Primer

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What exactly is it?

Do many of you use it?

How effective is it?

And what would be a good (cheap) one to try?

Little Miss Cutie

What exactly is it? It is a miracle It can be used to tone down redness in your face and to make your face smoother when you put on make up

Do many of you use it? I use it every single time I wear make up

How effective is it? My face is naturally quiet red and it tones it down completely.

And what would be a good (cheap) one to try? The one I use is smashbox colour correct and cost me about €20, not exactly cheap sorry

Miaireland

I find it tones down my skin and makes my makeup last way longer.

I use it most of the time.

I use Lancome and Elizabeth Arden ones, neither are cheap I'm afraid.

LadyMayBelle

I had a trial pot of Smashbox primer and LOVED it. Now I'm a poor student tho Found it made my make up look a lot better, like it was settled or something

sillyputty

I only started using a primer in the last few months and now i swear by it.
Before, my foundation looked uneven or a bit blotchy but with the Smashbox primer my skin looks more evenly toned even before i even put on the foundation on. Well worth the investment IMO.

Lillylilly

I recently bought a primer from Avon for the first time to see what the fuss was- it's very good!! It was about €15 and is called Magix face perfector or something!!

The Lovely Muffin

I use Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer and think it's fab.

I think its about €18 though, so not exactly cheap, sorry.

It might be cheaper if you buy it online.

KatiexKOUTURE--

I swear by it. It just makes your make-up look better, smooths out your skin and your make-up has something to cling to so it lasts longer.

I use L'Oreal Studio Secrets one, it was about €20. From what I can gather no primer that I've seen is cheap..

jellie

i only started using primer recently, this was recommended to me on boards, i like it. apparently its like the gosh one but ive never tried the gosh one so i cant compare. but its only £6 so worth checking out (though might not work out much cheaper when you include delivery unless youre buying stuff anyway).

My friend is a beauty therapist and uses the gosh one, shes quite fussy about what products she uses so Id trust her judgement if she thinks its a good one.

cee_jay

I swear by primer as well - I use the colour correct one by smashbox - even the feel of your skin after applying is lovely.
The photo finish by smashbox is excellent as well.

Sparklebox

I use the Sephora one and its GREAT! Makes my make-up last for ages and I rele notice the diference when I don't wear it. Gives my skin an even tone and my foundation just slides on and absorbs so easily.

Its also great to put on your eyelids before you put on eye make-up - helps it last and stay in place!

SarcasticFairy

I used to use primer just to make my make-up last longer, to sort of even up my skin tone, and to kinda give a smoother base on my face before applying my foundation, if that makes any sense?

I used to use it daily, but my skin isn't bad, so I stopped buying it. I used to use the Smashbox one, which was kinda expensive (around €40, I think! It's amazing, but kinda expensive!) so once I became an unemployed student, I found I could do without it!

I've heard good things about the GOSH one and the No 7 one. I've also heard a couple of people talk about the Avon one, but I tend not to like Avon make-up, so I'm personally a little wary of trying that one.

lindtee

I used something by Time Delay (Boots) It was the line minimizing smoother, but they stopped making it a couple of years ago:( It was an amazing base for makeup. I have yet to find something as good and I used to stock up when they had the €7.50 vouchers off (was only €8.50) Would love to find something similar.

jenizzle

I use the Gosh one! I have pretty flaky skin and this doesn't show it up as much, and makes my skin smoother all round. I also have Lanacane anti-chaffing gel and it's of similar quality (oddly enough!!)

ohthebaby

Lillylilly wrote: »

I recently bought a primer from Avon for the first time to see what the fuss was- it's very good!! It was about €15 and is called Magix face perfector or something!!

I liked this one too.

My favourite one though was one from Laura Mercier. It was a present but I know for a fact that it's not too cheap. It is very good though, totally smooths your face out and foundation lasted way longer on top of it.

Novella

Another +1 for Smashbox Photo-finish primer. I have just ran out and I really miss it. Can definitely see the difference in my make up when I use it, looks much better.

Clare Bear

I'm using the Gosh one at the moment. Before that I used Smashbox. I go through phases of wearing primer and not bothering and I can't say there's a huge difference for me really. Girls do you just use primer and foundation or do you put moisturiser on before the primer? Sometimes I find it turns my foundation kind of flaky even if I let it dry for as long as possible.

jellie

question - how do you put on your primer? fingers or brush? i had been using my fingers then my friend told me i should use a brush, but i find i put on much more when using the brush (though maybe this is correct? )

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And are you all putting liquid foundation over the primer?

kaydence

I use lanacane anti chafing gel too!
It contains the same ingredients as all the brand name primers, but it's about a third of the price!

Seonad

KatiexKOUTURE-- wrote: »

I swear by it. It just makes your make-up look better, smooths out your skin and your make-up has something to cling to so it lasts longer.

I use L'Oreal Studio Secrets one, it was about €20. From what I can gather no primer that I've seen is cheap..

Yup I use that too. I think it's excellent for the cost (about £12)

Lia_lia

I have been using the Laura Mercier one for a while. And I honestly don't see any difference. But I don't usually wear much make-up anyway.

Michellenman

Had a No. 7 voucher so I bought their primer, not the colour corrector one, the mattifying (actual word? Who knows) one. Haven't tried it on my face yet but it looks nice on my hand :P

window_licker

Smashbox all the way!

I used to hate coming home from a night out and not being the goddess u were when u walked out the door haha, no more, the photo finish one keeps your make up perfectly intact for hours

Come.with.me

kaydence wrote: »

I use lanacane anti chafing gel too!
It contains the same ingredients as all the brand name primers, but it's about a third of the price!

Hiya where can you get this?can you buy it in any chemist?
I always wanted to try primer cos my make-up is gone half-way through the night!

insert-gear

Michellenman wrote: »

Had a No. 7 voucher so I bought their primer, not the colour corrector one, the mattifying (actual word? Who knows) one. Haven't tried it on my face yet but it looks nice on my hand :P

Brokeness + Voucher + pay with points means this is the direction I will be taking!

_Whimsical_

Come.with.me wrote: »

Hiya where can you get this?can you buy it in any chemist?
I always wanted to try primer cos my make-up is gone half-way through the night!

I'd love to try it too but any reviews I've seen have said that it can really block pores and give you bad spots. I definitely wouldnt try it if your skin is at all acne prone.
You should be able to buy it in chemists or if all else fails on ebay if you're still interested.

Lia_lia

insert-gear wrote: »

Brokeness + Voucher + pay with points means this is the direction I will be taking!

Yeah make sure you wear lots of moisturizer with that one,can really dry out your skin and make it flaky.

Pythia

As I have probably mentioned in other threads, Monistat Anti Chaffing Gel is almost exactly the same as Smashbox Photofinish but far cheaper. You can find it on ebay, it's an American brand. I use it and find it great! It's also handy if you have skin rubbing together (b00bs, thighs, etc).

Léan

If you're looking for a super cheap primer, I'd recommend the Penney's one, it's a total knock off of Benefit stuff, comes in a stick form with a little twisty thing at the bottom. Cost only €3.50 too . I've been using it the last few weeks and it's actually really good! Really evens out my skin tone and gives my foundation a lovely finish .

Cookie Jar

Hmmm I have been wanting to try this out for a while, Im no convinced after this thread. I usually put tinted moisturiser on under my make up!

So I'll either go for gosh or smashbox by the sounds of it!

sleepyescapade

Benefit's That Gal primer is fabulous too, I use it all the time

Ciaraallen

Makeup forever on Clarendon Street do great primers.
Around 30euros,will last for about 6months and really makes such a difference.
I used to find that I wud do my makeup in the morning and by the evening it has kinda disappeared.
Well doesnt happen anymore with the primer
I wud highly recommend it.
Can be used on all skin types

wyrn

Another +1 for Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. I don't use a brush as I only need a tiny amount. It makes my liquid foundation go further.

Gauge

Hmmm. I'm in the market for a new primer and I'm thoroughly impressed with the reviews Smashbox is getting. Has anyone used any of the colour-correcting primers by Smashbox? I've got some annoying red patches on my cheeks and nose so I have my eye on that green primer they do. Do their primers have an SPF?

Anyway, the primers I've tried are:

MAC prep and prime- mostly because it has an SPF of 50. It's a good primer though, smooths out nicely and is oil free, which is great for a primer with such a high SPF. The little tube of it lasts forever. I've had mine since July and I use it every day- it's quite thick and a little goes a long way.

Edit: Just googled this and found out the SPF only protects against UVB rays, not UVA (the ones that age you!) :mad:

Illamasqua's matte one- grand I suppose- better for night time I found.
Benefit's that gal- I'm eh on this. Probably doesn't help that my skin gets greasy and I shouldn't be trying to get the "dewy" look.
Boots No.7- came in a white tube. Hated it. It seemed to dry up the second it came out of the tube and WOULD. NOT. BLEND. I ended up with white chalky streaks every time I used it, like toothpaste or something. Ended up dumping it long before it was gone. Didn't work for my skin at all for some reason, total rubbish.

Beffy

Apologies for my ignorance but is primer a powder or what? I'm 29 years of age and I haven't heard of this?!

sillymoo

I am also considering the smashbox photo finish primer after reading all the great reviews of it however I was informed in Harvey Nicks yesterday that it is €38!!!!

Unfortunately the poor student budget wont stretch to that. Anyone ever buy it from CD wow?

http://www.cdwow.ie/beauty/Photo-Finish-Foundation-Primer/dp/4120273

Im also going to the airport next week, does anyone know what time the shops open at? My flight is really early and dont think the shop will be open at that time.

Gauge

sillymoo, I was at the airport for before 6am on a Sunday last year and every shop was open, makeup stores included! (I remember feeling sorry for the MAC counter girls who had to have full faces of makeup on at that hour)

I was also looking at it online on cdwow. I've never ordered that primer in particular but I always order Bumble & Bumble and Benefit from there. They usually come within a week and are the genuine article- but you could get caught for customs if you order too much. They mark everything as a gift and wrap the items in shiny paper and the primer is only €2 above the €24 threshold so I'd say it's worth chancing it from cdwow if you can't get it cheaper at the airport.

Also check strawberrynet.com (I'm at work so I can't, sorry!) as I'm pretty sure they're the same company, so the stock is usually the same but the prices sometimes vary by a euro or two- always worth a try.

Michellenman

Well I have tried the No. 7 primer. Can't say I'm all that impressed actually. It's quite drying and takes a good bit of time a patience to apply correctly. It also dries incredibly fast. Squeezing it out of the tube its got a creamy/paste-like texture and then if you put it on without moisturising it hits your skin, dries and looks like chalk. Madness. I'm thinking of mixing it with moisturiser next time.

In saying that, once I took my time, put it on right and had moisturised properly before it looked rather well. My make up stayed in place and looked smooth and even. It didn't dry out my skin and there are not signs of a breakout or anything. It kept my face matte also, so no shine or anything. I think it was alright overall and looked good if you put the effort in to applying it properly. It's not something you can just slap on quickly.

Michellenman

Sillymoo would you mind posting back here to tell me the price of the smashbox primer in the airport if you remember? I'm going to be there in a few weeks and if it's the right price I might pick it up. Cheers!

Oh, and if you can't don't worry about it

dragona

I've never used primer, and now I really want to , but tell me, is it for use under liquid or creme foundation only? I use a powder mineral base, can I still use a primer of any kind?

Luno

I love the Gosh one found it so much better than Urban Decay!!
Definatley worth the money!

sillymoo

Michellenman wrote: »

Sillymoo would you mind posting back here to tell me the price of the smashbox primer in the airport if you remember? I'm going to be there in a few weeks and if it's the right price I might pick it up. Cheers!

Oh, and if you can't don't worry about it

Il be at the airport on Thursday morning and will get there extra early (flight is at 07.50 :eek:) to have a hunt for the smashbox primer

Only problem I am going to have if I buy at the airport is that I am only bringing hand luggage but I think it will be ok in the little plastic bag on the way back as its only 300ml

Anyways will report back and see how I get on!

sillymoo

dragona wrote: »

I've never used primer, and now I really want to , but tell me, is it for use under liquid or creme foundation only? I use a powder mineral base, can I still use a primer of any kind?

I use the bare minerals powder foundation and the lady at the counter at BT's actually put a primer on me before I got a colour test etc.

sillymoo

sillymoo wrote: »

Only problem I am going to have if I buy at the airport is that I am only bringing hand luggage but I think it will be ok in the little plastic bag on the way back as its only 300ml

How stupid can I be - there is no way I can bring 300ml as hand luggage!!!! Duh

wyrn

sillymoo wrote: »

How stupid can I be - there is no way I can bring 300ml as hand luggage!!!! Duh

I dunno. Last time I flew my friend bought perfume from duty free and was allowed to being it on with her hand luggage because it was sealed. Ask the people behind the counters. I think all the stock is checked and cleared - otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell perfumes & other liquids!

Stench Blossoms

I use MAC Prep & Prime. Find that it helps even out my skin and keeps make up on for longer.

I tried the Smashbox one before and didn't really like it. I found it too oily for my skin and didn't think it made much of a difference.

The Benefit one is quite good as well. I used it now when i'm applying cream blusher as sometimes its too sticky and the primer helps apply it better.

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wyrn wrote: »

I dunno. Last time I flew my friend bought perfume from duty free and was allowed to being it on with her hand luggage because it was sealed. Ask the people behind the counters. I think all the stock is checked and cleared - otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell perfumes & other liquids!

You can bring it one way, she wouldnt be able to bring it home, she'd have to get it at her destination

cch

sillymoo wrote: »

How stupid can I be - there is no way I can bring 300ml as hand luggage!!!! Duh

Just checked the oil-free version I have in my bag and it's 30ml, so no problems there!

sillymoo

insert-gear wrote: »

You can bring it one way, she wouldnt be able to bring it home, she'd have to get it at her destination

Yea I think that would be a problem as im flying back from Bristol which is pretty small and id be very surprised if they had smashbox there. I know in Dublin Airport there is this service where you can buy your goods in Dublin and collect them on the way back - anyone ever use it? The thing is my flight back from Bristol gets in at 7.30am so there might not be anyone there!

Gauge

Well I bought the green smashbox primer over the weekend... tried it this morning. Happy with it so far, normally by 1pm my skin would start getting a bit greasy and my foundation a bit flakey and in need of re-application but it feels pretty nice still. The green is supposed to counteract redness- it's not miraculously good but it definitely tones it down a bit- I think it'd probably work better on light redness as opposed to my lovely acne pigmentation anyway.

Expensive though and I don't like the lack of SPF but my foundation has an SPF anyway so it's not too bad. Thumbs up so far- definitely like it more than the benefit one anyway.