Makeup By RenRen

Hi Bellas,

Last night I was able to go to the Cult of Cherry unveiling at my local MAC freestanding store. So much fun! I wanted to do a haul video last night, but by the time I got home, I ate and fell asleep, lol. I'll do one today and have the post up tomorrow.

Back to the post...

I get a lot of questions from readers who tell me that they can't find a foundation that keeps their oily skin at bay. The first thing I always suggest is using a primer. A primer is applied after moisturizer, and when dry, serves as a barrier between the oils in your skin and the foundation. This prevents the oils from breaking into the foundation/powder and turning your skin into an oil slick. I think primers are essential for making sure your foundation last, go on more smoothly, and it also fills in any wrinkles, acne scars, and marks that you need a little extra help with.

I wanted to show you some of the different primers in my kit so that you can get an idea of what I use them for and why.

Some people love this stuff, some people hate it. I think this product is pretty decent, but I mainly use this on clients with normal to dry skin. I think if I used this on oily skin it would make them even more oily. Because this is water-based, it's good to use with a corresponding water based foundation. I like how the product comes in a pump so it's easy to dispense onto a palette. The thing I don't like is how the package is black and cannot be screwed open. This makes you play a waiting game with the product...you can't really tell how much is left!

I like to use this when my client has patches of red in their skin. The green in the primer really calms down the red and gives me a clear complexion to work with. It is more water based so it goes on with the consistency of a liquid.

We all know about this primer. I think this is very comparable to my Monistat Gel but I keep it in my kit in case any curious eyes try to examine what name brands I have. We all know that many of us have a bias to using only high end products. Not that this stuff isn't great...it's perfect for those who have really oily skin and acne patches. I also place this specifically in areas where there are fine lines (around the eyes and mouth) for a quick wrinkle fix.

I use this a lot on men as a type of anti-shine. I just make sure to flip the tube over so they can't ask questions about why I'm putting Monistat on their face, lol. This product is extremely similar to my Smashbox Photofinish Primer but I find that it is a tad bit thicker. I prefer using it on clients because it's easy to squeeze on a palette and it's about 5 times cheaper than the Smashbox alternative.

I've heard good things and bad things about this primer. I personally think it works great on my own skin! The primer is peach colored, so I wouldn't use it on fair complexions because it may give them an orange tint. Instead, i'd apply this to medium to dark complexions that have fairly normal skin. Sometimes I find that if I use this by itself, I don't really need foundation. The peach color does enough to even out my skin tone.

Next I want to try Laura Mercier Face Primer after my MAC Prep & Prime runs out. I've heard many artists use this, and after my girl May did a review on it, I really wanted to try it! Are there any face primers you guys recommend?