Primer is a product that divides beauty influencers. Some think it’s great and a must have, and others think that it’s a waste of time and money and that good results can be achieved through having well prepped and healthy skin.
I can see both sides of it, and I myself have a personal preference for using primer.
With 42 year old skin that is prone to breakouts (mostly because I pick at my face all the time) and has some larger pores, I tend to gravitate to primers that give a smooth satin finish to makeup and help disguise pores.
I’ve been a huge fan of Rare Beauty’s Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Primer/Finishing spray, especially when using it as a primer on dry skin. Full of skincare ingredients it gives a serious glow to your foundation but I think it does adversely affect the staying power of longwearing foundations very slightly. It’s great for my older clients with dry skin though.
My new favourites are the ELF Putty Primers (they come in Matte, Poreless and Luminous varieties) and the ELF mineral primer. All available from Kmart and very inexpensive. I’m not sure I can tell the difference between the Matte and Poreless putty primer, but the Luminous definitely has a glitter glow and I use that one under my eyes. I love these primers under any of my foundations.
The Always An Optimist 4-in-1 spray mentioned above has the added bonus of saving a too-matte face - if I’m having a dry day and I’ve added too much powder, I spritz this on my face to bring back a bit of hydration and a glow before I set it with setting spray.