Primer & Skin Prep · Product guide
Primer guide
How to choose a primer that solves the problem you actually have.
Written by Lamyaa Aissi, professional makeup artist, Casablanca. Part of the Primer & Skin Prep guide.
When to use it
Once the skin type and the specific complaint are identified — not before.
On Moroccan skin, in a Moroccan climate
The distinction that matters here is dry versus dehydrated. Dehydrated skin lacks water and often produces more oil to compensate, so it feels tight and looks shiny at once and gets mistreated as oily.
The rule that runs through every product on this site: check undertone, not just depth. Most Moroccan skin is olive or golden, and a neutral or pink-based product greys within the hour however precisely the depth matches. And for any long event, set in thin successive passes rather than one heavy layer — accumulated product slides in coastal humidity, while product laid down thinly stays.
What it will not do
Every problem at once. Primers are specific by design; layering three fights itself.
The most common mistake
Using a mattifying primer on dehydrated skin. It makes the skin produce more oil, not less.
Questions
What does primer guide actually do?
How to choose a primer that solves the problem you actually have.
When should I use primer guide?
Once the skin type and the specific complaint are identified — not before.
Does primer guide work on Moroccan skin tones?
The distinction that matters here is dry versus dehydrated. Dehydrated skin lacks water and often produces more oil to compensate, so it feels tight and looks shiny at once and gets mistreated as oily.
What is the most common mistake with primer guide?
Using a mattifying primer on dehydrated skin. It makes the skin produce more oil, not less.
Part of: Primer & Skin Prep
Preparation is the technique, not the prelude. Most complaints about a foundation are complaints about what was underneath it.
Read the full Primer & Skin Prep guide →
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