A Sporting Event for Beauty Mavens: Primer Wars

(A small sampling of primers. Not all competing are shown.)

With loads of different primers on the market, it's hard to choose the right one. Different primers do different things. Some fill out imperfections, some help diminish redness and some get your makeup to stay for hours longer than it would solo.

Personally, I prefer a silicone based primer for my dry skin. However, I am putting aside my preferences for the makeup equivalent of a sporting event, Primer Wars.

Here is how this competition will go down. I am testing every primer I can get my hands on. These are either coming from my own purchased collection, samples obtained from the store/counter and from the company themselves. I am wearing two of them a day, one on each side of my face. Whichever one keeps my makeup looking the freshest wins. My lucky friends and co-workers will be asked to weigh in each day on which side looks better. The side with the most votes wins. In the event of a tie, the side which shows the most makeup removed (via makeup wipe, eye makeup is not included) will win. In the event that I am doing something outdoorsy (unlikely) or have an outdoor shoot for work, primers will not be judged.

So what does an average day, activity-wise, look like for me? I mainly work in an office. I do have to walk a quarter of a mile from the parking lot to my office in Baltimore heat and humidity. But otherwise, I am mainly in the AC.

Right now, the Primer Wars competition has 26 contestants, ranging from drugstore primers to those found at cosmetic counters. At this time, I am only face primers are competing. Eyeshadow primers will have to battle it out later.

I will try to give you my thoughts of the primers as we go and please remember, what works for me, may not work as well for you. And if I am missing your must-have, please let me know and I will try to include it.

As Primer Wars goes along, I need your input! I'll ask you vote on which primers are your favorite, to make sure that the best ones don't get accidentally eliminated. If the majority of the votes go to the primer that did not win my personal challenge, it will be granted a reprieve and live to battle another day.

Here is how the primers are stacked against each other in the first battle brackets (additional primers may be added to the competition as we go!):

LORAC AquaPrime vs. Sephora Collection Primer

Korres Quercetin & Oak Age Reversing Primer vs. Jan Marini Age Intervention Primer

Avon MagiX vs. Clinique Pore Perfector

Paul and Joe Protective Foundation Primer vs. Cover FX Brite Prep

Mally Beauty Perfect Prep vs. Josie Maran Argan Oil Primer

Cover FX Skin Prep vs. Make Up For Ever Microperfecting Primer

Fresh Rose FreshFace Primer vs. Bare Escentuals Original Prime Time

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer vs. NARS Makeup Primer

Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow vs. Philosophy's The Present

Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel vs. Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Perfecting Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish vs. Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion

Stila Hydrating Primer vs. L'Oreal Studio Secrets Face Primer

Laura Geller Spackle vs. Bare Escentuals Brightening Prime Time

Am I missing your favorite? Please tell me if I am and I will do my best to include it in Primer Wars. Stay tuned for the war to begin!


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