This Is the Primer That TV Hosts Reach for To Keep Their Makeup Looking Camera-Ready

Whether its Oprah or your local news anchor, TV hosts all seem to have one thing in common: flawless complexion. Somehow, even when viewed through high-definition camera lenses, there’s no redness, fine lines, or breakouts in sight. So what’s their secret?

I knew that odds are, not all TV hosts have glass skin—but there must be some essential, universal step in their makeup routine that helps their skin look camera-ready. So, when I had the opportunity to talk to QVC hosts Jayne Brown and Pat James DeMentri at QVC’s Q50 Summit— which celebrated a group of inspiring women who are embracing their over-50 era as the “age of possibility”—I *had* to ask them what the one beauty product they couldn’t live without was.

Almost immediately after the question popped out of my mouth, Brown was ready with her answer: Laura Geller’s Spackle—and DeMentri was quick to second her endorsement.”It’s a primer to get you started, and it also helps to keep your makeup on longer,” Brown says.

Laura Geller Spackle Primer Trio — $48.00

$108 if purchased separately

Set includes:

• 2-fl oz. Hydrating Spackle Primer
• 2-fl oz. Diamond Spackle Primer
• 2-fl oz. Bronze Spackle Primer

Pros:

• Smooths skin
• Blurs imperfections
• Ensures makeup goes on flawlessly and lasts all day
• Opportunity to try three types of Spackle

Cons:

• May not like all three primers

To be honest, primer has always been a makeup step I’ve skipped—I’ve never really understood the point of it. But, according to beauty expert and licensed esthetician Elena Duque, it’s a critical part of any makeup routine—especially if you’re going to be on camera (and yes, that includes taking selfies on your phone camera).

“Using primer is like laying down the perfect canvas before creating a masterpiece,” Duque says. “Primer is the secret weapon to a flawless makeup application.”

The one she finds herself reaching for again and again? Just like Brown and DeMentri, Duque has fallen in love with Spackle. “This little gem has stolen my heart and transformed my makeup game to the next level,” Duque says. “The Spackle primer is like a dream in a bottle—it smooths out my skin, blurs imperfections, and creates the perfect base for my makeup. It looks great both on and off-camera too.”

If I wasn’t convinced before, I definitely was after that professional endorsement, and proceeded to add the trio of hydrating, illuminating, and bronzing Spackle primers to my cart. And if you’re in the market for the best makeup primer for mature skin, Spackle fits the bill for that criteria, too. “As many [women] are working your way through menopause during that hot summer, Spackle will save you and it’ll make you look and feel great,” DeMentri says. “It also cuts down on a lot of the [makeup routine] steps.”

Whether your skin is mature or not, Duque says this trio will definitely serve your summer makeup routine for long-lasting looks—if you follow her instructions. According to Duque, you should reach for the hydrating one on days your skin may be feeling a little dried out from the sun to ensure it’s plump and smooth before applying the rest of your makeup application. Grab the illuminating one—which you can make even glowier by mixing it with a drop of liquid highlighter—for a luminous complexion, and try the bronzing one (both Brown and Duque’s personal favorite) to give you a subtle radiance.

Duque also notes that Spackle can be used as more than just a primer—she and Brown both wear it alone or on top of sunscreen on days they’re going for a minimal effort, “no-makeup-makeup” look. “If you’re not wearing makeup, you can just have a Spackle face, and you look fabulous,” Brown says. Turns out, the secret sauce to camera-ready skin is also the best makeup primer for mature skin.