These Are the 8 Best Makeup Primers for Every Skin Type
No good makeup look is complete without primer—it’s the ultimate skin prep for flawless-looking makeup. Without one, applying makeup isn’t nearly as easy since the formula won’t glide onto the skin. Bypassing primer means that your makeup is likely to last only a short time. While the primary goal of face primers is to create a base for makeup that withstands virtually anything it encounters, some are formulated with skin-friendly ingredients to help hydrate and nourish the skin.
However, finding the best face primer for your skin is like finding the right makeup for it. Not all primers adhere to the one-size-fits-all theory, and it’s essential to select one that complements your skin type and needs. We've taken the guesswork out of finding a good face primer and done all the work for you. Ahead, we’re sharing the best face primers out there, making it that much easier to find one that suits your skin.
Our Top Picks
Best for Under Makeup: jane iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer Best for Mature Skin: Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydra Prime SPF 50 Best for Oily Skin: bareMinerals Prime Time Original Pore-Minimizing Best for Large Pores: DHC Velvet Skin Coat Makeup Primer Best with SPF: Glo Skin Beauty Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30 Best for Dry Skin: RMS Beauty ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer Best for Sensitive Skin: Dermablend Brilliant Base Illuminating Primer Best for Mattifying: Grown Alchemist Skin Defense Primer Best for Skin-Enhancing: Jillian Dempsey Mixturizer
What Are the Benefits of Using a Face Primer?
It locks makeup in. One of the most significant reasons people wear primer under their makeup is to lock everything in place and give their makeup staying power. Primer creates a layer between your skin and makeup, providing a protective barrier that prevents the makeup from shifting or fading.It smoothes the skin and gives a blurring effect. A good primer can create smoother-looking skin, blurring away imperfections and uneven texture, so that the makeup looks better and wears well.It hydrates and nourishes the skin. When the skin is moisturized, makeup always looks better. Additionally, the less surface dryness there is, the more light will reflect properly off the skin.It helps intensify the color payoff of other makeup products. By prepping the skin with primer, other makeup that is layered on top will appear more intense in color and with better saturation, with less streakiness.It controls oil. A major plus for oily skin, primers offer oil-controlling and mattifying properties, ensuring the makeup stays in place and doesn’t shift or disappear if the skin produces a little extra oil.
Best Makeup Primers
Best for Under Makeup: jane iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer
$55.00
Like a tall drink of water for the skin, this multi-tasking primer allows makeup to go on easily and smoothly, giving it super staying power. We also like that it helps make the skin look flawless and youthful by minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores while enhancing the skin’s natural radiance.
Key Ingredients: Apple extract, royal jelly, algae extract
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Prepares the skin so makeup goes on more easily and lasts longer, helps skin hold on to moisture, smoothes, brightens, and nourishes skin, minimizes the appearance of pores, and visibly reduces the appearance of wrinkles
Beauty Insider Tip: The primer is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores or cause breakouts.
Best for Mature Skin: Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydra Prime SPF 50
$48.00
Mature skin requires hydration and protection to look its best under makeup. More than your average primer, this boosts moisture levels while shielding against sun damage for a smooth, even finish that never boasts any white cast, making it a must-have for flawless-looking skin at every age.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, ectoin, beet root, bisabolol, acetyl zingerone
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Forms an antioxidant shield to protect from environmental stress, improves skin tone, hyperpigmentation, texture, and signs of aging, blurs and smooths the appearance of uneven texture and fine lines, preps and primes skin for smooth, perfected makeup application, boosts moisture levels, refines texture, and provides sun protection
Beauty Insider Tip: The works-for-all-skin-tones shade blends in seamlessly to the skin but should be reapplied every two hours for optimal sun protection benefits.
Best for Oily Skin: bareMinerals Prime Time Original Pore-Minimizing
This OG mineral-based face primer is a must for oily, shiny skin. Not only does it provide a breathable matte finish that never looks cakey or thick, but it also helps control sebum production, ensuring your makeup stays in place without slipping or oxidizing. But the best part? The formula is enriched with beneficial ingredients that support the skin's health over time.
Key Ingredients: Sea water, silica, glycerin
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Instantly smooths skin, improves skin texture, helps to soothe and nourish the skin, gives immediate shine control, and improves the appearance of pores
Beauty Insider Tip: For the best results, apply the primer, let it dry for at least 60 seconds, and then apply your makeup.
Best for Large Pores: DHC Velvet Skin Coat Makeup Primer
$23.00
Prime and prep the skin for a flawless look with this clear, pore-reducing, and antioxidant-infused primer that keeps the skin looking smooth all day. The powder-to-gel formula glides smoothly onto the skin without tugging or pulling, creating a unique barrier that helps absorb unwanted sweat and oil.
Key Ingredients: Silica, organic olive oil
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Helps makeup glide on, diffuses the look of skin imperfection, smooths out the skin and provides a mattified finish, helps fight shine, reduces the look of pores and wrinkles
Beauty Insider Tip: The clear, fragrance-free formula is suitable for all skin types and tones, and works well with all types of makeup.
Best with SPF: Glo Skin Beauty Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30
$50.00
This lightweight, oil-free sunscreen-packed makeup primer works to correct, balance, and protect the skin while blurring away the look of fine lines and pores. Perfect for creating a more matte finish on the skin, it also boasts a range of skincare ingredients to help boost brightness, improve dull and rough skin texture, and provide protection from common environmental aggressors, thereby maintaining skin health.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin C, salicylic acid, mineral broad-spectrum SPF 30, natural mineral pigments
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Visibly corrects redness and evens out skin tone, reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores, creating a smooth, long-wearing canvas, provides skin defense from UV rays, blue light, pollution, and other free radicals, and reduces excess oil
Beauty Insider Tip: You can wear the primer on its own, without makeup, to help even out the skin tone.
Best for Dry Skin: RMS Beauty ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer
$45.00
Dry skin doesn’t stand a chance against this super-hydrating, silicone-free primer, which boosts the skin’s natural hydration levels for up to 24 hours. The clean formula allows makeup to stay in place all day without budging or smudging, and the gel texture gives the skin a moisturized, natural radiance that everyone can appreciate.
Key Ingredients: Tigtenyl, vegetable squalane, hyaluronic acid, eggplant fruit extract
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Locks in skincare, grips makeup all day, smooths, firms, and tones, instantly hydrates up to 24 hours
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply one to two pumps of the primer to the skin for a subtle pearlescence that adds radiance without color, for the most beautiful, glowing complexion.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Dermablend Brilliant Base Illuminating Primer
$35.00
Some primers can irritate sensitive skin, but this one, which is rich in hydrating ingredients, acts more like skincare. Perfect as a pre-makeup step, the formula’s light-reflecting pigments and blend of potent antioxidants brighten, protect, and improve the skin over time while also creating a smooth finish and boosting the skin’s luminosity.
Key Ingredients: Apricot kernel oil, glycerin, rice bran oil, niacinamide, shea butter, mica, sodium hyaluronate
Skin Type: Sensitive
Skin Benefit(s): Brightens and evens out skin tone, helps makeup stay fresh and in place, delivers a radiant, dewy finish
Beauty Insider Tip: The vegan primer leaves behind a dewy, illuminated finish that never looks glittery.
Best for Mattifying: Grown Alchemist Skin Defense Primer
$42.00
This lightweight gel primer instantly creates a matte effect on the skin, yet still allows the natural beauty of the skin to shine through. Perfect for oily skin, it also helps to smooth the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines while combating oiliness and shine, leaving the skin strong, hydrated, and well-protected.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, ashwagandha root, mushroom extract, aloe leaf juice, morninga seed extract, orange peel extract, bergamot fruit oil, lemon peel oil, rosemary leaf oil, geranium flower oil, ginger root oil, cypress oil
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Provides an instant blurring effect, mattifies the skin, minimizes the look of pores, and defends the skin barrier
Beauty Insider Tip: Wear the primer on its own for skin that boasts a natural glow or use it under makeup for a seamless finish.
Best for Skin-Enhancing: Jillian Dempsey Mixturizer
$34.00
Bad skin days don’t stand a chance against this primer, which also doubles as a moisturizer. Perfect for wearing on its own or blending in with concealer or foundation to create the look of flawless skin, this light cream helps to hydrate and nourish the skin, making it look simply perfect.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefit(s): Nourishes the skin, helps to hydrate, gives a supple feeling
Beauty Insider Tip: Mix the primer with your favorite tinted moisturizer for a lightweight highlighter that doubles as a creamy tint for the lids.
How do you apply face primer?
Using face primer isn’t complicated, nor does it add much time to your regular makeup routine. Make sure to pair a foundation with complementary ingredients to your primer so that both lay down properly. For example, stick to silicone primers and foundations, or use water-based primers with a water-based foundation, which will prevent the makeup from piling or rolling on top.
Start by applying a thin layer of moisturizer and let it fully absorb into the skin. Then, apply a light layer of the primer, starting at the center of the face and working outward. Use your finger, a makeup brush, or a makeup sponge to spread the product evenly. Once the primer has dried down, you can apply foundation and concealer.
FAQs
Can face primers clog pores?
Like other types of makeup, some face primers can clog the pores and lead to breakouts. The key is to use primers labeled as non-comedogenic, meaning they do not contain pore-clogging ingredients. If you are prone to pimples, steer clear of silicone-containing primers and always double cleanse to fully remove every trace of the product.
Can you use face primer without makeup?
Face primer works wonders under makeup to give an immaculate finish, but it also works just as well on its own without foundation, concealer, or blush. When wearing only face primer, the skin will appear smoother, pores and fine lines will appear blurred, and the skin will boast a natural, subtle glow and radiance, as if it is lit from within. If you prefer a no-makeup makeup look but also want your skin to feel light and not weighed down with product, a good face primer is worth the investment, as it helps achieve just that.
What are the different types of face primer?
There are several different types of face primers, and determining which one is right for you comes down to your skin type and what you are looking to correct.
Silicone-based primers: These popular primers create a super smooth surface and help to fill in lines, wrinkles, and pores. A favorite for oily skin, since they create a barrier of sorts between oil on the skin and makeup, also allowing for makeup to glide on seamlessly. Water-based primers: Lightweight and offering more hydration, water-based primers are ideal for sensitive and dry skin. Hydrating primers: Packed with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, and aloe vera, these primers give a dose of much-needed moisture to the skin, helping to eliminate dry patches and areas of flaky skin. Mattifying Primers: If your skin tends to get oily or shiny throughout the day, then you’ll want to reach for a mattifying primer. These products contain oil-absorbing ingredients, such as clays and silica, to help keep shine under control. Illuminating primers: Perfect for adding a natural radiance to the skin, illuminating pigments impart a hint of shimmer with pearlescent pigments and light-reflecting pigments to brighten up the skin tone. Color-correcting primers: Don’t be put off by the deep colors of color correctors, which work to cancel out redness, yellow undertones, and even blue and dark circles around the eyes.
The Bottom Line
The right primer makes all the difference between good makeup and great makeup. By prepping the skin with a face primer, a canvas is created so that the makeup and skin bide together, allowing the makeup to stay in place all day. For those days and nights when you need your makeup to have staying power and not fail you, a makeup primer is a must-have.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
