Ace of Base - Face Value

Do you wear a primer under your foundation?  Only after seeing my made-up, oil slicked face in a group photo some years ago did I learn the benefits of wearing a primer under foundation.  A good primer will help keep the natural oils in your skin at bay while creating a smooth base on which to apply your makeup.  I have two stellar ones that I keep in rotation at the moment and one that I recently procured that I can't wait to try out.

L'Oreal's Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base is a drugstore favorite to many and with good reason.  Besides it being a somewhat reasonable price and easily accessible, it follows through with what it promises: smooths lines, controls oil and minimizes the look of pores.

This fragrance-free primer has a stiff, mousse-like texture and although it has a pink tint to it, it applies clear.  When used alone, it provides a matte finish to the face.  Under foundation, both powder and liquid, it provides me with a suitable barrier against oil and shine for most of the day.  Pairing it with my MAC Studio Finish concealer allows for flawless coverage.  However, I have noticed that under my MAC ProLongwear concealer it starts to pill or cause the concealer to break up, if you will, upon application.  And that's where my next primer comes in...

You should know me by now - always ready to try something.  I heard about this for so long and then finally bit the bullet after receiving a sample and liking it... a lot.  Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer is a well known staple in the makeup world.  It is infused with vitamins and antioxidants to help soothe the skin while filling in lines and evening out the complexion.

Photo Finish comes in a variety of tints and finishes, but I have the original.  This clear, gel-like primer has no discernible smell and very little is needed to achieve maximum results.

While the aforementioned primers are silicone based, this little number from Laura Mercier is not.  I received this baby version of her foundation primer with a makeup kit and haven't used it yet.  But I am so ready to.

This vitamin rich, water-based primer has a slight peach tint to it.  It feels and applies like a light lotion before disappearing as a matte barrier onto the skin.  It has a faint, unobtrusive fragrance to it that fades quickly after application.  I'm really curious how it will perform under my LM Tinted Moisturizer...  In fact, I think I'll be putting it to the test this week.  Yeah, I think I'll do that. 

If you can confidently wear foundation without a primer underneath then that's fantastic.  However, if you're like the rest of us that need the aid of one to keep our faces intact throughout the day, but haven't found a good one yet, I hope this helps in your search for viable options.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base can be found at various drugstores, Target and beauty.com, and retails for $13; Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer can be found at Sephora and retails for $15 (0.4 oz)/ $36 (1 oz); Laura Mercier Foundation Primer can also be found at Sephora and retails for $32 (1.75 oz).