A Primer on Summer Primers
Primers are like foundational garments for your face — they smooth and conceal imperfections, and most importantly, hold everything in place so that all subsequent items put on top them look better. This is not a step to skip in your makeup routine, but now that the hot, humid days of a typical DMV summer are on the horizon, most of us are trying to minimize our layers of makeup while seeking ways to keep it from melting off in the sweltering heat.
Face primers
The solution to summer makeup meltdown is a matte-finish primer with sunscreen. The two most pressing summer concerns are sun protection and keeping your makeup in place. A primer with SPF addresses both issues beautifully. Here are some of my favorites this season, in ascending order of SPF:
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($52.00)
This lightweight, mineral-based formula with SPF 15 conceals redness, blurs imperfections, fills in fine lines and keeps your makeup looking fresh all day. This satin-finish primer is water-resistant and absorbs excess oil to combat shine.
E.L.F. Studio SPF 20 Face Primer ($6.00)
You needn’t forgo a perfectly smooth makeup application even if you are on a tight budget. This weightless primer reduces excess oil, flakiness and minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines — all while protecting your skin from sun damage with an SPF of 20.
Make Face Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($32.00)
This makeup base not only protects the skin from damaging UV rays with broad spectrum SPF 30, but also moisturizes with squalene to create a velvety finish. Light-diffusing micro-spheres impart a youthful glow and Nylon 12 primes the face for a perfect makeup application.
Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen Tint ($44.00)
Although strictly not categorized as a primer, this tinted sunscreen functions beautifully as either a primer or simply worn alone. Combining pure mineral sunblock with Clarins’ patented anti-pollution complex and botanical extracts, this tint protects the skin from ultraviolet rays and environmental aggressors. I’ve been using it faithfully this season and love the flawless, semi-matte finish it gives my complexion.
Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Primer ($90.00)
This primer not only protects the skin from the sun’s damaging rays with its high SPF, but also defends against skin-degrading glycation and maintains healthy collagen levels.
The formula contains anti-inflammatory cherry blossom, lemon balm and white tea extracts that combat aging caused by oxidative stress. And, it fights the onslaught of AGEs (advanced glycation end products) created by sugar glycation within the body with carnosine, an amino acid that neutralizes AGEs before they can damage collagen.
Eyeshadow primers
One of my recent beauty discoveries is eyeshadow primer with SPF, and now I wonder how I ever lived without it. Your eyelids are extremely delicate — the skin around the eyes is thin, and eyelid skin in particular is prone to crepiness and sagging. It makes sense to wear sunscreen here, but the problem is that most sunscreens tend to run into the eyes, as they are not designed for use around the eye area. But fret not, your eyelid sun protection woes are over—see my roundup of my two favorite primers:
Skinceuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50 ($30.00)
If you have trouble with your eyeshadow staying in place, especially in the summer heat, this is the product for you. Its blend of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provides broad spectrum protection in a soothing base with skin-nourishing ceramides that don’t migrate into the eyes. Translucent color spheres provide a unifying tint that’s perfect for eyeshadow application. I find that my eyeshadow stays on all day without creasing with this base and it’s become part of my daily routine.
Bare Minerals Well-Rested Eye Brightener SPF 20 ($19.00)
This powder base with SPF 20 can be used all around the eye area to brighten and conceal dark circles and soften fine lines. It evens out skin tone and works beautifully alone or under eyeshadow. This is perfect for those who like a lightweight, mineral-based powder that can be easily applied with a brush.
A native Washingtonian, Beauty Blogger Lia Phipps is an interior designer with an irrepressible, life-long fascination with health and beauty. When she is not selecting fabrics and paint colors for clients, she occupies herself with trying new products and dispensing beauty advice to friends, acquaintances and anyone who is willing to listen to “Tips from Phipps”.