It's always really important to prep and prime your skin before starting your makeup application. The key three prep and prime steps are cleanse, moisturise and prime.
1. Cleanse
Cleansing is simply cleaning your face with the help of a cleansing product. Whether you're applying your makeup first thing in the morning, during the day, or in the evening, it's always important to cleanse your face. This gets rid of any left over makeup, and any oil that has built up on your face.
Recommended:
Bioderma Sensibio H2O
This would have to be my favourite cleansing product, as it is really efficient at removing makeup, and it's also non-rinse, which means you can just wipe it over your face with a
makeup pad and move on. It's really great for sensitive skin, and is by far the best micellar water I've tried (I've tried the Garnier and Simple ones). If you don't have sensitive skin I would recommend trying the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water first, as it's so much cheaper, but with my sensitive skin it gave me an allergic reaction, so I'll be sticking to the Bioderma.
Available at
Priceline - $39.99 for 500ml
2. Moisturise
Moisturising is important after cleansing to keep the skin hydrated, and maintain it's natural balance. Some moisturisers also offer anti-ageing or sun-protection bonus'. It's important not to over moisturise, as this can lead to excess oil, which in turn can lead to pimples. Simply pump a pea-sized amount onto your finger tips, rub your finger tips together, then press onto your face, no vigorous rubbing in is necessary, and may also cause you to apply too much product, so keep it light.
Recommended:
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer
This is a really thin consistency moisturiser, which is great because a lot of moisturisers out there are quite thick and can suffocate your skin. It's in an easy squeeze bottle, and says it's appropriate for all skin types. I find it works fine for my sensitive skin.
Available at
Myer - $56 for 250ml
3. Prime
Primers were originally used just to make your makeup stick better to your face, and therefore last longer, however there are now a million different primers with a thousand different added uses. There are primers for neutralising uneven skin tones, for extra hydration, for brightening and lightening, for illuminating, for pore minimising, and for tightening. Priming your skin is something you'll definitely want to do for a special event, or a time where you need your makeup to last a long time.
Recommended:
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water
This primer is in the form of a water, in a spray bottle. This makes it the fastest and easier primer to apply, so would be great as an every day primer as you don't have to spend any time rubbing another product all over your face. It's really refreshing, and is packed with electrolytes to help hydrate and prime your skin.
bareMinerals Prime Time Neutralising Foundation Primer
This primer is yellow in colour, and is a little thick in consistency. It's purpose is to correct skin colour and leave the skin with a very even and smooth texture. It has a strange smell to it, but luckily it doesn't linger for any longer than it takes to swipe it over your face.
Available at
Mecca- $29 for 30ml
Stila One Step Correct
This primer is for colour correcting and brightening. It is a mix of peach, green and lilac colours, that swirl together as you pump them and look amazing. Other than looking great, it's a thin consistency so doesn't block pores. The green colour counteracts redness and evens skin tone, the lilac counteracts sallow undertones, while the peach targets any dark spots, overall brightening the face.
Available at
Mecca - $52 for 30ml
Benefit the POREfessional
This primer is for diminishing the appearance of pores, and it's actually really effective. There are a lot of pore minimising primers out there, but the Benefit POREfessional is definitely a front runner. It comes in a reasonably thick consistency, that is one of the smoothest, silkiest things I've ever felt, and does a really great job of filling in pores and giving the skin a really smooth looking consistency.
Available at
Myer - $53 for 22ml
I'd love to hear what some of your favourite prep and prime products are!
xx Bec
