Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Mattifying Face Primers!
my answer: Sometimes they’re packed with too many silicones, which almost feels like a fake… velvety feel to me? I think I can be pickier with the texture of silicone-heavy products. I love that they help keep makeup lasting longer!
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I reach for illuminating face primers rather than mattifying. I recall trying one a number of years back, I think it was the Dior HydraLife version..not really a primer per se, and I just couldn’t stand how ‘heavy’ my face felt and seriously regretted the purchase..completely tossed the entire bottle. I can’t tolerate face products that give a mask feeling. I have not tried a different version since.
Ugh, I hate that fake velvety feel! Everytime I use a product like that all over my face I know for sure that I’ll break out. My skin is very oily so I kinda need a mattifying primer, but every single one that I’ve tried have left me with clogged pores, blackheads and breakouts.
I find mattifying primers break me out. I do better with less silicone heavy products, even with my oily skin.
They’re an absolute must for me! My skin is so ridiculously oily, especially for someone in her late 30s. I love Murad’s, which has SPF 15—that’s my current fave. Some mattifiers make it hard to blend in foundation but this one doesn’t.
I totally agree! I used to LOVE MAC’s skin refine zone treatment, and still do, but with some foundations i use it doesnt blend properly whenever i use that primer in certain areas. My nose especially, it just emphasizes my pores horribly. I’ll have to give the Murad one a try! But the MAC one is great, as long as you find a foundation it works well with. 🙂
Silicone heavy primers are great for spot priming my dry patches (ekseema, so moisture won’t help) so that foundation glides on smoothly!
I have only tried Illamasqua matt primer, but it didn’t work for me. It did stay matt but my makeup did not last. I so wanted it to work! Any good mattifying primers that you girls would recommend? (requirements: mattifying and making make up last!) 😀
I’m not a fan of mattifying primers. I can feel the silicone in them, and it always makes me break me out. I prefer water-based primers.
I don’t have any issues with the way they feel, but I personally prefer a “dewier” finish, so I don’t bother with them.
I love mattifying primers during Central Texas summers. Any other time of the year, I find them too drying.
Hm, I have mostly dry to normal skin, so I’ve never really tried anything mattifying. I did try my first primer last night, though (Clinique’s universal one) and it seemed to work well!
I dislike the extra step. May I PLEASE divert from this question and ask an emergency beauty question? I’ve tried SO MUCH yet am still unsuccessful at fully removing BB cream/ makeup and I do wash twice and use a clarisonic.. My skin is sensitive and will irritate easily.. PLEASE, WHAT cleanser does anyone recommend for me? I APPRECIATE it more than you know! <3 Lotus
try a Shu Uemera cleansing oil. I find cleansing oils really break down makeup very easily rather than foaming or liquid (detergent) style cleansers.
Bless & THANK YOU! I’ve not used oil before.. May I please ask you use the oil? I was looking into Bioderma Sensibio h2O but it’s a liquid and seems to not feel right. I don’t know how to use oil. Thank you so much for responding! I’m so grateful for all communication. <3
Bioderma Sensibio is amazing! I have two bottles of this stuff. One as backup. I use it to take off eye makeup and BB cream. Bioderma is essentially micellar water and leaves a clean feeling and no residue. When I don’t want to wash off my makeup at night I will put some Bioderma on a few cotton pads and take off my makeup that way. This stuff is expensive $30 on Amazon and $23 on Sasa.com (HK) but very worth it. Bioderma is something that a lot of beauty gurus swear by if you do a quick search.
Hi, Jenny! Thank you so much for chiming in about this! People have been so kind here! That’s wonderful news, and I’m further happy about my purchase, which you’ll be pleased to know I found at a great price and grabbed some ultra soft layered Japanese cottons to boot! Thank you! <3 Lotus
I looked at the ingredients and Mineral Oil along with irritating essential oils doesn’t seem safe. Do you have any other suggestion, please?
Try fancl mild cleansing oil, I adore it 🙂 you do have to use it up, I believe it expires within 3 months due to having no preservatives
Try Bioderma micellar water (called Crealine in Australia, but it’s also called Sensibio elsewhere). It’s perfect for sensitive skin. All you need to do is wet a cotton pad with the bioderma, swipe it off your face and everything comes straight off!
Thank you, Ally! That’s what I was originally looking at and just placed my order for a mere second ago! 🙂 Your reply is quite reassuring and I am grateful for your time. Thank you, again. 🙂 YaY! <3 Lotus
I use coconut oil. It gets everything off with little effort, even waterproof and long-wear makeup. I have oily skin and this does not make me break out, either.
Hi, Seana! That’s amazing! What a wonder multi-use product! Thanks for the tip! <3 Lotus
I second coconut oil. Coconut oil is inexpensive, just make sure you get a high quality one. It also will not break you out. People hear oil and they can freak out.
I also use Dermalogica’s pre-cleanse which is a cleansing oil. I have extremely oily t-zone + normal to dry rest of my face combo skin. It is also so sensitive I cannot use most products. If I am wearing foundation/CC cream I use pre-cleanse, my face wash, and if I still feel like my skin isn’t clean I use Inglot’s toner.
I don’t really care for primers. I liked ones from Korres, Fresh, and Nars but all but the Korres broke me out! That was a few years ago and I should try a few others or the newer formulas!
Hi Erin! Have you tried primers from Becca? They’re WONDERFUL, Imho. 🙂 I prefer the Resuracing Primer, though many love the mattifying one. Hourglass Veil is lovely as well. Becca’s products are just superior in my opinion. I hope that helps! <3
Wayne Goss made a youtube video a few weeks ago about using loose powder (lightly) under your liquid foundation as a primer and it actually works for me! If you don’t want to invest in a new primer and risk breaking out you can use a loose powder you already own and love. Just a thought 🙂
I have very oily skin with large pores and live in Texas lol. I have tried multiple samples of primers and while some of them do help with foundation initially going on better, NONE of them make my makeup last any longer or keep my oil under control after 3-4 hours. I have tested several foundations with and without primers and see no difference later in the day. So, in a nutshell, I think it’s all hype, an extra step and a waste of money (for me, anyway).
Ok, don’t laugh, but the mattifying “primer” that I use is milk of magnesium. I have oily skin and this keeps my face so matte and does not have that icky silicone feel, nor does it break me out. I know it sounds crazy, but it really works for me.
Like the one people drink if they can’t poop? I tried to think of a better way to ask that question but that’s the best I can do 🙂
One of my favorites on my super oily skin is My Prime Multi Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer because it does more than one job and doesn’t break me out. Not a big fan of the price tag ($68) but totally worth it particularly if pressed for time since it cuts out steps.
The only one that’s ever worked for me was DHC’s Clarifying Pore Cover Base. Every single other mattifying primer I’ve tried stops working halfway through the day or makes me break out like crazy. It’s a good one for someone with really oily skin.
Matte are a big No no for my dry skin and illuminating ones would be the best..
Also I feel clogged with silicon rich primers.. so I usually stay away from them.. 😛
I prefer illuminating primers in general. But, if my skin has been more oily or if I’m wearing a foundation that can go a bit greasy (Revlon Nearly Naked), I will wear a mattifying primer on my forehead. That is where I get the most oily.
I find that mattifying primers are difficult to spread. I’m currently trying out BECCA
Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector and it’s just difficult to apply to my face. Plus, it really doesn’t work all that well .. I still get some shine that I need to blot.
M.
Hi M! Have you tried Becca’s Resurfacing Primer? That one does everything! I love Becca’s products yet that the only primer I truly dig is Becca’s Resurfacing. Check out Sephora! The reviews are quite helpful! 🙂 <3 Lotus
I believe that makeup application, quintessentially, is dependent upon great skin, foremost, and that means doing what we can to take proper are of our skin. If ever we’re lucky to have perfect skin, we won’t need such products like primer or foundations. Until then, I highly recommend Becca’s Resurfacing Primer. It does everything you’d hope for all in one primer, is generously sized, non-irritating, beneficial for skin, and adjusts to whatever your skin needs. I don’t think anything will create a matte look except for a finishing powder to blot oil as needed. Wayne Goss did an application he swears by, as can be watched on YouTube, which is odd yet he “says,” and it’s prepping skin with either moisturizer or primer and pressing a translucent finishing powder into that to set it THEN applying foundation. He claims the foundation is going over a smoothly finished canvas which makes application and wear time high improved. (I have no thoughts on this, I’m just contributing as best as I can for the cause of the post) 🙂
Thanks for explaining goss’s reasoning. I haven’t watched his video but saw the technique on twitter and was wondering why he recommended it. I have tried it, but haven’t paid attention to results or lack thereof yet.
🙂 Thanks for reading my comment, Elise! I’m happy it made sense. Here’s the YouTube video where he further details it: http://youtu.be/EyQsVyGadbY Enjoy! <3
HG is malley face defender for over makeup
Malley poreless primer is excellent under makeup
I detest silicone primers. Every single one I’ve tried has been horrible crap which breaks me out. Two great mattening face primers WITHOUT silicones, which took me years to find:
1) Nurturing Force Blot Out – aloe vera based, and absolutely spectacular; can be used alone over moisturizer, under foundation – liquid/cream/wax based/loose mineral – to prevent oil breakthrough, over makeup for blotting oil, or as an eye base for those with super oily lids which are prone to creasing. I can’t say enough good things about this product.
2) Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector
The first one is by far the best and is around $25. Camera Ready Cosmetics sells it.
I found the Becca primer at Sephora, and it’s significantly more expensive (about $45 Canadian), but doesn’t have as many quality ingredients. I’ll be taking this one back as Nurturing Force Blot Out is far superior.