Top Five: Illuminating Primers

At this time of year dull skin can be one of the banes of our lives. When it is cold and miserable outside there sometimes nothing worse than having sad skin staring back at you from the mirror…

One sure fire way to jzeuch-up (there are no official spellings for this so feel free to use your own variations here) lacklustre skin is to use a light reflective primer prior to applying your foundation. This will brighten the skin and give the illusion of healthy, radiant skin even if that is a little far from the reality.

Here are my top five natural and organic illuminating primers…

Brightening Base from Couleur Caramel (£23.50)

An innocuous looking white cream, Couleur Caramel Brightening Base illuminates and brightens the face and provides a great base for a beauty make-up. As well as brightening, it also smooths and moisturises and can be used in place of your regular moisturiser (although I would only really suggest this for those with super oily skin). As the description would suggest it applies quickly and easily and

Stratus Luminous Skin Perfecting Primer from Vapour Beauty (£41.00)

Stratus Luminous Primer is a fantastic primer is designed for normal to dry skins and those prone to sensitivity. Available in three shades and suitable for most skin tones, Stratus uses botanical extracts to enhance the complexion whilst the light reflecting qualities create the illusion of smoother skin and reduced fine lines. The cream formulation comes in traditional panstick form and needs a little warming up before application, however once its reached a workable temperature, it blends like a dream.

We Take Some Air Snowy Hill Primer from Studio 78 Paris (£22.00)

This particular primer doesn’t fail to deliver in terms of illumination. Snowy Hill is a white cream shot through with tiny gold particles which give the skin a radiance and a beautiful, slightly ethereal glow. Enriched with organic sweet almond and sunflower seed oils and chamomile extract, Snowy Hill is as nourishing and soothing as it is illuminating. The creamy formulation makes it easy to blend and apply – which it does equally well with fingers, a brush or a sponge.

Phyto Pigments Illuminating Primer from Juice Beauty (£40.50) (V)

Phyto Pigments Illuminating Primer is lightweight liquid primer shot though with a subtle iridescent shimmer. Packed full of nourishing and hydrating ingredients such as vitamin E and organic glycerin, it evens out skin texture and can even minimise redness. Although suitable for all skin types, Juice Beauty have also incorporated oil control into its capabilities and so it is perfect for slightly oilier skins. A small amount gives a delicate glow to the skin so although it can be worn under foundation, it works well on it’s own too.

Illuminating Glow Facial Shimmer from Nourish (£16.00) (V)

Technically not a primer, however this incredibly pretty liquid shimmer makes for a fabulous light reflecting base for your make-up. Illuminating Glow contains gold mineral pigments which create a radiant glow and the inclusion of my current favourite ingredient hyaluronic acid, means that the appearance of fine lines diminish. I wrote about Illuminating Glow Facial Shimmer a few weeks back (here) which gives you a little more in-depth information, however you can blend it with a moisturiser or foundation to add that golden glow.

Have you used a light reflecting primer to brighten your skin?

Images: (1) via Flickr; (2) Couleur Caramel; (3) Vapour Beauty; (4) Studio 78 Paris; (5) Juice Beauty; (6) Nourish Skincare