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A couple of days ago I blogged about my favorite summer foundation and I mentioned using an illuminating primer as base for my make up. I got a lot of questions on which one is my favorite so I thought about writing about the ones I love the most and the reasons why.
I’ll have to start saying that I do not wear eye shadow, eyeliner, khol or anything else on the lids (except for rare occasions) so I tent to focus all my attention on the foundation, once the base is good, I’ll pop on mascara, blusher and I’m ready to go. The effect I always try to achieve is of a glowy-dewy skin without looking shimmery or oily so the four illuminating bases above have been my good dear friends.

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector : Is the most subtle of them all. It works best if mixed with your foundation or by itself if you’re using a very light tinted moisturizer or foundation, unfortunately, if you’re using a heavier one it’ll defeat the purpose of the product. I love it because it gives such a subtle but pretty glow! *I’ll recommend this one only if you have overall good skin.

Becca Shimmering skin perfector: This one is the shiniest of them all, you’ll need the smallest amount otherwise you’ll end up looking like a disco ball – catching every reflection! I used this one either mixed with a regular non shiny primer or mixed with the moisturizer before applying the foundation. I tried it by itself but found out that it was a little bit too much for me. It works amazingly if you’re using a light foundation because it will allow the base to pop out, but it works well also with medium coverage ones for a subtle effect. *I’ll recommend this one only if you have overall good skin.

Laura Mercier Tinted moisturizer – Illuminating : I have never experimented enough with Laura mercier bases but since I’ve tried this one I’ve been loving it. It is a very illuminating base so you can either use it by itself or,  if you’re not having a good skin week, you can use it as a primer for your foundation. It will give a glowing effect even if you’re not at your best and it’s also very moisturizing so if you have dry skin it won’t look dull! just pros right? yes.

Origins VitaZing moisturizer : Note that this is a tinted moisturizer. When I first bought it I wanted to return it because I didn’t expect it to be that tinted. As soon as you’ll start working it into the skin it will release colored pigments that will give you a good base coverage. After the first week, that was the only base I’d use! Now… this moisturizer is not listed anywhere under the “illuminating” category but I found it to be pretty  good for that purpose. It gives a sheer illuminating effect if used with a light foundation and if you’re extremely pale, like I am, it will add a subtle color to the skin that adds up to the overall pretty/glowing effect.

I hope this was helpful and if you have any other Illuminating primer recommendation, please, send them my way! I am always eager to try new stuff!