In your prime

Napoleon face primer. Photo / Babiche Martens

Just as an artist primes a canvas before painting, a makeup expert applies primer to the skin before foundation to give it a camera-ready finish. This little smoothing dose was once (like photo-shopping) a trade secret, but now primers are readily available - there are even versions for eyelids, lips and lashes. (Soothing and firming balms and targeted line-filling creams are other pre-make-up tricks to pep up the complexion).

Do you need a primer? Well, maybe it is a little makeup-obsessive, and you can easily skip the step, but as you age, a little help papering over the cracks is no bad thing. Even younger skin can benefit from a smoothing base that will encourage makeup to last and skim over any open pores. Exfoliating is the DIY bit of skin priming. It helps smooth your skin by sloughing away the dead surface cells, so if you're going to invest in a primer, help it adhere well by ensuring skin texture is refined to start with.

M.A.C senior makeup artist Amber D swears by primers - and oil-absorbing finishing powder. Use the two with a little concealer in lieu of the foundation most of rely on for a fresh, flawless weekend look. Amber D says primers - and M.A.C has a whole category called Prep and Prime - create a great base for the sort of makeup looks she creates for the runway, but that they're also well worth introducing into a regular makeup routine.

I'm too lazy to use primers daily, but if I'm looking for an especially polished finish and good staying power for makeup, I rather like a quick slick. Teflon-coated and ready to face the day...

* If you're new to primers, try out something economical first to see if you'll persevere. Revlon's Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer is a good place to start. Today, we feature some of the other options.

1 Lancome La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer $75

Leaves a satin smooth, soft, gel-like finish on the skin that will have you wanting to stroke your cheeks. The oil-free formula is a plus.

2 Nars Makeup Primer $120

Francois Nars has pioneered many makeup artist products into the mainstream and his primer is unsurprisingly good, with a light lotion feel enriched with botanical ingredients that suits all skin types.

3 Model Co Miracle Veil Skin Perfecting Fluid $65

You have to prime the pump before your skin and I found getting this creamy fluid to flow a bit irksome. This multi-tasking primer promises to help disguise redness and fine lines, while also brightening skin.

4 Smashbox Photo Finish Colour Corrector $76

This initially reminded me of a green veil compact I wore as a teenager, but the colour is where the similarity ends. It's tinted to combat redness (and available in other correcting and untinted formulas) while reducing the appearance of fine lines and pores, and can be worn without foundation. Texutre is smooth, with aloe and antioxidants.

5 Bare Escentuals Prime Time Eyelid Primer $45

This helps those with oily eyelids combat fading colour and creasing. Comes in a felt-tipped pen applicator. There's also a good Prime Time for skin, to be worn with mineral powders.

6 Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Skin Primer $47.50

"Not to prime is a crime," says Perdis. His primer is hydrating with a delicate fragrance and skin smoothing ingredients. He recommends mixing with liquid bronzer for a no makeup look.

7 Elizabeth Arden Advanced Eye Fix Primer $45

This tube of primer, applied with a fingertip, extends shadow wear and like the other eye primers here is opthalmologist tested and flesh-toned for fair to medium skins. Worth a try if your eye makup slides too readily into the creases. Can be worn alone to even-out eyelid and socket colour.

8 M.A.C Prep and Prime Skin Visage $47

M.A.C is known for its primers, including the illuminating cream and liquid versions of Strobe cream, and this light fluid. There's also specialised products, including a combined lip exfoliator and soother.

9 Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in Place Eyeshadow Base $39

Comes in a pot to dab or brush on for a good crease-deterring all-day base for eyeshadow.

10 Jane Iredale Absence Oil Control Primer $81

The better mineral makeup brands like this one often include primers, which are a good base to ensure powder foundation glides on, rather than risks caking. This matte, oil-control version comes with a sponge applicator to wipe across the waxy translucent compact cake.

Stockists: Brand counters and Nars from Mecca Cosmetica, Ponsonby, www.meccacosmetica.co.nz. Smashbox from Smashbox, Ponsonby, or www.smashbox.co.nz. Bare Escentuals Ph 0800 575 565, M.A.C from M.A.C Chancery, St Lukes and Smith & Caughey's Jane Iredale Ph (09) 636 1966.