Makeup is expressive and experimental. Sure, there are plenty of rules to follow when it comes to applying makeup. Maybe you want to learn how to do eyeshadow to flatter your eye shape or find the right base products for a flawless complexion.
Thankfully, rules were meant to be broken, and that goes for primers as well. Primers have been marketed as a superhero product that can completely change the outcome of your makeup looks. The question is, do primers really make a difference?
Can you use moisturizer instead of primer? You can use most moisturizers in place of a primer. While both products have their pros and cons when it comes to the finish of your makeup, moisturizer does provide the hydration, grip, and smoothing effect needed to prime the face for makeup.
What makes moisturizers and primers different, and is it worth spending money on a primer? Makeup is all about personal preference. However, if you need help figuring out the perfect way to prep your skin, stick around to find out.
Is Primer Necessary?
What are primers? Makeup primers are a base product to give your foundation extra help or added benefits. Primers can mattify the skin, smooth texture on the face, increase the long-lasting staying power of your foundation, and even add glow.
Nowadays, there is a primer for every need and concern. However, most individuals have also raved that moisturizers can provide the same benefits as a primer. Some people even use both products to prep the skin. Is that product overload?
Can you live without a primer in your makeup routine? It will depend on your skin type and your skin concerns. It’s possible that a primer can add benefits to your foundation base and create an extra protective layer of hydration and smoothness.
Surprisingly enough, moisturizers can do half of the skin prep work for you. If you have normal to dry skin, chances are you can benefit by replacing your primer with a moisturizer. It will give you a boost of hydration that your skin needs to last 24/7 and smooth dry patches of skin that your makeup would catch on otherwise.
Nowadays, you can find moisturizers that double as a primer. We’ll introduce you to our favorite later in this article. If you are not looking for an oil-controlling or smoothing primer, the moisturizer-primer hybrids can be a versatile product within your routine. You will receive the best of both worlds.
To fully understand if a primer is necessary for you, it’s important to clarify the different primers on the market. Each can be targeted for a specific skin concern. As an important reminder, textured, oily, or blemished skin still needs to be moisturized regardless of whether you decide to use a primer.
It’s great to look at primers as a product to enhance your makeup application or provide additional benefits that you can’t find in a moisturizer. On the other hand, moisturizer is a staple, and no matter your skin type, you should apply it daily.
Silicone Primers
When you first think of a makeup primer, what usually comes to mind are silicone primers. Silicone-based primers feel slippery, glide on the skin with ease, and add a layer of product between your skin and your foundation or concealer for added smoothness and protection.
Silicone primers benefit individuals who struggle with texture. Silicone primers can be beneficial whether you have acne, blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles, large pores, etc. They work to fill in the gaps, so you have a seamless base to work on.
However, it seems that society has progressed past the need for silicone-based primers. They feel slippery to the touch and can leave your skin feeling weighed down. If you don’t pair silicone primers with the proper foundation, it can quickly fade.
Thankfully, other primers on the market cater to acne-prone or mature skin. So if you need a smoothing primer that won’t allow your foundation to slip away, it can be a great idea to stay clear of silicone primers.
Moisturizing Primers
Moisturizing primers usually don’t contain silicones and leave the skin with a boost of hydration. This option can be great for those who have dry skin types. Now, moisturizing primers can also provide various other benefits to your skin.
Some moisturizing primers include shimmer in their formulas or another element to leave you with a glowy base. If you love to glisten like the summer sun, this kind of primer will be beneficial. It’s great to add an extra highlight to your makeup look.
Moisturizing primers have room for other ingredients to ensure your skin grips your base products so they can last all day long without budging. They can even be worn alone if you need a no-makeup makeup day. The possibilities are endless.
While moisturizing primers give you way more leeway into customizing your skin prep routine, it’s very likely you’ll receive the same benefits from a regular moisturizer. This lets us conclude that at the end of the day, it’s all about personal choice.
Gel Moisturizers
Your moisturizer can make all the difference. Gel-based moisturizers are a fantastic product to prep the skin with if you have oily to combination skin. You will still receive a boost of moisture without feeling like a thick cream is coating your face.
Gel moisturizers are fantastic if you want a gripping effect but without extra hydration. It will give you just enough moisture so your oil can remain at bay, and your foundation has a tacky-like base to grab and stick onto—another versatile product.
The best part, gel-moisturizers are much more lightweight on the skin. They can allow you to add an extra product into your routine like sunscreen or even a primer. So even if you are oily or deal with textured skin, you can layer products easily.
Gel moisturizers are a perfect canvas to continue building on top of whether you need extra skin prep or you’re ready to lock in your foundation and other face products. In addition, it will help create the seamless smooth finish that you desire.
Moisturizer
Sometimes, nothing can beat a regular, high-quality moisturizer. No matter your skin type, everyone will see a significant improvement in their face makeup if they prep and prime their skin with moisturizer. Also, it won’t be an extra expense like a primer.
Most moisturizers these days also have priming benefits within their formulation. Check out this versatile moisturizer-primer hybrid below.
Suggested: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre Face Cream & Primer
This moisturizer from Emryolisse will cater to all skin types. Even if you are sensitive, it will leave you with a smooth finish to get a flawless makeup application. Your skin will be plumped, firmed, smoothed, and ready to tackle your base products.
The Lait-Creme Concentre will prime the face, and you’ll be ready to go five minutes after your application.
It will even look fantastic if you choose to wear it by itself. It can even double as a face mask. You’re 10 minutes away from smooth skin.
Primer Vs Moisturizer – Pros And Cons
Your skin concerns and skin type can help determine whether or not you can skip using a primer and use a moisturizer instead. Although primers aren’t always necessary, they are great as a supplemental product in your makeup routine.
A moisturizer can give you the same results and effect as primers. When you choose the correct moisturizer for your needs and skin type, you will quickly be able to tell it is the perfect product to prep your skin for makeup application.
Primers
Pros:
- Provides supplemental benefits to the skin like mattifying, smoothing, oil control, hydrating, color-correcting, and more
- Adds an extra boost of hydration
- Allows you to customize your skin prep routine
- Can prolong the wear time of your foundation and base products
Cons:
- Can be challenging to work with if your primer and base products have ingredients that don’t mix well together
- Silicone-based primers can fill in pores, but your foundation can slip or fade away easily
- Moisturizing primers in most cases are no different than moisturizers
- Adds an extra layer of product to the skin that can lead to a cakey makeup
Moisturizers
Pros:
- It can offer the same benefits as a makeup primer
- Moisturizer is already a product you should have in your home and will not be an added expense like a primer
- Everyone should use a moisturizer daily for the best results regardless of skin type
- Moisturizer is an affordable and accessible product
- Most moisturizers can double as a primer anyways due to their formulation
Cons:
- It can be challenging to target specific skin concerns
- It can be difficult to customize your skincare or makeup prep routine
- A thick cream can lead to a heavy feeling on the skin
Overall, you can’t go wrong with a moisturizer as your only method to priming the skin before a makeup application. In most cases, it’s easy, quick, and can be less irritating than combining different primers for a perfect skin finish.
Primers can potentially benefit your skin or foundation if you don’t mind an extra layer of product. You can target specific concerns, but that can also come with a hefty price tag. If you need an extra hand doing makeup, maybe a primer will work best for you.
One thing to keep in mind is that primers can be a hassle to work with for one primary reason; sometimes the ingredients in your foundation will not complement the components in your primer. This can lead to a patchy or disappointing result.
For example, if you apply a silicone-based primer, and add a water-based foundation on top of it, you are in for some messy results. But, in general, silicone and water don’t mix, so it wouldn’t make sense to incorporate them in your makeup routine either.
If you want to skip the headaches, using a moisturizer instead of a makeup primer can be much more beneficial for you. Then, you don’t have to worry whether or not your foundation will slip off by the end of the day.
Your Makeup With Moisturizer Vs. Primer
Will your makeup differ depending on what product you use to prep the skin? It sure can. Whether you use a moisturizer, a primer, or even both products at once, you may be able to notice the difference between them.
However, you will most likely see the least amount of difference between a moisturizer and a moisturizing primer. This is because the primary goal of both these products is to ensure the skin is left hydrated and nourished.
Moisturizer + Makeup Application
What should you expect when using a moisturizer instead of a makeup primer? For starters, you won’t look cakey, and you don’t have to stress about product overload on your face. It’s also a product you most likely already have in your routine.
A moisturizer can also create a smooth and hydrated base. If you are using a regular moisturizer as a primer, you will notice that your foundation will lay on top of your skin seamlessly, without clinging onto dry patches or textured areas.
If you opt for a gel moisturizer, you can also prolong the life of your foundation and other base products. Gel moisturizers can offer a more tacky base for the foundation to stick and grip to, creating a budge-proof base.
Gel-moisturizers act as an excellent base for the foundation to adhere to; they also will smooth and hydrate any textured or blemished areas. They can also allow you to skip an extra layer of product to add to your routine.
Whether it’s formulated to or not, it’s not out of the ordinary to find a moisturizer that will also act as a great primer. Moisturizers can definitely replace primers, especially if you don’t need anything fancy in your makeup routine.
In a majority of cases, moisturizers won’t allow your base products to slip away. However, the rest of your products can absorb nicely, and you will notice that the product won’t build up on the skin, which can alleviate problem areas like acne or texture.
Moisturizers are a fantastic tool to prep the skin because they are accessible; you most likely already have and use a moisturizer, which will save you time and money in the long run. Plus, your makeup application will be flawless and long-lasting.
Primer + Makeup Application
What should you expect when using a primer? Remember using a primer doesn’t mean skipping the rest of your skincare routine. It’s a product to supplement, prep, and enhance your makeup. Sometimes layering all these products can do more harm than good.
The more products you incorporate into your routine, the more room for an error to occur. Moisturizing primers can be redundant, and you won’t notice much of a difference. These types of primers are the ones you should skip unless you have very dry skin.
Other primers, when used correctly, can be highly beneficial. For example, silicone primers can create a poreless and airbrushed look when used with the proper base. So if you want to look photoshopped in real life, this is one way to do so with ease.
Mattifying or oil control primers are great to combat your makeup breaking up throughout the day, so you can expect a matte, but not flat, finish. Color-correcting primers can help even out your skin tone if you are dealing with discoloration.
However, beware of mixing and matching primers because they can create the opposite effect. Also, too much product can increase the product buildup and cakiness on your face—no one wants that.
Mixing foundation and primer with opposing ingredients can be a recipe for disaster. The best primers also come with a high price tag. However, in most cases, unless you need to target specific concerns, a moisturizer can replace your primer easily.
The best way to figure out the most efficient method is through trial and error. Makeup is expressive and creative, so make sure to have fun while curating your skin prep routine!
Up Next: Best Makeup To Wear At A Waterpark
