Makeup Primer and Setting Spray

Setting spray is the final step in your makeup routine, designed to lock your makeup look in place. It helps meld all your makeup together and forms a lightweight, invisible film over your makeup. By keeping the makeup cohesive and preventing moisture loss from the makeup itself, setting spray significantly reduces flaking, cracking, smudging, and fading, ensuring a fresh and lasting finish throughout the day. Long-lasting setting spray like our Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist helps makeup last for up to 36 hours.

Makeup primer is a foundational product applied before any makeup to create a smooth, even canvas. It preps the skin by filling in and blurring imperfections, such as pores and fine lines, and can even out skin tone or brighten its appearance, depending on the formula. Primer creates a barrier between your skin and makeup, preventing products from sinking into pores or creasing. This allows foundation and other cosmetics to apply more smoothly, appear more vibrant, and adhere better, significantly extending makeup wear by keeping it locked in place and preventing fading or smudging throughout the day. Learn more by reading our guide to face primer makeup.

To apply makeup primer, always start with a freshly cleansed and moisturized face, then follow the steps below. e.

1. Dispense a pea-sized amount onto your fingertips, a brush, or a sponge.

2. Gently blend the primer evenly across your face, focusing on areas where you want to minimize pores, control oil, or smooth texture, such as the T-zone or cheeks.

3. Allow it to set for about 30-60 seconds before moving on to your foundation.

These steps help you to prep your skin for makeup, allowing makeup to glide on seamlessly, look more natural, and last longer.

You should always apply moisturizer before primer. Moisturizer's primary function is to hydrate and nourish your skin. It needs to absorb fully to deliver its benefits and prepare your skin for makeup. Primer, on the other hand, is designed to create a smooth canvas, blur imperfections, and help your makeup adhere better and last longer. Applying primer on top of fully absorbed moisturizer ensures optimal performance for both products, allowing the primer to effectively create a barrier and grip for your makeup. Check out this article for more information on whether to use primer or moisturizer first.

Choosing the right makeup primer for you will depend on your skin type and skin concerns.

• Oily or Combination Skin: If you have oily or combination skin and are looking to minimize the appearance of pores and control shine, choose a mattifying or pore-minimizing primer. These formulations often contain ingredients that absorb excess oil and create a smoother surface. The L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24HR Pore Minimizer is an excellent choice, designed to visibly reduce pores and create a blurred, perfected finish that lasts. For color-correcting primer, try Prime Lab Up to 24HR Redness Eraser.

• Dry or Dehydrated Skin: For those with dry or dehydrated skin, a hydrating primer is key. These primers infuse moisture into the skin, preventing makeup from looking cakey or emphasizing dry patches, and ensuring a dewy, plump skin appearance. To combat dullness and boost radiance, an illuminating or radiance-boosting primer can transform your complexion. These often contain subtle light-reflecting particles that impart a healthy glow from within. The L'Oréal Paris Visible Lift Radiance Booster is designed to hydrate your skin while giving it an instant luminous boost, perfect for a fresh and glowing look.

• Textured or Mature Skin: If your concern is fine lines, wrinkles, or uneven texture, a smoothing or blurring primer will be your best friend. The L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer is specifically formulated for mature skin, helping to smooth the look of lines and imperfections for a more youthful complexion.

Always consider your primary skin concern when selecting a primer for your skin type to ensure the best results for your makeup application.

For mature skin, the best makeup primers address concerns like fine lines, wrinkles, and dryness. Look for formulas that offer blurring effects to visibly smooth imperfections and create an even canvas. Hydrating primers are also beneficial to prevent makeup from settling into lines and to give a more supple appearance. The L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer Infused with Serum is an excellent choice as it's specifically designed to blur the look of fine lines and pores, providing a smoother, more radiant base for makeup on mature skin.

When choosing a primer for large pores, look for formulas specifically designed to blur and smooth the skin’s texture. Blurring and smoothing primers often have a silky gel-like consistency that fills in pores to create a more even surface. They can also help to mattify the skin, which further minimizes the appearance of pores by reducing shine. The L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer Primer is an ideal choice, as it is formulated with dermatologist-recommended skincare ingredients and visibly improves skin instantly and overtime to visibly reduce the look of pores and create a seamless, perfected finish that lasts throughout the day.

You can purchase L’Oréal Paris makeup primer and setting spray in-person at your local drugstore, grocery chains, or large retailers, or online through retailers like Amazon, Target, and Ulta Beauty. Click the “Buy Online” button on the individual product pages to see where to purchase your primer and setting spray online, or use our Store Locator to find an in-store option to shop makeup setting spray and primer near you.