What is Face Primer? And Why Do I Need it?

Face primer is one of those products you’ve probably heard a lot about. But maybe you don’t know what it does. Or if you even need it! After all, we so often read in magazines and are told by brands that we absolutely need this, that and the other beauty product! When in reality, we only really need a few. Make sure to read this post to see what are the ONLY makeup essentials you really need. Spoiler alert. It’s only a few products! One thing I can tell you though is that face primer IS on that list. And I definitely consider it a must-have product. So let’s take a deeper look at why that is and what exactly it does.

Disclaimer: Some of these products contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you decide to purchase them. But this will have no extra cost to you. As you know, I only ever recommend products and brands that I absolutely love and use myself in both my professional and personal makeup kits. So that’s how I know how amazing they are and why I’m so excited to share them with you so you’ll get the same amazing results from using them too.

What is Face Primer?

Firstly, let’s address the question ‘what is primer?’ I love to use the analogy of paint primer in order to describe what face primer does.

Before you put any paint on a wall, you need to first prepare that wall so that the paint will go on smoothly.

Well, face primer works in the same way. It preps your skin and provides a smooth, even canvas for your makeup.

Okay. So what else does it do?

Let’s go back to my paint primer analogy for a second. You wouldn’t paint a wall before first prepping it. After all, why waste all your time, energy, hard work and, of course, your gorgeous (often expensive) paint, when you haven’t done the prep work first.

If you don’t prep the wall first, that gorgeous paint isn’t going to go on smoothly. And this will result in an uneven finish.

Not only that, your lovely paint job isn’t going to last as long either. So you’ll have spent hours painting the wall, only to have to repaint it again very soon because the paint hasn’t lasted long on the wall.

Here’s the real reason why you need it

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from my community is ‘how can I make my makeup last longer?’.

Whenever I hear this question, the first thing I always ask them is if, and how, they prep their skin before applying their makeup. And the answer is often the same. They don’t! Or if they do, they’re missing one vital step. I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now! And it’s that they’re not using a face primer underneath their foundation.

So we’ve already established that by not doing the prep work before painting your wall with your gorgeous new paint, it’s not going to go on smoothly. And it’s not going to last as long.

And whilst you’re obviously not going to spend as long applying your makeup as you are painting a wall, it’s still important to prep first. Otherwise, your foundation won’t go on smoothly, which can lead to a patchy looking finish.

And the big one! Your makeup is not going to last as long either!

This means you’ll need to touch it up throughout the day. Which also means having to use even more product! For one thing, I’m guessing you don’t have the time to do that. Because let’s be honest, who does! And secondly, you’re just wasting your lovely products unnecessarily.

Applying a face primer underneath your makeup will help it to last longer. Which means you won’t need to reapply as often and your products will last longer too. And as I’ve said, it’s also going to provide a smooth base for applying foundation. Which leads to an even, natural looking application.

Here’s yet another reason to love face primer

As if making your foundation last longer and go on smoothly and evenly aren’t enough amazing reasons to use a face primer. It also helps to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles too.

How to apply primer

Primer is applied after moisturiser and before makeup. And you only need a very small amount of primer. An amount about the size of a pea is more than enough.

Using your fingers to apply it, begin by applying it on your T-zone area. The T-Zone area is your forehead, nose and cheeks. That’s it. You don’t need to apply it all over your face. Otherwise, you’re just wasting product where it’s not needed.

You can also apply a little on your chin too if you like if you find that your foundation tends to fade in this area too.

Why only on the T-Zone area?

Because this is the area where most of your foundation will be concentrated. We tend to have redness, oil and other impurities around this area. As a result, this is where most of your foundation and concealer are needed. So it makes sense to only apply face primer to this area, as this is where you need your foundation and concealer to last the longest.

Why such a small amount?

If you apply too much primer, you could actually have the opposite effect you’re looking for. And your makeup could actually slide off. Less is definitely more!

Avoid face primer that contains silicone

Silicone is an ingredient used by many mainstream brands to ensure the longevity of your makeup. Now you might be thinking. Noleen, didn’t you just tell me that’s the whole point of primer? To make my makeup last longer?

And yes, that is true, on one hand. However, silicone is a not a very nice ingredient. And it’s not doing anything good for your skin whatsoever. This is because it’s like a barrier over the surface of your skin.

Which means it’s going to cause problems such as clogged pores which can lead to blackheads and breakouts. So if you have acne-prone or sensitive skin, this is an ingredient I’d highly recommend you avoid. But even if you have normal skin, I’d still recommend avoiding it. You want to ensure your skin stays normal and in good condition.

So yes, you want your makeup to stay in place. But you also want your skin to be able to breathe too.

Silicone free primers for your skin type

I really love the face primers by natural beauty brand Couleur Caramel. They’re perfect for everyday use and provide a lovely, smooth base for your makeup. So you’ll have a lovely even, natural-looking finish. They contain 100% natural ingredients along with over 11% certified organic ingredients.

Something else I love about these primers is that they come in eco-friendly tubes that are biodegradable. And they’re of course, cruelty-free. Kind to your skin, health, animals and the environment. My favourite combination!

Normal & Dry Skin

If either of these is your skin type, I highly recommend their Makeup-Base Primer. This one contains organic sweet almond oil which is a fabulous ingredient that provides hydration to the skin. This primer has the consistency of a moisturiser. So it feels like you’re also treating your skin too. It’s also vegan-friendly.

Oily & Combination Skin

And if you have oily or combination skin, their Smoothing Velvet Primer is perfect for you. It has a mattifying effect which will counteract any shine on the t-zone area. So it’s not only making your makeup last longer, but also combating shine. It too has some skin loving ingredients such as organic jojoba oil and organic primrose oil.

I really hope you found this helpful. And I hope I’ve convinced you that primer is such a great product to have in your makeup collection.

Whilst applying a face primer might seem like an extra step, it’s actually SAVING you time AND money. Because you won’t need to use as much product (saving you money). And you won’t need to reapply as often (saving you time).

Do you use a face primer? Or is it a product you thought was unnecessary? Let me know in the comments below. xo