21 best primers that blur, mattify and help your foundation stay put
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We blend our foundation, blusher and bronzer fastidiously. But when it comes to using primer to lock our makeup in for a longer-lasting finish? Well, let's just say it often falls in the “should we, shouldn't we” pile.
But it's time to rethink primer, if only to ensure your foundation is a much smoother and more seamless canvas to work with. But it also does so much more. It has a handy blurring effect and works like a soft-focus lens. It effortlessly camouflages fine lines and redness; it mattifies oily patches and reduces the appearance of pores.
In a rush? The best primers at a glance:
- Best overall: Nars Radiance Primer SPF35, £33, Look Fantastic
- Best gel primer: Elf Power Grip Primer
- Best mattifying primer: benefit The POREfessional Face Primer, £32, LookFantastic
- Best for hydration: Fenty Beauty Mini Pro Filt'r Hydrating Primer, £16, Boots
- Best gripping primer: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, £35, Cult Beauty
- Best illuminating primer: MAC Studio Radiance Moisturizing + Illuminating Silky Primer, £30, Boots
- Best for blurring: Wonderfilter™ Velvet Finish Primer, £14, Beauty Pie
What do primers do?
"Primers are essential for long-lasting and flawless makeup," says leading makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis. “The idea of a primer is to give a base for the actual makeup to grab and sit on.”
At the same time, primers aren't a one-size-fits-all. The primer that works best for you may be different from the one your best mate swears by, depending on your skin type.
Types of primer
Blurring primer: "Blurring primers will minimise the appearance of lines and pores so you have the illusion of perfect skin or you can pick enhancing primers such as ones that add illumination," explains Lan.
Illuminating primer: Imagine a highlighter and a primer had a lovechild – this would be the result. It still gives your foundation wheels but it also adds a hint of sheen for a glass skin finish.
Hydrating primer: Often laced with hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, this type of primer is ideal if your skin is on the dry side and makeup looks cakey after a few hours.
Matte primer: A mattifying primer is typically silicone-based and best suited to oily skin as it helps to knock back shine, blur your pores and keep your foundation in place.
How to apply primer
You can apply it all over, so your entire face can reap the benefits. Otherwise, you can “patchwork” different primers by strategically applying them to selective areas of the face – for example, a hydrating primer on the cheeks and a tactical application of matte primer on the T-Zone, where we typically have more visible pores, texture or oiliness.
For a seamless base.
With many of us now ditching a full face for a lightweight foundation, you may even find that your primer gives you the confidence to skip base altogether. Your primer can do a lot of the heavy-lifting, meaning you only need to touch-up with a teensy bit of concealer on top.
The only caveat? Remember that oil and water don't mix, says Bridgerton makeup artist Erika Ökvist. “If you have a primer that is water-based and a foundation that is oil or silicone-based it's not going to work; if you're choosing to go water-based, you have to go the whole way with it," she says.
But considering the amount of choice out there, it can be challenging to choose a primer that works best for you and your skin. To help you come to a decision, we've put together a full edit of all the best primers out there, including options that take into account your personal needs, preferences and budget, as well as your skin type and skin tone.
Feeling inspired to upgrade your makeup routine? Check out our guides on the best foundations, best bronzers, best concealers, best cream blushes and best liquid blushes. We can also help you restock you makeup bag with guides for the best lipstick, best highlighter, best eyebrow product and best mascaras.
Ahead, find out which of the best primers suits your skin best.
Why we love it: The beauty of a clear, gel-based primer is that it works on all skin tones and can be powered by hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Perfect for delivering lightweight moisture to all skin types, including dehydrated oily skin, it preps, smoothes and guarantees your makeup looks fresh all day. Just remember to warm the product between your fingers for a few seconds before applying for an even finish.
Topicals Sealed Active Scar Primer
Why we love it: Meet the primer that not only immediately fills in pitted acne scars to ensure your concealer goes on smooth, but also contains a low dose of retinol to boost the skin's recovery for an improvement in their appearance over time.
Save when you shop for the best primers with these Sephora discount codes at checkout.
Why we love it: This primer is a bestseller for two reasons: it goes on like a dream and tackles a variety of skin issues. Specifically, the formula is lightweight, non-sticky and feels almost like an extension of your skincare. Meanwhile the pearlescent finish, infused with Nars' Radiance Boosting Complex, is like a wakeup call for dull, tired skin. It's also oil-free, which means even oily or acne prone skin can benefit from its mega-watt glow without fear of clogged pores. Oh, and did we mention it is also laced with a broad spectrum SPF?
Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer
Why we love it: With an SPF 50 filter and a pleasantly hydrating formula that contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin, there's not much this trending makeup primer can't do. Developed to protect you from environmental aggressors, it's equally great as a sunscreen substitute and a primer for dry skin, making makeup application that much easier.
Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
Why we love it: Infused with coconut water and other skin-loving ingredients, this nourishing face primer helps create a healthy-looking complexion. Plus, it hydrates, smoothens and brightens your face, making it perfect for wearing on its own or layering underneath your makeup.
Save when you shop for the best primers with these LookFantastic discount codes at checkout.
Why we love it: Aloe water, cherry blossom, hyaluronic acid and vitamin B are just some of the skincare-loving ingredients that you can find in this delicate face primer. Designed to keep your skin hydrated and hold your makeup intact for up to 12 hours, this product is ideal for anyone with a busy lifestyle.
Wonderfilter™ Velvet Finish Primer
Why we love it: “First impressions: how chic is the packaging of Beauty Pie's Wonderfilter?! It looks an absolute dream on my dressing table. Secondly: I rate having my primer in a tub rather than a tube. It makes it much easier to ensure no waste. Third: the texture of this stuff is divine: cloud-like, soft and lightweight. I wear it over my moisturiser and underneath foundation, and it gives my skin a velvety-matte finish where pores are blurred and makeup ~stays~.” Sophie Cockett, GLAMOUR's Senior European Commerce Editor.
benefit The POREfessional Face Primer
Why we love it: Looking for a matte primer that reduces the appearance of pores with ease? Say no more. This product comes infused with vitamin E, which helps create the perfect base for your favourite makeup look. The best part is that it works amazingly even if your skin is on the oilier side.
Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas Primer
Why we love it: This lightweight, plumping primer is the best one on the market for mature skin, thanks to its amino acid and antioxidant-rich formula. It also contains a blend of fermented mozuku algae, akita rice and uji green tea, which work together to improve water retention and reducing the look of enlarged pores, fine lines and wrinkles.
Save when you shop for the best primers with these Space NK discount codes at checkout.
Chanel Les beiges Healthy Winter Glow Primer
Why we love it: “Forget all those waxy, pore-suffocating primers of old – Chanel's multi hyphenate, bronzer-corrector-highlighter-primer hybrid couldn't feel more different, more modern or more desirable. Available in three iridescent tints - Frosty White, Light Copper and Icy Beige - the finely-milled shimmer can be used strategically on the face as a long-lasting highlighter or all over, under foundation, to create a lit-from-within glow." - Fiona Embleton, Associate Beauty Director.
Fenty Beauty Mini Pro Filt'r Hydrating Primer
Why we love it: Hydrating your skin without weighing it down is this product's specialty. Perfect for dry and combination skin, this primer from Fenty Beauty is suitable for all skin tones and has fast-absorbing formula that helps your skin look and feel smoother than ever before. Seriously, it's so good, it's practically a moisturiser.
Save when you shop for the best primers with these Boots discount codes at checkout.
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Blurring Primer
Why we love it: Laura Mercier's Pure Canvas Primer is a good example of a primer that comes in five different versions – blurring, perfecting, protecting, illuminating and hydrating – to accommodate an array of different skin requirements and concerns. If you have oily skin and are looking for the perfect solution to achieving a matte finish, you've found it. This silicone-free primer uses microalgae and blurring powders to absorb excess oil, which helps prevent breakouts and blemishes from forming. The best part is that it does all that while still allowing your skin to breathe.
Maybelline Instant Anti Age Perfector 4-in-1 Glow Primer, Concealer, Highlighter, BB Cream
Why we love it: Is a primer? A concealer? A highlighter or a BB cream? How about all four? Made to work without caking or creasing, this multi-tasking product blends into your skin without issues.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer
Why we love it: Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup has earned cult status at GLAMOUR for winning Best Full-Coverage Foundation at the Beauty Power List Awards six years in a row. This primer is like an undercoat for that foundation, creating a smooth, blurred base and dialling down oil for a matte finish that doesn't completely erase skin's glow.
NYX Professional Makeup Blurring Vitamin E Infused Pore Filler Face Primer Stick
Why we love it: This travel-friendly, oil-free primer stick is perfect for tossing into your purse and using on-the-go. It provides a soft-focus and translucent finish that minimises the look of pores and fine lines for up to 12 hours.
MAC Studio Radiance Moisturizing + Illuminating Silky Primer
Why we love it: A hybrid water-gel formula with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, olive oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E is just the thing you need to help your skin feel glowy and brand-new. Ideal for helping your skin stay moisturised and radiant for up to 8 hours at a time.
The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer
Why we love it: Made using adaptive silicones, this affordable face primer is great at mattifying, hydrating and blurring your skin. This makes it suitable to be used as both an under-makeup product or even as a standalone hydrator.
Why we love it: So long, greasiness, redness and enlarger pores. This oil-free primer is made for sensitive and blemish-prone skin. It even comes with SPF 15 to shield your face from damaging sun rays while also being the perfect primer for creating a nice, even canvas for all your favourite makeup products.
Save when you shop for the best primers with these Cult Beauty discount codes at checkout.
Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer
Why we love it: Thanks to a botanical blend of lotus, gardenia and white waterlily, this illuminating primer from Rare Beauty improves your skin texture while making it look that much more radiant. Selena Gomez really knows her stuff.
Dior Backstage Face & Body Primer
Why we love it: A universal primer that works for your face and body while providing a full 24 hours of hydration? Where do we sign up? Infused with mattifying and luminous powders, this premium primer blends seamlessly into your skin, leaving you with the perfect base.
Why we love it: This TikTok-viral face primer comes with a roller applicator, which helps distribute the priming serum in the same way as you would a contour. Plus, thanks to niacinamide and glycerin, it's the ideal solution for reducing redness and hydrating your skin.
