LeonnaShay Makeup

Hey there chicas! Congrats on making it through the week! I’m so glad its Friday (although I have to work in the morning). Sooo, today I wanted to blog about prepping & priming the skin for makeup application. This is especially important if you have oily skin. I can get away with not priming most of the time because my skin is dry-to-normal, but I do always set or fix my makeup after I’m done, which I’ll explain later.

First, let me explain what it means to prime/prep your skin. I’ll explain it the way I do to all my clients (I always try to put things in simple lingo so people can understand and relate better). When you paint a room in your house, you don’t just slap your color on the walls right? Any painter will tell you the first thing you have to do is put up a coat of primer. Just like when you’re painting your nails; you put a clear coat on first. This priming process helps your color go on more smoothly. When you prime your skin before applying foundation, it helps the makeup go on more smoothly by filling in fine lines and pores, which also means oil control. If you have oily skin, you’ll find yourself looking less shiny throughout the day. There’s a third benefit as well: priming the skin helps your makeup to last longer and have more staying power. Here are some face primers I have used and recommend:

*Too Face Foundation Primer: this has the consistency of a lotion/moisturizer. It has a peachy color to it, but that disappears when you rub it in.
*Ulta Foundation Primer: this is a silicone based primer and feels great going on the skin. It’s very light and airy feeling if that makes sense.
*Rimmel Foundation Primer: this has the consistency of a moisturizer as well, but I find it doesn’t work well for brown/dark complexions. This is because it has a peachy tint, so it makes darker skin look ashy. It works best for fairer skinned women.
*MAC Prep + Prime: this is a translucent powder. It looks chalky white but the powder is so fine that it disappears when you apply it. This can actually be a multi- use product. It’s also great for setting cream concealers and for blotting/touching up to minimize shine throughout the day.
*MAC Fix +: I use this to set my makeup in place. I think of it as a finishing touch.


Now let’s talk about priming the eye. Of course it serves the same purpose as priming the face, but in my opinion it’s far more important! Have you ever seen someone wearing eyeshadow that’s started to collect in the crease of the eye??? I hate that! Primer will solve this problem. If you can’t afford to get primer, using your foundation can serve as an alternative. If you’re wearing eyeshadow, you need to wear a primer…period! These are the ones I use most often for myself and for my clients:

*Urban Decay eye shadow primer: kind of like a lotion; this is my go-to primer when I have a client with oily lids [insert pic]
*MAC paintpots: these are great because they come in different colors, which can be used to contrast/brighten your eyeshadow [insert pic]
*Cream Foundation/Concealer (use a powder to set in place so it doesn’t crease): as I mentioned before this is a good alternative if you can’t afford to purchase the primer. I know they can be pricey.

So to sum things up, primers are used to create a smooth surface to work with, filling in lines, cracks, and pores. They also make it easier to cover up imperfections. You may like me and can get away with not using primer under your foundation, but you should ALWAYS prime your eyelids before you put on eyeshadow! Only your dress slacks should have creases, not your eyeshadow!

If you have any questions about any other primer brands other than the ones I mentioned in thsi blog, you can send me an email or comment on this post. Take care & take charge chicas!

*The name brands mentioned in this blog are my personal opinions. I was not paid by any company nor am I an affiliate of any of the companies mentioned.