When it comes to creating a beautiful, long-lasting makeup look, the first step might be the most important. Applying a makeup primer gives your makeup a smooth, even base to stick to, helping it stay smudge-free and flawless all day. Just like makeup, however, there is a large market for primers. Choose your makeup primer based on your skin type, any skin issues you may have, and the environment in which you’ll be wearing your makeup.

Most makeup artists suggest applying a primer with your fingers, as the slightly tacky texture means that it may just slide around if you’re using a brush. To ensure that your primer won’t pill or create textured patches on skin, take a dime-sized amount of the product, and blend it into the skin completely before letting it dry.

how do i choose a face primer, what is a good face primer for mature skin and which is the best primer for normal skin, all these questions and more will be answered in this article.

how do i choose a face primer

Primers are sort of like insurance for your makeup. Although they often perform many jobs, like smoothing, concealing, protecting and prepping, their main role is to keep your makeup on longer and give your skin a smooth, flawless finish. Any fading, bleeding or blotchiness that can occur throughout the day can usually be prevented with the use of a little bit of primer under your foundation. Better yet, many primers now are also infused with SPF, so they help keep your skin protected from UV rays while lending radiance

A primer can also provide benefits such as moisturization, skin smoothing, SPF, blurring pores, color correcting and more, depending on the formula you choose.

If you have dry skin
Tightness and flakiness are two of your main concerns if you’re dealing with dry skin. The most important thing to keep in mind here: hydration. “Try using a primer that’s super hydrating and sinks into the skin easily. Oils also work very well as primers for dry skin,” says Vakil. Her favourites include the Glossier Priming Moisturizer and the Indulgeo Essentials Rose Gold Oil. Picking a silky formulation that won’t look or feel heavy on the skin is ideal.

If you have oily skin
When you’re suffering with excessively sticky skin and sebum production that’s often out of control, your skin requires a primer that mattifies it to ensure your makeup lasts longer. “Look for a primer that comes with something that helps control oil production like dimethicone,” says Vakil. This silicone will help smoothen out your skin and give it a clean finish. Vakil is a fan of the Benefit Porefessional Face Primer to tackle oily skin.

If you have normal or combination skin
When an occasional oily T-zone is your primary concern, you’re good to use most primers as they are naturally-smoothening in nature, other than the ones made for specific concerns, of course. Vakil prefers using a luminous primer like the Becca Backlight Priming Filter for these skin types. Using a mattifying primer on the greasier areas, and a hydrating primer on the drier areas works best.

what is a good face primer for mature skin

Blurring Primers

Blurring primers — like the Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face Base Primer and Highlighter — often use light-reflecting technology to create a soft-focus effect that airbrushes flaws, making them easier to cover. We also love the Maybelline New York Face Studio Master Prime Blur + Smooth, a drugstore beauty buy that holds up all day and, at less than $8, won’t break the bank.

Color-Correcting Primers

These rainbow shades erase skin concerns by using the concept of the color wheel — where shades on the opposite side of the wheel cancel each other out — to craftily conceal your complexion issues. We recommend the YSL Beauty Nu Tone Corrector — the golden shade is our favorite for improving dullness and dark spots. 

Anti-Aging Primers

Anti-aging primers have both protective and reparative qualities. Many feature skin-healthy ingredients — like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer Infused with Serum — that work to improve skin texture and tone.