October 12, 2009
To Prime Or Not To Prime?
I have been asked by many of my clients at the Spa and through my site about primers. What are they and are they necessary?
What a foundation primer does: It creates a smooth surface so that your foundation will go on evenly and have long staying power. In some cases when someone has an oily skin a primer will help the skin to remain oil free longer and minimize pore size. Primers are often used when applying makeup for a television or movie. The camera can be very unforgiving in close-ups and having your skin look great is crucial for any actor male or female.
What an eyeshadow primer does: An eye shadow primer creates a smooth surface and has a slight sticky feel so that the eye shadow may grab and stay on the lid. Usually a good eye shadow primer can make the cheapest of eye shadows stay on all day without creasing.
What are the ingredients in a foundation primer? Here is a list of ingredients for
Smashbox’s Photo Finish:
Ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Water (Aqua), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Dimethicone. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499). Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isopropylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Water. Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Butylene Glycol, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Decyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Oligopeptide-10.
Here are the ingredients for Urban Decay Primer Potion for eye shadows:
Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trihydroxystearin, Triethylhexanoin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Cera Alba (Synthetic Beeswax), Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methicone, Isobutylparaben
May Contain:
Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)
While the list of ingredients are long, both of these primers in my opinion, work extremely well. I have used both on my clients for special occasions like weddings, photo shoots, parties etc… Some events just call for a primer. If you have sensitive skin, naturally you will want to test these products on yourself at least a week before your big event just to make sure they will not cause a reaction. Foundation primers usually will come in several choices according to skin type.
If your skin cannot tolerate the primers you can still have very good results with our Mineral Makeup. Our Minerals are formulated in such a way that primers are not necessary. Minerals adhere better to the skin in humidity and in hot weather, (i.e., stressful situations where maybe you will sweat). To get a smooth finish with your mineral foundation without the use of a primer, do a gentle scrub the night before to remove dead skin off the surface of your face, moisturize. Before you apply your Mineral Foundation the next day, cleanse skin, apply moisturizer and sunscreen, blot off excess using a tissue or oil blotting papers. Apply Mineral Foundation and Mineral Eye Shadow to dry skin.
