A Review of Primers I've Tried

After Kyuu, one of my readers asked me which primer I'd recommend, I decided to make a run down of different primers I've tried. Just so you know, I have REALLY oily skin, so primers are very important for my makeup routine.

What is a primer? A primer serves as a base for makeup. It helps makeup stay longer, helps control oiliness and helps blur pores, wrinkles and other blemishes.

I use a primer everyday, so I choose the ones that are not heavy on my pocket. So I don't have any of the high end primers.

So anyway, here is a rundown of all the different primers I've tried:

1. BARE NATURALS SKIN PERFECTING PRIMER

photo taken from barenaturals.multiply.com

I'm currently loving this primer because it's very affordable (less than P500 or $10 for 30 ml), readily available (no long waits) but still gets the job done. This is an upgrade from the previous S5 primer. This skin perfecting primer dries faster than the old one, plus with added ingredients like tea tree oil to help combat acne and pearl powder. It also helps control the oilies. This primer doesn't have any artificial preservatives, meaning it's good for the skin but it also means that it expires easily. This primer might not be suitable for people with dry to normal skin because of the tea tree oil, though.

2. CAMELLIA ROSE SKIN SOOTHING PRIMER ORIGINAL VERSION

This is another favorite primer of mine, but it's also the most expensive one I own! Like the BN primer, this one doesn't have any artificial preservatives that's why it's good for the skin, but as I said, it also expires easily. It also helps control oilies, but it takes a while for it to dry.

3. MONISTAT CHAFING RELIEF POWDER GEL


Monistat is one of the most popular primers out there because it's very affordable and yet delivers good results. I have to say, they are right. It dries immediately, blurs pores well and has the best oil control power among all the primers I've tried. But this caused some breakouts for a lot of people. For me, I did feel that my skin got rougher after using it continuously. I suggest not using this for more than three days straight to keep your pores unclogged :)

4. AVON MAGIX SKIN PROTECTOR SPF 20

I really wanted to love this primer because it had SPF, good oil control, dried quickly, had a wonderful texture that blurred out pores. A lot of people love this primer and it's easy to see why. However, it did not hold my makeup as well as other primers. For a full review that I did previously, click HERE

TIPS

• Use a moisturizer before applying a primer. A moisturizer really helps in making a clean canvas
• Make sure that the moisturizer is dry before applying primer.
• Likewise, make sure that the primer is dry before putting on makeup.
• People with dry skin can opt to skip primers.
• People with normal or combination skin can also opt to just apply primer in their oily spots (like the T-Zone)