Makeup Primer: The Grip Layer Your Foundation Has Been Begging For

We'll get to what makes your makeup better later (it's probably all in your head), but there are 3 things we look for when choosing a good makeup primer:

1. A filler – most primers have silicones/similar ingredients that fill up your pores & fine lines to give your foundation smooth coverage.
2. A gripper – this part keeps your face and your makeup together. If you've ever noticed that your foundations slide around on top of your moisturiser, then it means you don't have an adequate primer.
3. Long lasting- if you want makeup that lasts all day (or night?), then make sure that the primer does both above things well.

A primer can't erase all of the texture from your face nor can it cover up blemishes. You're wasting money if someone is telling you that their makeup will be "poreless" after just a few pumps.

We don't have to go deep into chemistry, just know there are some ingredients you might want to avoid based on your face's needs:

• Dimethicone and others (silicones): These work as smoothing agents for a velvety, blurred look, but can be heavy on those with particularly oily or breakout prone skins.
• Glycerin & hyaluronic acid (hydrators): Work wonders at keeping your complexion from looking parched when applying your foundation.
• Skincare-adjacent vitamins (hello vitamin C & niacinamide!) and light-reflecting particles for that extra glimmer/glow if you're into that sort of thing. Match up what's actually in there with how your face is feeling today!

Treating them all the same way leads me down a dark hole of buying 3 and not using 1 (I'm guilty), but if there's anything we can say with certainty, it's that different bases call for different things — think "blur my pores" vs "boost my radiance." So let's break down each of these options:

Lakmē Unreal Blur Perfect Primer: for pores and texture. If you've got big pores on your nose/cheeks or the right side of your face gets really cakey due to being super-dry, this is our pick for getting blurs going first before applying your base.

Lakmē VitC Superglow Skin Perfecting Primer: for dull looking skin. If your face has gotten flat from mid-day forward and you're feeling pretty low on radiance, you need something to bring some light into those cells! This one also has a nice touch of vitamin C which makes us love this formula because it just feels like a boost you give your skin every morning, especially after that Sunday night sleep-in.

Lakmē Unreal Glow Primer: for those who wish for a glowy face shine even if they are going out to attend a wedding function. It pairs beautifully with a skin-tint or lightweight foundation, where you want the glow to show through rather than sit under a heavy layer.

Same shelf, three very different results. That's the point.

Technique matters more than people expect, and most primer disappointments are really application mistakes.

Step 1: Start with a proper skincare base. Cleanser, moisturiser and SPF first, and let them settle. Primer is the last step before makeup, not a replacement for any of the above.

Step 2: Use less than you think. A pea-sized amount covers the whole face. More doesn't mean more grip, it means pilling.

Step 3: Focus where it counts. Concentrate on the T-zone, around the nose, and any areas where foundation tends to separate or fade. Cheeks and forehead need only a light veil.

Step 4: Press, don't drag. Use fingertips or a damp sponge to press it in, particularly over pores and fine lines.

Step 5: Wait. Give it a minute or two before foundation. This pause is the single most-skipped step, and it's why people complain of their base balling up. If it still feels tacky, wait a little longer.

Here are some things I see all the time – I've done them myself!

• Using a silicone primer on top of a very wet moisturiser. Putting primer onto dehydrated skin (then wondering why it feels flaky).
• Putting glow primer onto oily skin (that's still oily) to help make sure my face didn't turn into a glazed doughnut by noon.
• Trying a different formula of foundation without making sure that it works well with our primer. Water-based ones tend to work fine with silicone ones but sometimes there are combinations which just don't get along.
• Piling the primer straight in the bin when it starts pilling or separating – try changing up the quantity first then the time waited before applying the primer over top. We have found that the moisturiser underneath can cause issues too!

Well, I'm sorry but you're going to have to tell us... There's no 'one size fits all' here because depending on what concerns you are addressing – pores, dullness/glow etc – it will depend on what you need. So if you just want to buy one I'd suggest looking up "what bugs me the most at 3pm" then starting with that first. I personally rotate between my Blur and my VitC depending on how I feel each morning (if I wake up feeling like my face has been put through a blender and needs a holiday) AND when I need some drama go for my glow primer. It's really about having this little toolkit in case you need it!