In Your 40s? It’s Time for Primer, And Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer Is the Best One
If you’re in your 40s like me, then maybe you’ll relate to this frustration: One day, my makeup stopped working. The stuff I’d been putting on for years didn’t look as good. Actually, sometimes it made me look worse. And often it seemed like most of it hitchhiked off my face an hour into my day while leaving a few smudgy remnants of shadow and lip liner (giving new meaning to eat my dust). My reaction to all of this was logical: first, I tried different brands and different products. Then, I quit. I ditched foundation since it quickly disappeared, I skipped eye shadow that always settled into my fine lines, and gave up on eyeliner, which smudged both above and below my eyes.
To be clear, I haven’t been walking around bare-faced: I’ve embraced sheer tinted sunscreen , tubing mascara (a miraculous invention that doesn’t budge!), and liquid blush that stains the skin. But there are days when I want to wear more. Plus, my lips aren’t as full or vibrant as they once were, my lashes aren’t as thick, and the dark spots that were always lurking underneath my skin have decided to reveal themselves. Makeup was invented to offset these very things.
I was discussing these mature skin concerns with a few makeup artists (both a requirement and a perk of my job as a beauty editor), and they put it to me straight: Makeup does still work after 40, but it requires a few extra steps. The most important one: a primer. So, like flossing daily and touching up my roots monthly, applying a primer before my makeup has become a must-do move for me. (Beauty maintenance is no joke these days, but that’s a different rant.)
Practically every brand will say that their moisturizer will double as a primer. I’m here to tell you that, sure, it’ll be better than nothing, but an actual makeup primer is formulated to sit on top of the skin to smooth it out and provide something for the makeup to grip onto. This is why I apply a moisturizer with SPF 30, and then a primer on top. I’ve tried many and have landed on Laura Geller’s Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer . Her brand is formulated specifically for those of us over 40, and she has an entire range of Spackles with different finishes (from matte to glowy). My favorite is the Hydrate version; read on for why.
$36.00
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Here’s Why This Primer Works So Well
As any house painter or artist can tell you, you can’t put your vibrant paint color on bare wood or canvas–half of it will soak in and it’ll look uneven and dull. You have to prime it. The same concept applies to makeup. Laura Geller’s Spackle: Hydrate is unique because it moisturizes any dry areas with shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and squalane—this prevents the skin from sucking up the makeup that goes on next—while also leaving an invisible silicone-based shield on the surface of the skin that smooths out pores and fine lines so makeup glides on evenly, and stays that way. So you’re getting the benefit of a moisturizer with the benefit of a primer in one.
A Few Application Tips You’ll Want to Follow
The tricky thing about layering formulas is that they sometimes don’t merge well and can end up pilling or clumping. I haven’t experienced that with this primer, but there are two important steps that can help you avoid this from potentially happening. First, remember that moisturizer and sunscreen are your last skincare steps; primer is your first makeup step. So always put the primer on after your moisturizer and sunscreen. Second, wait at least a minute between these steps. I like to do skincare in my pajamas, then figure out what I’m wearing, and afterward do my makeup. I use my fingers to apply a thin layer—one pump’s worth—of spackle all over my skin evenly. Then, to give it time to set, I do eye makeup next and foundation after that. (By the way, Laura makes an eye shadow primer as well.)
Why I Love It
I’ve learned first-hand that makeup (blush, foundation, eye shadow, etc.) always looks better and lasts longer when I apply it over this primer. And while, yes, this is true no matter your age—pigments look more vibrant and true when they’re placed on a primed canvas—it’s especially undeniable when your canvas is dry, prone to sucking up makeup, and far from glass-like. This primer’s particular formula makes a noticeable difference for skin that’s dehydrated and uneven like mine.
Also, it’s not thick or greasy; I find it very easy to sandwich it in between my sunscreen and foundation as long as I wait about a minute between layers. It’s never caused me to break out or experience clogged pores. I also like that it doesn’t contain synthetic fragrances, parabens, or phthalates, and it’s cruelty-free.
Bottom line: This is the extra step that made me embrace makeup in my 40s—and I look better for it.
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