Winter spells trouble for skin as harsh weather and cold temperatures can not only dry out your face but also make long wearing make-up fade fast. One way to combat this is with a primer. A good primer will hydrate, smooth and care for skin whilst prolonging any make up, but the choice out there can often leave you overwhelmed and unsure what to go for.
However, I am here to help with a quick little guide on 5 of the best primers available on the high street that will hopefully help you to find your perfect winter skin companion…
Best For… Dry Skin
MeMeMe Cosmetics Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base
This is an amazing little pot of heaven that doesn’t get enough praise in my book. Aside from the gorgeous packaging this is a vitamin enriched face cream/primer that contains everything from Shea Butter to Beta-Carotene to brighten, lift, smooth and hydrate the skin so that make up applies easily and quickly. It smells amazing; a fruity mix of lemon, orange, lime and mandarin which is a lovely pick me up on a dark, cold morning. A small amount goes along way and it smooths onto the skin easily before becoming slightly tacky and stiff as it sinks into the skin. You need to work this over your face fast, as once it starts to set you can no longer manipulate it.
It leaves skin soft, hydrated and pretty smooth with anything from tinted moisturiser to foundation going over it easily. It doesn’t make your base cakey or patchy and it definitely helped mine to last all day. Although ideally suited to drier skins, it worked just as well for me (oily skin) and didn’t break me out. However, if you hate strong scents, avoid this.
Available from Superdrug and MeMeMe online. Priced £15.00.
Best For… A Quick Fix
Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer
I have preached about this before and I still love it. This is amazing when you want perfect skin in a flash as this feels amazing light on the skin and it works wonders in seconds. Quite a creamy gel this doesn’t feel artificial on the skin and helps smooth and even out skintone whilst also mattifyng any oily bits. It works great in the summer as well as the colder months and although not as nourishing as some of the others, it creates a great base for make up. It helps your base to last all day, doesn’t dry out the skin and doesn’t have a strong smell so great if you have sensitive skin. This is probably one of the most widely available primers in this post and it’s really cheap too.
Available from Boots, Superdrug, ASOS, Supermarkets and online. Priced £6.99.
Best For…Dull Skin
JK by Jemma Kidd Instant Lift Skin Perfecting Primer
As a whole I have never really been impressed by many things from Jemma Kidd’s make up range but this is a nice surprise. It contains Lavender oil, vitamin B and antioxidant plant extracts to hydrate and protect the skin and an unusual ‘tensing’ agent that is supposed to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. But it is amazing at brightening up dull skin. A clear gel, smooth it over the skin and as it sets it beings to stiffen and plump the skin. Not so great on me as I have oily skin, but on older or more normal skins this could be amazing. Make up sits quite well over the top, with some patching on oily areas (again this isn’t designed for me) but my make up did last. If you don’t want to buy the full tube, buy this months Marie Claire UK as you can get a free 10ml sample (which I used).
Available from Feel Unique, Space NK and online. Priced £14.00.
Best For…Uneven/Congested Skin
GOSH Velvet Touch Line Perfector Primer
This is slightly different to the other primer’s mentioned here. For one, it’s thicker and two it’s consistency. This is more waxy and stiffer than the others but this makes it perfect for problem skin. As it is a drier texture it is great for oily skins like me and helps even out skintone, cover deep pores and acne and acne scarring. It also works wonders on very uneven skin and harsh lines and wrinkles. It has not scent and although quite thick, it is easy to smooth over the skin providing you with a blank canvas to apply your base. This is one of the best for long-lasting make up. Your base won’t budge until you want it too. On very bad skin days when you sometimes don’t want to leave the house (I’ve been there many times) this helps you to feel more confident about your skin. A true life saver for problem skins.
Available from Superdrug and GOSH online. Priced £14.20.
Best For…All Skin Types
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer
This does everything; it smooths, it hydrates, it cares for and lasts forever on the skin. Specifically mine is the Normal/Combination version but there is also one for Dry skins so this primer is great for everyone. It sinks in super fast, probably the fastest of the lot and it smooths over the skin in a cooling, refreshing hit which really perks up the skin in a morning. My make up lasts all day, it feels lightweight and doesn’t clog pores. It is amazing and I love using it. Like a lot of these primers, it comes in a chunky pot, great for your dressing table and the price is amazing. A new one from Nivea and the cheapest one here but an absolute must for anyone.
Available from Boots, Superdrug and online. Priced £3.99.
Post contains some PR Samples
I hope that little round-up helps you find your perfect primer. If I have missed any that you guys love and would recommend, please tell me about them in the comments below.
