If you want your makeup to look beautiful, and you want it to stay that way all day long, you need to add makeup primer beneath your foundation and eyeshadow.
However, the primer isn’t cheap. You’ll pay $20-40, or more for a good makeup primer. A small tube of eyeshadow primer can cost $20 or more. So, how about you skip the primer section and create your own at home?
Recently, a good friend gave me a recipe to make my own homemade makeup primer. I now make it regularly and use it every day.
Make Your DIY Face Primer
Why make your own DIY primer? Face primer helps make your skin the perfect canvas for makeup. Other benefits include:
- It fills in pores, lines and wrinkles, which some products often highlight.
- A good primer gives you an even skin tone, absorbs any extra oil and ensures your makeup stays looking fresh longer, which is particularly beneficial in the warm summer months.
- Helps your makeup stays longer (especially in hot weather)
- Absorb excess oil
While Silicon based polymers are used in most primers to help prime skin, this homemade primer uses Aloe Vera gel instead. Although it might not work correctly the first time you mix up this formula, you can tweak the ingredients to make it work for your skin.
How do you make homemade face primer?
Ingredient 1
Sunscreen
I don’t like putting on multiple products, so I added sunscreen to my DIY primer. However, this is an optional ingredient, although I recommend it.
Since you only add a bit of sunscreen to the primer, use a sunscreen that has a high SPF. It’s also best to go with sunscreen that is water based.
Ingredient 2
Aloe Vera
Since you’ll be using this primer for some time, you don’t want to use fresh Aloe Vera gel, since it can go bad. Purchase pre-packaged Aloe Vera gel, which is easy to find at medical stores.
The Aloe Vera gel is your primer base. People with oily skin may need to add a bit more gel. In most cases, Aloe Vera works on most skin types, but there’s a small chance it won’t work for you. You can also make your own hydrating skin serum.
Ingredient 3
Liquid Foundation
Another optional ingredient is liquid foundation. I add the liquid foundation so my primer has a bit of tint to it.
This way I don’t even have to use foundation if I’m in a hurry. Add drops of liquid makeup until you get the amount of coverage you want.
Ingredient 4
Loose Face Powder
While the Aloe Vera gel is the base for the primer, the loose face powder makes the primer provide a matte result. You can scrape some powder from your compact or use tinted face powder.
Even baby powder would work, although it’s not the best choice. Just avoid adding too much powder, or you’ll have a hard time getting a smooth mixture.
Ingredient 5
Moisturizer
You need a moisturizer, but it’s best to go with a water based moisturizer since you want to minimize oil.
Of course, if your skin is extra dry, then you can use a bit more moisturizer in the primer, or you can use an oil based moisturizer. If your skin is oily, definitely choose the water-base moisturizer for use in this DIY primer.
Container (for Storage)
Of course, you need a container for your primer. You can keep the primer for 2 weeks, but you need a clean, airtight container to store it in. A clean, dry, empty cream container works perfectly.
Follow these Step by Step Tutorials:
1 Start off with a 1 : 1 ratio of aloe vera gel and moisturizer. If you have an oily skin you could change the ratio to 1.5 : 1 or if you have dry skin you could change it to 1 : 1.5
2 Add a pea-sized blob of sunscreen (*OPTIONAL).
3 Add a few squirts of the liquid foundation.
4 Add a couple of pinches of loose powder. You can adjust the amount.
5 Blend everything up using a spatula or wooden spoon.You should get an even consistency, if the mixture seems not too runny, it means you have either added too much moisturizer or foundation.
You can balance out the consistency by adding more aloe gel and loose powder.
NOTE:
Scrape off any excess from the sides and you are done. I prefer storing it in the fridge to make it cool, so it feels refreshing when I apply the mixture in the morning. Take off your makeup using this Homemade makeup remover wipes.
What to use if you don’t have a primer?
What to do when you run out of primer? Check out these substitutes that are household staples and can do more one job. Hence, they won’t break your wallet.
These 4 primer substitutes may out-perform actual primer.
Whether you have joined in the primer revolution and added it to your morning beauty routine or refused to buy into this ‘hype’, know this – beauty experts have long insisted on using a primer to make sure makeup stays put all day.
Sure, it’s yet another step to your regime, but some might say it’s the most important.
What’s the point of taking ages to bang on the slap only for it to disappear from your face a few hours later?
But, the thing is, you don’t have to buy a product that has been labelled as a primer when other products do the same job.
Option 1
Aloe Vera Gel + Moisturizer
How to do it:
Simply mix 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite moisturizer (depending on how oily your skin is) to a dollop of pure aloe vera gel and apply all over your face as a primer. Aloe vera gel will soothe redness and the moisturizer combination is a great way to maintain a dewy finish without looking oily.
Option 2
BB Cream
How to do it:
A lot of BB creams have priming substances in them. They also are tinted and will even out the skin’s texture. With this, you are not trying to get coverage; you are just providing a base for your foundation. Fingers are best for this application.
Option 3
Milk of Magnesia
How to do it:
Yes, this is usually used for constipation purposes, but that’s what makes this all the more amazing.
This is probably my favorite one of all time. Really for oily skin, you just apply it with a cotton pad, like you would a toner, and let it dry. If you have open pores or fine lines, it will actually fill them in. Not only that, the milk will stop any oiliness throughout the day, and hold your makeup all day long. It’s a complete winner for me.
Option 4
Nivea After Shave Balm
How to do it:
This one is better for drier skin types. It’s lightweight and has anti-aging properties in it and it works as a primer because of the glycerin in it.
Its balmy effect will hydrate dry patches and temporarily fill in lines and it leaves the skin looking dewy and radiant.
I wouldn’t advise it for sensitive skin, and a slight hitch is you smell like a man. But some of you might like that! Apparently, Kylie Jenner is a fan…
” Maturity: Be able to stick with a job until it is finished. Be able to bear an injustice without having to get even. Be able to carry money without spending it. Do your duty without being supervised.”