It's a necessary step in your skincare routine especially if you want to boost hydration, banish redness, and cover imperfections. Editor Trudi Brewer shares tinted primers that work wonders on dull uneven-looking skin.
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It's rare to have an immaculate-looking skin over the age of 20, which is where tinted primers come into play. They offer a velvety smooth look and feel while creating an illuminated canvas that helps to keep your makeup looking flawless all day. For covering redness to dullness, dark spots and the look of fatigue, the latest glow-givers from Clarins SOS Primers have you covered.
Clarins SOS Primer, $64
What is it?
A range of colour-correcting, complexion enhancing primers in six colours that offer brightening, radiance giving results in seconds.
What's in it?
The clever ingredient in this weightless texture offers an instant blurring effect courtesy of what the brand calls 'high lumitech complex'. Each primer is stacked with the famous Clarins anti-pollution complex, mica, which offers the coloured tint, titanium dioxide to offer UV protection, while the combination of plant extracts nipplewort extract, (a flower scrub from the sunflower family) and camellia leaf extract, further help to boost skin radiance.
Who can use it?
Anyone who does not have perfect-looking skin (that's most of us). Depending on what type of makeup finish you like, a tinted primer like this can prevent you from wearing a mask of makeup while concealing imperfections. It's about layering on the right product to cheat the look of radiance.
What do I like about it?
There are no rules with these primers, for spot correction (the green is ideal for cancelling out the look of high colour) and brightening (peach works best for covering brown spots), they can be used alone applied as a thin layer under makeup, or mixed in with your foundation. Or if you have more than one skin concern, you can use a cocktail of two blended together - which is what I like to do.
Clarins SOS Primer in shade O3 Coral helps to wipe out the look of brown spots. While shade 00, Universal Light, brightens my skin when mixed with a lightweight tinted moisturiser for the day. While shade 02 Peach and shade 03 Coral when mixed with my foundation reduce the look of an uneven skin tone including concealing brown spots.
My pick from the range
From the six skin boosting primers on offer, there is also shade 04 Green, which works well to blur the look of redness, including red veins around the nose area. and finally, shade 05 Lavender, this primer visibly, brightens the look of a dullness.
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