Summer can be a frustrating season for makeup wearers because it often requires a different approach to applying cosmetics. With hot summer weather, it can sometimes be difficult to keep your makeup from sweating right off your face. Nobody wants to see sweat streaks ruining their eye makeup or foundation!
One method that can be used to make your makeup last longer during the summer is to apply a makeup primer first. Makeup primer is designed to make your skin into a smooth canvas so makeup can go on more precisely. In my opinion, primers are the best way to help your makeup stay put, which can be very helpful during the summer season. They can also be incredibly useful for when you go out dancing with your friends at a club or party!
This post will break down some of the top primers out on the market so you can keep your makeup smudge-free for the summer!
Table of Contents
Face Primers
Face primers are like a lotion you apply before you put on foundation; all you have to do is take about a pea-sized amount and dab it all over your face. Try to get an even amount on all areas of your face.
1. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer – $36
Get yours here: Sephora
This Smashbox product is one of the best primers on the market and a top pick among makeup artists. Their unique formula contains vitamins and antioxidants to help smooth out your skin and make it look like poreless perfection. Because of its transparent color, this primer works well with any skin tone. Although it is a bit pricey, the ‘airbrushed’ look it gives your skin makes it worth the investment.
2. Rimmel Fix and Perfect Foundation Primer – $7.29
Get yours here: Ulta
I absolutely love this foundation primer because it helps my makeup stay put, even through a night of clubbing! Don’t be frightened by the orange formula because it will blend in with any skin tone, light or dark. I was truly quite amazed at the quality of this product when I first tried it, especially after my makeup stayed on through hours of dancing. It will make your skin look smooth and help your foundation look flawless.
3. Revlon Smoothing Beyond Natural Primer – $10.97
Get yours here: Amazon
This Revlon foundation primer is another great drugstore substitute for the Smashbox Photo Finish primer. If you’re worried that the Rimmel primer may look too orange on your skin, then I highly recommend this Revlon primer. Like the Smashbox formula, it is transparent so it will blend in perfectly with any skin tone.
Eye Shadow Primers
Eye shadow primers are the perfect way to make your shadow or liner stay perfect all day – no creasing allowed! Just dab three dots above your lid and smooth it out so it covers the whole eye. Try to use your ring finger when applying because it wont tug on your sensitive eye skin.
1. MAC ‘s Paint Pots in Painterly or Soft Ochre – $16.50
Get yours here: Nordstrom
I love this eye shadow primer because it is so easy to apply and really helps my eye makeup look flawless. The consistency is absolutely amazing and it goes on very smoothly. It’s basically a nude cream eye shadow that you apply all over your eye – it helps any shadow stay on for hours and hours without creasing. But what I love the most is that MAC offers a great range of colors so you can find your perfect shade to match your skin tone!
2. Urban Decay Primer Potion – $18.00
Get yours here: Sephora.com
This well-known eye shadow primer has been a favorite among women everywhere ever since it was first created. (It’s also one of our top 5 beauty products worth the hype!) Unfortunately, the packaging can be quite frustrating because the bottle’s curved shape causes you to lose a lot of product. Nevertheless, it really helps my eye makeup last longer. My makeup never creases and lasts for hours when I use this.
Your thoughts?
Do you use makeup primers? What primers or other products do you use to keep your makeup looking fresh? Let me know!
Some people may think I’m crazy but I use a powder-gel from Monistat as primer for years.
It has dimethicone in it (same as any other smashbox primer) and works similarly for less than $10 at a drugstore. It works really well with mineral foundation.
DISCLAIMER: Like any new product I’d test it out on your jawline first to see if it works for your skin though, just in case.
Makeupalley reviews here:
http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=98437/Monistat_Chafing_Relief_Powder-Gel/Unlisted_Brand/Primer/_Corrector
The first primer I ever used was the Rimmel one, and I’m super pale so it turned my face orange. I now use the Monistat anti-chafing gel. It costs about $6 and smooths out my skin so nicely!
For fans of asian cosmetics, a Korean brand called Missha makes some great colour-correcting primers.
The light pink is fantastic for taking any yellow sallowness from the skin, they are not greasy, and they have enough pigment to be very effective while being sheer enough to wear on their own… they smell good, too.
Whoops didn’t even notice the same product mentioned in the 1st comment! 😀 hehe. My bad.
Another eyeshadow primer that works wonders is by Victoria’s Secret. It comes in a little black and white tube. I love it because it is more budget-friendly than smashbox and works just as well!
I love Urban Decay Primer Potion and have sworn by it ever since I read about it on CF. I will definitely try the Rimmel foundation primer as I have a big problem with my makeup staying in place!
My tested and proven primer is Monistat Chafing-Relief Powder-Gel .Works liuke magic!! Fresh face al day or night.I live in teh caribbean,its very humid at times and this primer never fails 🙂 It cost $5
I have to disagree with you about the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer. The orange formula does not blend in well with fair-light skin. I usually wear foundations in the ivory range, and the Rimmel primer made me look an oompa loompa. It looked like a very botched self-tanner job. The texture was very nice, so I imagine it would work fine with medium and darker skin tones, but I would not recommend it for people with pale skin.
Avon has a nice primer called Magix Face Perfector…it comes with SPF too!
I wish you had posted this sooner, I just bought the Prep + Prime from MAC. Don’t know how well it works yet, but since I use foundation from MAC and love it I thought i’d give it a try. Hopefully it’ll keep my makeup on!
I just purchased Urban Decay Primer Potion recently and I am so impressed! It really lasts all day (: I am dying to try paint pots soon…
Great post!
wen i run out of primer and have no cash i use a dab carmex to prime my eye lids. wrks the same
Too Faced is only $18 dollars and sooooo worth it
Yes, I tried the Rimmel primer once and it looked horrible and bright orange on my skin. However, I’m pretty much always the lightest foundation shade, and even some of those look too dark and/or orange on my skin, so I’m pretty sure that it will work fine on people who actually tan. I use the Revlon one in areas where my skin is dry to smooth it out, but I have to be careful in my t-zone, because it can make it too oily. There are primers for oily skin though, for anyone who does have it.
For eye shadow primer, I’ve been using L’oreal Decrease and it works pretty well. It’ll last me through a school day, but if I’m going out at night I’ll usually have to touch it up a little. Without it, my eyeshadow will usually crease in a couple of hours, and with it I can go about 8 hours. To be honest, I like the Urban Decay one better, but I’m nowhere near a store that sells it and I can’t afford to pay for the expensive primer plus shipping.
How do primers work with oily skin? I’m always wary of putting an extra layer of anything on, especially in the summer where makeup + sweat = breakouts. Has any other acne-prone girl had experience (good or bad) with primers?
I love ! and i repeat Love! “Too Faced Shadow Insurance”
I have only tryed this eye primer, but from what i was using
at first ( which was nothing.) This is great stuff :]