I so rarely use primer and foundation together, that I’m actually not sure what my favorite combination would be with my current foundation (Tarte Rainforest of the Sea). Previously, I liked Hourglass Mineral Veil with Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, though.
— Christine
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Marc Jacobs Coconut Primer and Genius Gel Foundation followed by Urban Decay Brightening Primer and Naked Skin.
I rarely use primer unless I get a deluxe sample. So far out of the samples I’ve tried, Laura Mercier’s is the best with any of my foundations: Dior, NYX, Maybelline
The Laura Mercier Protect or Radiance primers with Lancome Teint Idole foundation (liquid or stick). All holy grails for me!
Honestly can’t tell if my primers even make a difference…
Lately I just use primer alone. Stopped wearing foundation. But a primer that I really like is the Canmake Smooth Skin primer. Got it in Japan, but I was smart enough to stock up, so I have two more tubes left.
I always apply TIZO2 physical sunscreen as my final step before foundation. It has dimethicone and acts as an excellent primer while providing broad spectrum sun protection. A few summers ago I used a LE primer by Guerlain that gave my light complexion a subtle honey glow. With a light dusting of Chanel’s Les Beige #10 over it, it replaced my usual foundation for causal wear. That’s the only time I’ve bothered with primer.
I only spot use primer for red/ruddy colour correction: cheeks chin nose. I like KGD makeup cover base in green and MUFE Step 1 in green. The MUFE has a really nice light almost watery texture, doesn’t feel heavy.
Foundation: MUFE HD and MUFE water blend. I do not totally love the formulas for various reasons, but it is shades HD 117 and HD 120, and Y245 for water blend that work quite well with light olive skin.
I use IT CC cream most of the time (hard to beat that SPF 50) so I generally skip primers but the primers I like best are (in no particular order) Becca Backlight Priming Filter, a CoverFX one with SPF which I fear has been discontinued and which replaced for me the original Hourglass Mineral Veil, which I might have to return to now that I can no longer find the CoverFX one. They all seem to work just fine with whatever foundation I pair them with although the whole water based/silicone based pairing thing has me a bit stymied since I toss packaging and wouldn’t ever remember in any case.
I use primer daily and they all seem to work well with whatever foundation I choose. I like MJ Coconut Hydrating, Hangover and Benefit Porefessional. I like the Benefit Porefessional because I love the scent. I swear if they bottled it as a scent I would buy it.
Well, I use the Marc Jacobs Re (marc) able Full Coverage Foundation. If my skin is normal/combo, I use the Hourglass Mineral Veil primer. If my skin is dry, I use the Kat Von D. Hydrating Primer, and they are both really good. But when I run out, I might give his Coconut primer a try – I initially passed it because it has fragrance, although it is towards the end of the ingredient list, but I’m curious.
Right now I’m loving Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer under anything. It’s so light weight, I can wear it under my BB creams and it still keeps them from oxidizing. During this heat, though, I reall appreciate it under Everyday Minerals Semi-Matte Base and BareMinerals Original Foundation.
Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer with Givenchy Photo Perfex’ion foundation. Everytime I wear it (and I switch it up with L’Oreal pro Matte often) people who are normally reticent stop me and compliment me on my extraordinary skin and my skin is awful. I have texture, extremely enlarged pores everywhere and suffer from both rosacea and cystic acne but apparently the Hourglass coupled with the Givenchy (used with my fingers no less! The horror!) yields non-stop commentary on my imaginary-excellent-skin – lol!
The downside to both the Hourglass and the Givenchy is that both are very expensive (IMO). Luckily, I was gifted the giant tube of the Hourglass two years ago and only need (literally) a pea sized amount (less, actually) for my entire face and I’ve rather large, full face- including my eye lids as I use it as my eye shadow primer (when I have the energy to apply the Viseart Matte Neutrals which I think is the ne plus ultra of shadows) and lips (I do not wear any sort of liquid lipstick but traditional lipsticks like TF Casablanca or ELF Voodoo).
I hope to try your Guerlain recommendation one day! I am just on a no-buy for at least another year on foundations since I stocked up at the buy one get one 50% off at Ulta on the L’Oreal Pro Matte recently. 🙁
I have been seriously enjoying the Too Faced Hangover Face Primer sample that Ipsy sent me! It works well with the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in Medium Honey I use during summer. Gives me a lovely, smooth canvas and minimizes my large pores.
I use Benefit porefessional or Mac radiance with Mac Pro Longwear waterproof or Mac studio fix… When i want a light coverage i only put on my face Nars teinted cream radiance or Mac lighful C
Considering that my stash is 90% drugstore and “hack” based products, not a huge shock that, for me, it’s the Nivea Men’s Sensitive Aftershave Balm as a primer with L’Oreal Tru Match.
I actually have been using UD Complexion Primer Potion (Pore perfecting) and Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place in 1C1 and I swear it locks my foundation in place and doesn’t melt, slide off or get greasy. I have an oily t zone but this combination works for me. I had been searching for YEARS for something to work together this well and it’s just shocking how nicely this does the trick.
Do you mean a primer and foundation in one? If so, I don’t use one of those. I use the Nude by Nature primer (an Australian cruelty free brand that was recommended to me by a makeup artist in a beauty budget shop when I was looking for a good primer – she was a customer and overhead me asking the MUA which primer was the best) and it is great. For foundations I use either Covergirl Outlast Illuminous Foundation or Rimmel’s Match Perfection both in light porcelain/ivory.
I love the Hourglass Mineral Veil primer. I have yet to find a foundation that doesn’t work well with it, but I don’t use many different foundations. I think it works really well with the Dior Star foundation with my oily skin, but it also works nicely with the Loreal Infallible and It Cosmetics CC cream. I find it smoothes out my skin’s texture and increases the wear time.
Magical Moringa primer/moisturizer by lush with fit me by maybelline.
Benefit Porefessional with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. Gives an extremely smooth finish that’s luminous but not oily. I have normal to combination skin in the summer and this duo stays on all day and night even in hot, humid Asian climates.
I think I mentioned in another comment that I was using the Becca Backlight primer with the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea foundation. They work very well together, but they’re both samples. I should try a different primer under the foundation though, to see if it’s the foundation or the primer that makes it work best, because together they’re a little out of my price range and I need to choose just one to buy.
My favorites are the Armani Prima primer with SPF, Tom Ford and Cle de Peau sheer fluid veil.
Combination skin is the worst when it comes to primers I think. First I prime with Clinique’s Moisture Surge and sometimes a drop of Clinique’s Smart Oil for my dry areas. I have many Mattifying Primers but Lancome’s La Base really works best for me for my moderately oily T-zone. It is not too mattifying like some others that make me feel tight. It balances me best there.
I use these with all my foundations, BB/CC creams and tinted moisturizers. I reach for Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Chanel Les Beiges All in One (discontinued, sigh) the most. Estee Lauder’s Perfectionist and MUFE’s Ultra HD foundations (my only true foundations) are flawless when I do this as well.
I’ve liked the MUFE primer. It’s about the only one I’ve every liked minus Fresh and Korres back when they made their silicone free ones. Oh I like Smashbox primer oil and NARS TM!
Light/Medium Coverage: Smashbox Primer w/ MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation.
Buildable/Full Coverage: Smashbox, Benefit Pore Professional w/ Covergirl Queen 3/1 Liquid Foundation
Max Factors Face Finity Primer together with Chanels Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation.