Organic Illuminating Primers

I’m someone who always viewed primers as a rather unnecessary step in my makeup routine. My skin used to be dry (now it’s leaning more towards combination dehydrated), and I didn’t need an extra product to extend my foundation wear or keep it in place. Or so I thought since providing longevity isn’t all that a primer does. Anyway, since discovering primers, I can’t imagine my makeup without them anymore.

This Phyto Pigments Illuminating Primer ($36) was on my wishlist ever since I’ve started using Juice Beauty Phyto Pigments Liquid Foundation. Despite reading only good opinions, I was still hesitant because of its price tag. Juice Beauty is a luxury brand, and $36 is definitely not cheap for a primer. Yet, I’m a natural at justifying expensive skincare and makeup, so after going back and forth with my decision for a while, I finally placed an order and patiently waited for it to arrive. It did reach me quickly, but unfortunately, the bottle was damaged beyond repair. Luckily the store I bought it from replaced it with another and, finally, I could try it out.

The Illuminating Primer comes in a sleek glass bottle with a pump. The bottle looks exactly like the Juice Beauty liquid foundation, which I adore. The scent is different though – warm, mild citrus. It’s an intensely hydrating primer, which sinks into the skin instantly. It leaves my skin feeling absolutely divine, like satin. If you touch the skin, you can definitely feel it “prepped,” but it’s not greasy or sticky. It makes the skin look radiant! I sometimes even use it without a foundation just to get that healthy glow. In all honesty, I LOVE it!

Another primer I own and love is Vapour Stratus Luminous Skin Perfecting Primer ($50). To be honest, it was an impulse buy, which now is one of my favorite makeup products. I’ve got the shade 904, a versatile shade. Suitable for light to medium skin tones with neutral or olive undertones, but I think cool skin tones would find this primer great as well.

This is a really creamy primer, which applies like butter. It might get greasy if applied too much, so I find it best to use with a brush. This way I can get a thin layer and, at the same time, save some product. The primer illuminates the skin and gives an overall glow. Because it has a creamy consistency, it’s highly hydrating and therefore is much more suitable for drier skin types. As for longevity, I didn’t notice that it would prolong my makeup dramatically, but it sure does help with a smoother application and moisturizes flaky areas.

What is your favorite primer?