It's a bit of a journey to find a makeup primer you like to wear. The right texture and consistency are critical in giving skin a seamless finish, not to mention a lightweight formula. Editor Trudi Brewer gets a priming lesson from one of the best.
Priming your complexion provides the smoothest possible base for any foundation you wear. So how do you choose the right primer to suit the texture and tone of your skin? Enter makeup master Kimberly Rosenbrock from Benefit Cosmetics bar at Life Pharmacy Albany in Auckland.
How do you choose the right primer?
Be guided by your skin type and the imperfections you want to conceal such as an oily T-Zone, blemishes, pigmentation or dryness (just to name a few), consider these concerns when choosing a primer. We have a skin analysis tool to measure moisture levels in the skin, it only takes a few minutes and it’s great to see the difference a hydrating primer makes to the skin.
What is the best way to use it?
You can use a brush or fingertips. I like to use my fingers (with the new Benefit Porefessonal Hydrate Primer). Start by applying a pea-sized amount on the back of my hand and then smoothing it onto the face, this helps warm the product before it hits your skin. It absorbs into your skin so fast, so you can apply foundation, concealer, powder, over the top, which will glide onto the skin so smoothly. I think of it as a quick-drying moisturiser you can use alone or under makeup. Start at the centre of the face and then smooth gently (don't rub), working upwards and outwards towards the hairline and jaw.
What are your best priming pro tips?
Avoid the temptation to use more than directed; it may seem that if you use more then surely it will work better; however, the opposite can be true, if you use too much it will start to roll off your skin, taking your makeup with it.
What is in the new The POREfessional Hydrate Primer?
Ingredients that target dryness and dehydrated, like hyaluronic acid, (a brilliant moisture magnet), and Shea butter, so it's great for normal to dry skin, which helps keep your makeup in place all day, and stops it from settling into fine lines. It's oil-free so you can use it to touch your makeup during the day, and it also helps to minimise the look of open pores.
Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Hydrate Primer, $60.
The primer lineup from Benefit Cosmetics
The latest primer Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Hydrate Primer, $60 addresses dry, dehydrated skin, while the Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Pearl Primer, $60 helps to give skin luminosity. The classic, Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Pores Primer, $60, focuses on blurring the look of open pores. There are also mini’s in each of the primers, ideal for travel.