I am not lucky enough to have that flawless skin where you can just slap on some makeup and look great. I have an oily t-zone, dry pigmented cheeks and some rough areas around my nose where foundation always settles. So, I need primer and I have quite a few that I use regularly.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
This has been a long time favourite of mine and I will always have one in my makeup bag. It is not as thick as some other primers but leaves your skin smoother and ready for foundation. Since it was my first holy grail primer, I will compare the others to it. Smashbox primer is one of the products I will always splurge on, but I do have a few other favourites.
Make Up Forever Hydrating Primer
This is one of the huge collection of primers that MUFE brought out this year, they have one for almost every skin need. I don’t find this as smoothing as Smashbox but I do find it stops my skin looking as dry at the end of the day so I wear it under my regular primers on dry patches. I won this at a twitter party, so I would probably have bought one for different skin if purchasing.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer
I got this primer in a bag of samples and fell in love with it. It is a little thicker than Smashbox so fills in those deeper pores and lines well (I guess that is the point of Age Rewind). While clear, it has a slight pinkish tone that is meant to brighten. It is not enough to actually brighten but does make my skin look even. At around $12 for a 25ml tube, it is much cheaper than Smashbox too. If you love Smashbox but want a drug store alternative, definitely check this out.
Maybelline Baby Skin
I already have a review on this here. I love Baby Skin, it is thick and perfect for days when I need a bit more coverage. However, I have found it pills under some foundations so I prefer Maybelline’s Age Rewind primer over Baby Skin. If I am just evening out my skin without makeup, this is my go to. It is really affordable and also easy to find.
Hard Candy Sheer Envy Shine Free Primer
I do not find this as flawless looking as Maybelline’s Age Rewind or Smashbox primers, but I do love the mattifying properties. It is thick like Age Rewind or Baby Skin but is white. This helps keep shine down for double the amount of wear time compared to any of the others so I use this on my t-zone daily.
Overall, all five are amazing. If I could only have one, I would go with Hard Candy because it helps that shiny big forehead but I can’t imagine not having Smashbox and Age Rewind in my makeup bag too.