I usually start this column with a history lesson. Primer, however, is not one of those products we can reflect on too much.
Sure, humans have been moisturizing for a long time, and I daresay they have been using makeup for even longer. But combining the two – and, indeed, creating a “safety barrier” between those two layers – is a relatively new concept.
Cast your mind back to the year 2010, when a makeup tutorial on YouTube would have skipped straight to applying foundation. The landscape of makeup application has certainly evolved since then.
In 2015, you would have seen some concealer put on the eyelid, at most to create a base layer before piling on color... still – not a primer.
The function of primers varies and often combines multiple functions. It can work like a moisturizer, bringing a natural glow to the base layer and allowing a more natural brightness to come through from beneath the makeup.
Another function still is to have the opposite effect: absorb oil to create a more matte appearance. Some primers contain vitamin extracts, SPF, or even tint.
And those are just the face – or foundation – primers. There are also eyeshadow, lip, and mascara primers. But let’s focus on the former today.
Indeed, it was hard to judge the primers for this article, given the varying functions of products labeled, on the surface, as the same category. That said, the criteria were texture, application, skin effect, and appearance after a full day.
The following are the winners.
Best Overall
Il Makiage No Filter Poreless Base Smoothing Primer
NIS 299 | 25 ml.
I can admit when I’m not being objective, and this primer is one of those exceptions. It’s been my go-to for years, but not without reason. It is tacky on first pump, then immediately smoothing and buttery on the skin, and makeup doesn’t move or budge a millimeter with this product.
www.ilmakiage.co.il
Most Versatile
Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Perfector
4-in-1 Glow Makeup
NIS 55 | 20 ml.
It feels unfair to group this product under primer, since that is only one of its four functions alongside concealer, highlighter, and BB (beauty balm) cream. Nevertheless, I greatly preferred using this product as a primer out of all the experimentation conducted.
With a unique little sponge applicator on a twisting cap that releases the product directly into the applicator, this formula is lovely for a more glowy base layer below your makeup, giving you that radiating-from-within appearance.
www.maybelline.co.il
Best Glowy Primer
Sacara Power Primer Glow
NIS 40 | 30 ml.
This primer is the exact texture you’d want: thick, gelatinous, and immediately smoothing once applied. It goes on and immediately evens the skin for a lovely enhancement on the base of one’s makeup. The glow element is just an added bonus because, as my life coach Taylor Swift once said, “I can still make the whole place shimmer.”
www.sacara.co.il
Best Smoothing Primer
L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab 24H Pore Minimizer
NIS 80 | 30 ml.
I’m very used to thick, goopy primers, so I was pretty surprised by L’Oréal’s lightweight formula. I used to think that to do the job it had to feel heavy and cling to your skin. But L’Oréal proved me wrong. The pore-blurring effect is immediate, but even with a full face of makeup you can barely feel the product.
www.loreal-paris.co.il
Best Natural Effect Primer
Flormar Vitamin Bomb Serum & Primer
NIS 75 | 30 ml.
There are several different functions when it comes to primers. Whether it be pore reduction or makeup preservation, each has a different particular focus.
Flormar’s product made this week’s list because of its impressive ability to leave the skin feeling both wonderfully moisturized and the tiniest bit tacky, ready to grab onto your makeup and cling on for dear life.
www.flormar.co.il