Primers do just that; they prime and prepare your skin for foundation. As well as making your foundation easier to apply, they'll also help it last longer. There are quite a few different primers out there.
Mattifying Primers
These help absorb oil and keep your complexion matte. These are an essential for people who have oily skin and find that their foundation slides off during the day. For those with combination skin, just applying it when you get oily works well.
Recommendations
Urban Decay's De-slick In A Tube is about as mattifying as they come. I find this one works far better under powder foundations than liquid though.
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Illamasqua's Matte Primer doesn't pack quite the kick that De-slick does, but it works better underneath liquid foundation, and will still keep shininess at bay for hours.
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Coloured Primers
If you haven't checked out the colour correcting section, head on over there now! Coloured primers a sheer veil of colour that will cancel out whatever problem you're looking to hide, meaning your foundation has to do less work.
The most common is green. This is great if you find you get a lot of redness. You may look a little pale and washed out when you first apply it, but you'll really notice the difference once you get your foundation on top.
Lavender primers make skin look less sallow by cancelling out and yellowness in the skin, leaving your skin looking brighter and healthier.
Apricot helps skin look more awake by cancelling out any darker tones (in a similar way to how salmon concealer gets rid of dark circles).
The most common is green. This is great if you find you get a lot of redness. You may look a little pale and washed out when you first apply it, but you'll really notice the difference once you get your foundation on top.
Lavender primers make skin look less sallow by cancelling out and yellowness in the skin, leaving your skin looking brighter and healthier.
Apricot helps skin look more awake by cancelling out any darker tones (in a similar way to how salmon concealer gets rid of dark circles).
Recommendations
No.7 produce sheer green, lavender and apricot primers.
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Smashbox also produce green, lavender and apricot primers. A little more pricey than No.7, but they keep your makeup on longer.
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Paul and Joe sell a primer which contains a multitude of different colour beads which all mix together to tackle a handful of issues
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Illuminating Primers
As it says on the bottle, these illuminate your skin, giving you nice, glowing skin. I tend to avoid these for oily skin, but they're really good for that dewy look. They also work well at blurring fine lines, so are good for more mature skin.
Recommendations
Guerlain's Meteorites Pearls Light-diffusing Primer is a beautiful primer, which subtly blurs lines, creating a softer looking compexion.
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Smashbox Luminizing Foundation Primer is a golden-tan coloured primer. It can look scarily dark in the tube, but it sheers out once on the skin for a healthy glow.
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Satin Effect Primer
Somewhere between matte and illuminating primers, you'll find the satin primers. These give the most natural effect to you skin, smoothing it out and creating a good base for your foundation to stick to. Some of these leave your skin feeling velvety smooth. These have a tendency to be quite silicon heavy, which some people prefer to avoid as they find they clog pores.
Recommendations
Benefit's Dr Feelgood is one of those primers that will leave you stroking your baby soft skin.
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Illamasqua's Satin Primer doesn't make skin feeling as good, but it certainly looks the part, and is another great primer.
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Pore Tightening Primers
If you have large open pores, you may find that your foundation can sink into them. By using a primer specifically for this problem, you'll find that your foundation applies far more smoothly.
Recommendations
Benefit's
Pore-fessional has earned itself rave reviews, and for good reason. A lightweight primer that helps mask pores without blocking them. | 
Too Faced Primed and Poreless is another good choice when it comes to dealing with large pores. Skin looks smoother and brighter, both alone and under foundation.
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Primers for Fine Lines
As you get older, the texture and condition of your skin changes. As well as filling fine lines, you skin will probably need that extra bit of moisture. By using a primer designed to fill fine lines, your foundation will have a smooth base to cling to, getting rid of the problem of your foundation sinking into, and creasing in those lines.
Recommendations
L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing and Resurfacing Primer is another one that will have you touching your skin because of how smooth it is.
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Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch feels lighter on the skin than the L'Oreal equivalent. You only need a tiny bit of this to help smooth out the appearance of fine lines.
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Long Lasting Primers
Whilst all primers extend the life of your foundation, some a specifically designed for the task. These are the primers that last the longest, and hold up for hours on set.
Recommendations
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is what the brand is known for. They do about a dozen different primers, but sometimes the original is the best.
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Benefit's Stay Flawless is their latest offering to the primer pot. Whilst it doesn't quite hold out for the 15 hours it claims, it still puts up one hell of a fight!
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Hydrating Primers
If you've got dry skin, you'll know how difficult it can be to get foundation to look smooth and not cakey. Whilst switching your skin care routine up, and using an intensive moisturiser can help, it doesn't hurt to add that extra bit of moisture with a primer.
Recommendations
Smashbox Hyrating Photo Finish Primer. Yup, another Smashbox primer (it's kinda their 'thing'). This adds moisture and keeps it looked in, making sure your skin stays hydrated throughout the day.
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Laura Mercier Hydrating
Primer soothes dry and sensitive skin. It holds on to water in the skin, stopping your skin drying out for hours after you've applied it |
Primers with SPF
If your moisturiser doesn't have SPF in it, or if it doesn't offer the protection you need, a primer with a high SPF and broad spectrum UV protection is well worth the money. Just be aware that it may reflect light if flash photography is used
Recommendations
Clinique City Block SPF40 is my go to primer during the summer months. As well as protecting against harmful UV rays, it also helps guard against environmental irritants, whilst smoothing skin tone.
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MAC Prep and Prime SPF50 is just about the highest SPF primer you can get on the UK market. This quickly absorbs into you skin, making it great for days when you haven't got long to do your makeup
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