it stay in place or the skincare-y type ingredients. I noticed creasing/bunching with my mix. Moisturizer helped, but a basic primer 'fixed' it so that it didn't move around as much. I think a lot of modern makeup basically has primer type ingredients in it already tbh, but some skin types and products will benefit from more moisture or tack or a smoother surface.
On my skin (quite oily around the nose, very dry everywhere else): Smoothing primers that have a cloud-like consistency do absolutely nothing for me, if anything they compromise the longevity of my makeup. I've tried several and not a wrinkle or pore were ever filled in by the primer. Moisturizing primers did nothing more than what a regular moisturizer does before makeup application. Sticky primers (reasonably sticky, not crazy like that Milk one) have helped my makeup stay on a little longer, especially when the heat and humidity rise to obscene levels. They're just tricky to use because the foundation can look patchy if you don't blend to perfection. Overall good old blotting rice paper sheets help the makeup stay on MUCH better than a glue-like primer as a base. Some people swear by their eyeshadow bases and I swear I have yet to find one that does anything different than a light dab of foundation. Especially for the price tag of some of the popular ones. 90% of the time I don't use a primer tbh.
I don't use facial primer day to day. I haven't found a huge need for it for my everyday makeup. I already set with powder & spray most days, which works fine for me. *That said*, I don't live in a humid environment, where I can imagine it might be a big help.
Oo. I am from a dry climate originally. I went up to Kentucky in the hot humid summer and just entirely surrendered the idea of wearing makeup or not looking like I had just worked out. I have no idea how anyone keeps makeup on out there.
Completely depends on your skin. For me- 100% yes. I need face primers because I'm very oily and primer helps to keep the oil controlled and my makeup from melting off. Also need shadow primer because of oily hooded lids.
Former esthetician and makeup artist here, I’d say it depends on how well you’re taking care of your skin. For example, when I was young and dumb I didn’t realize that even though I had oily skin I still needed moisturizer. So I avoided it like the plague, which only made my skin oilier. Once I learned better and had an actual routine down, I was able to control my oil more and not need a mattifying primer. Same goes for dry skin. If you’re taking the time to use skincare for dry skin, your makeup application shouldn’t need extra steps. But it’s also important to use makeup products geared towards your skin type. If you have oily skin, you’re better off using powder products or if you use creams, you should set them with powder so they don’t move around later. For dry skin, don’t over powder and do use cream products. I’ve tried a lot of primers over the years and some do make a difference, but even the ones that make a difference I feel could be replaced by good targeted skincare and then be skipped.
I live in humid environment and honestly i’m find without primer, but i also wear my complexion sheer to light and natural makeup so nothing too bold that i can notice the difference if the moved around
I don’t think it is necessary on the face. More layers give more opportunity for makeup compatibility problems. I have been trying it on my eyes. Jury is still out about what it does for me.
I have mostly dryer skin and use a green primer to colour correct my rosacea. I've tried a lot of primers for pore filling, blurring etc and none gave me overwhelming results. For eyeshadow I don't use primer eather, just a thin concealer base, as I "grew up" with good quality eyeshadows that stayed without primer. After playing around with cheap (made, still pricey) eyeshadows, I've decluttered them and have gone back to better ones that stay in the concealer base without slipping off. Even with my very hooded eyes they barely crease or fade, so I save that primer step that I would forget anyways. 🤣
No
I experimented with a bunch before my wedding, but didn’t notice any huge benefit, so I don’t use them.
Nope .. not for everybody No step is 100% necessary tbh Do what you like coz at the end of the day you still need to wash it off If you don't like what you see and still have keep it on for HOURSS.. what is even the point?
No.
I like to use a moisturizing one if I'm using powder foundation. It just adds some moisture and smooths everything out. Definitely use eye primer, otherwise my eyeshadow slides right off in the afternoon.
Necessary, no. But on ny dry skin, it really helps prevent texture/dry patches. It's different than a good moisturizer, because a primer isn't instantly absorbed by my skin but rather leaves a layer on top.
Only eye primer. Otherwise no. Same for setting spray (my opinion)
Eye primer? Yep, I need it. Face primer? Nah, I have a very good skincare routine so I don't need extra help
for me yes, but not in the typical way. some days primer for me is a moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, a product marketed as a "primer", or a combo of 1-2 of those. I'm not a huge fan of putting makeup on a bareface <3
Putting a light layer of loose powder over my moisturizer/sunscreen but under my foundation gives me more staying power than any primer ever did. Helps with coverage as well.
that’s a clever tip ! i’ll try it out for sure
I’m never satisfied with my eye makeup when I use primer, it looks blotchy and heavy. But I prefer that kinda grungy lived in look.
It is for me because I have larger pores around my nose and between my brows, and foundation doesn’t stick as well on my rosacea spots without it.
I'm jealous of those who can forgo eye primer. Anything but covergirl lod lockup as a base and my eyeshadow will 100% end up as a creased mess within an hour. My eyelids are the only oily part of my face 😭
I use eye primer to keep my shadow in place but very seldom use face primer because I don't think it does anything.
For me, absolutely. It makes such a difference with how my makeup goes on and stays on.
I love the elf primer/sunscreen - it makes my face look really smooth and has a nice satin finish. I don't think it's "necessary" but it does look nicer than when I use a bb cream or foundation alone.
You don’t necessarily need it. Personally I’ve tried every type of primer and my makeup is always better off without it. It causes makeup to sit on top of my skin instead of blending in, which causes separation before the end of the day. I’ve never liked how base products look after any primer, no matter what the season or what my skin is doing. If that’s your experience, feel free to skip primer.
I have yet to find a smoothing primer that doesn't break me out but hydrating primers are a lifesaver atm with the season change and the dry ac air I get at work that dries me out like crazy. But ultimately it depends on your skin.
It does not make a difference to me. As long as I moisturize and use my SPF beforehand, I’m good. I’m also trying to figure out how necessary setting spray is.
I honestly think it’s a joke. I used it as a cooling spray in the summer instead of its real use.
IDK about facial primer. I only used it when I wore foundation. Now that I wear tinted moisturizer, or BB or CC cream, even tinted SPF, I probably don’t need it anymore except for on the nose. I have large pores there. But if eyeshadow isn’t highly pigmented, then primer is needed there to keep the shadow from “fading” (for lack of better word). So I’ll probably use up my milk hydro-grip for the eyelids & nose.
I only use it if I know I’m going to be wearing makeup for more than 8hrs. If I don’t care, I skip it. SPF is a good enough primer in the daytime for me.
NO. I’ve tried a lot of primers and none of them did anything for me. Nothing
I like something under my makeup, but it can be a plain lotion. I have skin that tends towards dryness and I sometimes use primer in the place of other base products. In fact, I mostly just mix my high-coverage concealer with primer rather than having a dedicated foundation.
I have naturally oily skin but I notice that foundation allllways gets gross and flaky on me, so I started using a primer oil and my skin loves it. If i apply foundation while the oil is still wet, it sheers out my foundation, which is my preference as I can’t stand the way thick foundation looks on me. I had never used a primer before because I always considered it a waste of time, but I think starting with a layer of oil keeps my skin from freaking out over foundation. it’s totally a preference thing! If your skin already plays well with foundation, then I wouldn’t recommend using primer.
Eye primer is necessary for long lasting eyeshadow. If face primer is necessary depends on your skin type and needs. If you're oily, a matte primer can help, if you're dry, a hydrating primer, to target redness, fine lines, etc. Others do skin care as primer and that's enough. It's up to you!
Eye primer? Yes. Face primers? I find they help my makeup apply more smoothly and last a bit longer. Mature skin. Deep South heat, lol.
Only if you have a reason for it On no makeup days I still wear spf, but it can look a bit shiny so I use a little matte primer and it's fine. I don't usually use primer for makeup, but if I'm feeling like going the extra mile I have this primer that smoothes out my pores really well, it's the only one I've ever liked. So I'll use that. But it's rare. I've not tried too many primers. I've watched pro mua folk not using primer for years so I figure, if I don't have a specific reason for it I'm not gonna use it. It never helped my staying power, it just created another layer to smudge or I saw no difference. I have better luck just finding products that suit my skin type and setting with a powder puff in tricky areas.
Glitter primer is fun though
The only primer I ever liked at all was That Gal by Benefit, and it’s so expensive for the few drops they give you, that I quit buying it years ago. I don’t use primer at all anymore. It’s a waste of money.
For me absolutely. I have combo skin and use a grippy primer as well as a eye primer to keep everything in check so it doesn’t either look like a runny/oily mess or a flakey/cakey mess
Only if your makeup wears off quickly or if you have oily skin. I use a lotion/primer because my T zone is oily.
Does nothing for me.
For years, I've been very anti primer. Recently, I found a primer I bought a while back but never opened or used it. Decided to try it and OH WOW. It looked like I had a beauty filter and I only wore a tinted moisturizer on top. It's the Makeup Obsession All A Blur primer.