Over the years I have heard makeup jokingly referred to as spackle or paint. I always assumed those terms were reserved for the girls who really packed on the layers. I have always been more of a five-step-face kind of gal. However, as the years tick by I am finding my makeup routine to be more of a…well…a project to be honest. I had seen primer in the the makeup aisle and maybe even picked it up out of curiosity a few times, but I always disregarded it as a necessity. Primer was compartmentalized in my mind with the other construction materials…spackle and paint. But, to quote Dolly, “Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it’s marching across your face…” (If you can’t name that movie, we can’t be friends). With this realization and another birthday quickly approaching I caved and decided to buy a face primer.
In theory it works exactly like the primer you apply to a wall before you paint it. It makes your makeup go on more smoothly, helps it last longer, and reduces appearance of fine lines and pores. I chose the Smashbox Photo Finish primer and I must say I was impressed! This one is a gel based primer, but other brands offer cream and even powder primers. It feels like silk and glides smoothly over your face. It’s almost like your foundation is floating on top of the primer. The differene in the coverage and ease with which my foundation went on was amazing. If you have rosacea or acne spots they offer light green primers that will help conceal the redness. The Smashbox primer I bought was on the pricier side at $36, but like I said, birthday quickly approaching! 
Every year I get a little more panicked about a month before my birthday and start to really assess my face for signs of aging. It is probably just an overreaction on my part, but nevertheless I become obsessed with anti-aging everything. Go to Ulta. Buy all of the stuff. Will look 21 again by birthday. While most of the stuff becomes a fixture in the product graveyard under my sink, I believe the primer is now a permanent fixture in my everyday routine.
Below I am going to give a list with links to 4 different primers in different price ranges. These come recommended by my friends and they all look fab..so you can’t go wrong! So if you have never tried a primer and you think it is a waste of time and money, think again. I truly believe that out of the bazillions of products that there are to choose from, these great products are a necessity!
- Smashbox, “Photo Finish Foundation Primer”
- Makeup By Sheila, “Hydrating Foundation Primer”
- NYX, “Studio Perfect Primer”
- Benefit, “The Porefessional Face Primer”
Happy spackling ladies! Thanks for joining us here in The Powder Room.