Comparing 5 Different Makeup Primers | Which One Is Better?

Priming your face before applying foundation is just as important as setting your makeup, curling the lashes, or lining your lips. Perhaps, at first glance, this little step looks unnecessary and many makeup lovers often skip the primer. Some years ago I constantly ignored makeup primer: this important makeup product always lies on the bottom of my shelf, waiting for the expiration date to come.

But, as the years passed, they struck me with enlarged pores and additional fine lines around the eyes. These two skin conditions reminded me about makeup primers and their magical possibilities to smooth the skin and hide little imperfections. Today I'm gathering up all the makeup primers I have in my collection and revising their formulas and textures to find out which one of these magical potions is the most effective.

Makeup Primer #1: 3 Concept Eyes Pore Silky Balm By Nanda

Let me start with the 3 Concept Eyes primer by the famous Korean brand Nanda. Pore Silky Balm comes in a black metal pan with a twistable lid and features a comfy plastic spoolie that helps to scoop the product out of the pan. I'm in love with the simple and sleek design of 3 Concept Eyes makeup products, they are just as awesome as Mac Cosmetics designs. The primer itself somehow reminds me of butter, it has a very smooth and silky texture and almost no scent.

Once applied to the skin, primer melts on the surface, creating an even coating. The pretty ivory shade of the primer looks absolutely clear on the skin and moisturizing oils, such as macadamia seed oil, shea butter, and kernel oil nourish the dry skin throughout the day. In my opinion, Pore Silky Balm is ideal for dry skin types with enlarged pores.

 Makeup Primer #2: Miss Rose Photo Finish Foundation Primer

The next makeup primer is a very budget version of the famous primer by Smashbox. It even has a similar packaging and name. Miss Rose primer is a classic gel primer based on silicone ingredients. It has absolutely no smell and a smooth, clear texture. It has a few ingredients that might cause acne-prone skin to increase breakouts, but it is oil-free, so it is appropriate for oily skin types. It is better to apply this primer after you applied sunscreen. A little goes a long way, so just a few drops of Miss Rose primer is enough to smooth fine lines and fill in the enlarged pores.

Makeup Primer #3: Sweet Cotton Balm Pore Cover By Holika Holika

Sweet Cotton pore balm is one of my favorite makeup primers. The reason why I love it so much lies in its sweet candy scent and medium covering properties. Unlike two previous makeup primers, Sweet Cotton balm by Korean brand Holika Holika is pigmented, so it covers imperfections and smothers the skin at the same time. It has a dense creamy formula and easily spreads on the surface of the skin. The shade 01 soft beige is a little bit too dark for my skin, but a drop of lighter BB cream solves this issue. I like that Sweet Cotton balm has an SPF 30, so you can use it even without sunscreen.

 Makeup Primer #4: Classic Primer By City Color

The next makeup primer in my tiny collection has one of the most versatile formulas, perfect for every skin type. Classic Primer by City Color Cosmetics combines lightweight gel texture and subtle pigmentation on one formula, therefore it smooths out the surface and even lightly covers the blemishes. I love the barbie-pink packaging and healthy mix of light ingredients. 

Classic Primer is water-based, and as a result, people with acne-prone and oily skin types can use it with no troubles and inconveniences. But why does it named classic primer? Because the gel formula is more familiar to makeup lovers than the oily formula of the next makeup primer.

 Makeup Primer #5: Primer Oil By City Color

And the next primer in my arsenal is Primer Oil, also by City Color Cosmetics. Unlike Classic Primer, it has an oil-based formula enriched with Vitamin E. Oil Primer by City Color Cosmetics is a multi-functioning product. Thanks to its fine and slightly runny formula you can easily add it into your moisturizer or foundation to dilute the consistency and add nourishment. It applies like silk, softly blurring imperfections and moisturizing the skin all day long. It is non-greasy, so you won't even feel it under the coat of foundation and powder.

The Takeaway

To sum up my primer obsessions, I would like to say that your choice of makeup primer should be based on your current skin condition and skin type. It is very important to know what results do you wish to see - smooth skin with no imperfections, long-lasting foundation, or total coverage? All of the products mentioned in today's posts have a light texture, they look and feel very comfortable on the skin, and never cause any trouble. But I can't say that they fight every little skin defect I have on my face.

On the most important rules, when applying any kind of makeup primer, is important to use the right amount of product and apply it in circular motions onto the surface of your skin. In this way the product will go deeply into the pores, filling them in and creating a smoother canvas. I guess that's all for today, lovelies! Please let me know what your favorite makeup primer is at the moment, I would like to try something new and hear your opinion.

Lots of love,
Liz