Makeup Pro Secret-Primers!

Ever wonder how to get that flawless look to foundation? Or crease-free eyelids that last all day? Why is it that your makeup doesn't look the same when you attempt it at home vs. getting it done at the counter?

Well of course it helps to be a professional makeup artist, but a pro secret and trick of the trade is something so basic...primers! 

Originally developed for models and actresses who were in makeup all day and under bright lights, primers are available from almost every makeup line for the everyday gal. They range in price anywhere from $10-$50 depending on where you get them.  

They feel silky smooth when applied to the skin and fill in fine lines and pores so that your foundation sits on top of the skin rather then imbedding in imperfections and making them appear worse. They contain ingredients to sop up oil and can keep your makeup fresh all day long. Many brands of primers even act as an age defying treatment such as Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer. I like the one with SPF 15 and Dermaxyl which is an anti-aging ingredient to fight what you are trying to cover up! 

For oily or easily creased eyelids I love M.A.C. Paint in Stillife for shimmer or Bare Canvas for a matte look. These little life saving tubes will grab your shadow like glue and keep it smooth for hours and hours. If you test one lid with the paint and one without, not only will you instantly see that the pigment is not as intense, you will notice the shadow moving around on the lid. Urban Decay also has a wonderful one that goes on relatively clear.

The same rules apply for lips. Lipstick settles unattractively into the grooves of your lips, or it bleeds into the surrounding skin. Try M.A.C. Prep and Prime for lips to solve these issues and make it last, last, last.