Face Primer 101

I thought it was about time I started a new series on Dainty Ditsy! I've shared and continue to share a lot of tips, tricks and advice makeup-wise, but I thought this time I'd start a whole new series where I dedicate a whole post to each step of your makeup routine, giving all of my top tips that I've gathered along the way for that particular step or type of product. And where better place to start than at the very beginning at least, if and when you do your base/face first - and start off with Primer? Let's go...

• Face Primer is... basically like the 'glue' for your makeup, base-wise! If starting with your base, it'll be the first step of your makeup routine - before going ahead with foundation, concealer and so on. They've usually got a slightly tacky reside that'll ensure whatever you apply over top really adhere properly to the skin and last throughout the day/night. However, nowadays, they're not just made to keep your makeup in place - they can smooth your skin, hydrate, mattify, colour correct - to name just a few. Basically, choose the right one for you and it can do great things for not only aiding makeup application and longevity, but also the overall finished look too!
• Ensure you know your skin-type and preferences. Dry skin and want a glowy look? Use a hydrating base. On the other hand - got oily skin and wanting to keep things skin-free? Use a mattifying primer! Or maybe your pores are the main 'problem' - in which case, a good, silicone-y pore-filling primer will do wonders.
• If in doubt, just make sure you moisturise! For some, primer is a bit of a myth and moisturiser will do the exact same job. So, if you are also of that way of thinking, or simply don't want to invest in a 'proper' primer - just make sure you apply a face cream beforehand! The perfect primer-that's-not-really-a-primer. 
• Don't apply too much. Actually, doing this can sometimes have the adverse effect and make your makeup slip and slide around far more and not last well - which is definitely not what we want!
• Tap it in. A tip I heard a couple of years ago was to tap your primer in, not only to ensure it's well worked into the skin, but also to bring out its tackiness and therefore, help your makeup you apply on top adhere as best as it can.
• Let it sink in for a bit. Similarly, try and leave your primer to settle into the skin for a couple of minutes before going ahead with your foundation. Again, this will really help your primer to actually work to its full potential.
• Give multi-priming a go. Maybe your cheeks are a bit dry, but your forehead and t-zone is oily? Try multi-priming and applying the relevant primers to those areas to tackle both issues at once, without having to compromise!