When you've spent time getting your make-up exactly right, wouldn't you quite like it if it stuck around all day or night? That's virtually impossible without using the best primer.
This often overlooked step does more than just keep your make-up in place, though. As well as locking down the best foundation, primers can tackle all manner of skin concerns, from boosting radiance to moisturising and even filling in pores and fine lines.
What does a primer do for your make-up?
"Primers are an essential part of my personal make-up routine and a must have in my make-up kit, as they are the first step to a flawless base!" says professional make-up artist Cher Webb. "They are a game-changing product, working in harmony with your skin and foundation, merging and blending for a seamless complexion."
If your only experience with primer is heavy, silicone-based formulas that can cause irritating pilling, then it's time to get reacquainted. These days many primers come with skincare benefits to help look after your complexion while simultaneously helping your make-up stay in place for longer. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin B3 (often in the form of niacinamide) and witch hazel extract are now common in modern day primers. Thankfully, that feeling of having a thick layer of something on top of your skin can now be a thing of the past.
"Primers are designed to adhere to your foundation and can provide amazing results when using the appropriate [one] for your skin type," Cher adds. "They act as an instant filter by reducing the appearance of redness, and adding instant radiance and glow while blurring imperfections."
Types of make-up primers
Nowadays the best primers can even soak up excess oil and blur imperfections. They're able to camouflage the appearance of large pores and smooth out bumpy skin to help your make-up apply more evenly. If you struggle with concealing redness or rosacea, there are colour-correcting primers that will neutralise it, and some come with the added benefit of SPF (though you should always apply a dedicated facial sunscreen before make-up as part of your skincare routine).
Basically there's a primer for every skin type and concern. To help you on your way to finding the best primer, below is a summary of the key different types.
- Blurring primer: "If you want to minimise pores apply a primer which is designed to blur them," says Naoko Scintu, who has dolled up the likes of Jodie Comer, Karlie Kloss and Florence Pugh. She continues: "Apply the product to the centre of the face or where you naturally produce more oil." The best blurring primers contain lots of emollient to leave your skin smooth and pore-free.
- Mattifying primer: Oily girls, this one's for you. Not only will a mattifying primer reduce the appearance of pores, it will also control oil production throughout the day. Silicone is the ingredient you need to look out for if you're investing however, our tip is to go light with the primer to stop your make-up from pilling.
- Hydrating primer: Want to look like you've slugged but don't fancy using copious amounts of your moisturiser? Say hello to a hydrating primer. Naoko's favourite primer in her kit, she says: "A primer that adds as much hydration as possible instantly improves the look and feel of the skin and is a perfect base for make-up." Search for something with hyaluronic acid in it if you're on the hunt for hydration.
- Colour-correcting primer: Championed by make-up artist Rose Gallagher, who uses a green primer in her make-up for rosacea routine, colour-correcting primers even skin tone ready for foundation. Redness isn't the only colour they counteract, you can get blue primers to even yellow tones and pink ones to even blue ones.
How we tested the best make-up primers
Lots of primers were tested in order to review the very best on the market in this guide, so each one of the below primers has been tested by a member of the Marie Claire beauty team or one of our contributors. As part of the testing process, we looked at everything from how they sat on the skin to whether or not they kept our foundation in place and if they had any additional skincare benefits. Read more about how we test products.
The best primers of 2024
1. Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Blurring Primer
Laura Mercier's primers are kind of legendary. There are multiple options available, including the much-loved Illuminating and SPF versions. However, the Blurring primer, which is oil-free, both mattifies the skin and blurs the appearance of pores, as well as absorbing excess shine that manifests throughout the day. Despite this, we found that it feels incredibly lightweight on the skin, sinking in with ease, and we also noticed it delivers a slight smoothing effect.
2. Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer
This is one of the best primers if you have dry skin and hate when make-up gathers in your dry patches, and/or you need your make-up to really stay in place for a long time. It contains a multitude of ingredients that will help hydrate the skin and creates an invisible veil (that you won't feel) that make-up attaches itself to for long-lasting impact. We found this to be another of those formulas that has that slightly sticky texture in order to be able to grip onto your foundation and other base products to really keep them in place.
3. NARS Cosmetics Radiance Primer SPF 35
This oil-free primer has a silky texture that sank into the skin with ease when we tested it, with pink pearlescent finish that adds a subtle hint of luminosity under make-up. It's ideal for those with dull complexions that want to add this kind of glow; we found that it adds a visible radiance thanks to its iridescent finish. That said, we found that applying a little underneath make-up doesn't look too glowy on oily skin. Not only that, but the inclusion of broad-spectrum SPF in the formula is a bonus over the top of your dedicated facial sun cream.
4. Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base
This iconic primer-and-moisturiser in one is so popular that, according to the brand, it sells one every 12 seconds around the world. As for why we love it? It smells absolutely divine and is packed with the good stuff for your skin—hyaluronic acid, shea butter, squalane and vitamins B, C and E—to both moisturise and prime your skin for make-up. For me, what really stands out is that it manages to achieve all this without leaving a heavy or greasy feel on the skin. It really is a wonder base.
5. e.l.f. Power Grip Primer
The best e.l.f. products have won over beauty editors and influencers around the world and are the talk of TikTok—and this very primer is one of the most popular buys. An affordable primer that's really effective too? Yes please. We absolutely love this for improving make-up’s longevity. Something we noticed when applying this one is that the formula has a slightly sticky and tacky feel, but this is exactly what you want underneath your foundation and other make-up products to keep them in place—grip by name, grip by nature. With a reasonable price tag, the formula also contains glycerin and a hyaluronic acid derivative to help keep skin hydrated, plus niacinamide.
6. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
This is an interesting product, designed to create the illusion of flawless-looking "Hollywood" skin. The best way we can describe the effects is that the illuminating formula gives you that "lit from within" look, while finely milled powders work to blur the complexion for a soft focus finish. As well as working as a radiance-boosting primer under make-up, it can also be worn alone or as a highlighter. We find that, either way, it imparts this ultra-healthy radiance and an enviable glow. Top tip: apply it with a buffing brush, as we found it's easy to put too much on—a little goes a long way.
7. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer
The Fenty Beauty primer is ideal for those who want to keep shine at bay without drying out their skin with an ultra-matte formula. We found that this oil-free primer is lightweight and silky, smoothing onto the skin easily. The finish is a soft matte, smoothing away the look of our pores and absorbing any excess shine without the instant drying feel of some matte primers—if greasy skin is your biggest concern but you hate a cakey feel, we think it'll suit you well. Overall, we'd describe it as providing a lasting smooth surface for your make-up.
8. Tatcha The Liquid Silk Primer
It has an undoubtedly luxurious price tag, but this is a lovely silky primer that works so brilliantly underneath make-up. We found it has quite a runny texture that melts into the skin. It’s difficult to articulate how it made my skin look so great—it just looks healthier and more radiant, but not overly illuminated. As well as improving the application and wear of your make-up, silk extracts in the formula also help to protect your skin from pollution.
9. NYX Professional Makeup The Marsh Mellow Primer
Another affordable brand that is loved by many beauty editors and influencers, NYX Professional Makeup’s The Marsh Mellow Primer is another good option for oilier skin types who like a matte finish to their make-up. Though it has a whipped velvety consistency that’s designed to smooth and mattify the skin, it doesn’t feel super drying at the same time—and it did noticeably help to keep foundation in place. While this vegan formula does feel nice and soft on the skin, very dry skin types would probably benefit from using one of the more moisturising formulas in the guide.
10. MAC Studio Radiance Moisturising + Illuminating Silky Primer
Another great option if you’re looking for a primer that'll leave your skin looking healthy and radiant, this one from MAC has a buttery consistency that sinks into the skin seriously well. The finish could be described as a super healthy but not “OTT” radiance. Not only does it prep the skin really well for make-up, but it also keeps it moisturised and radiant for up to eight hours, making it a brilliant match for skin that tends to dry out through the day.
11. bareMinerals Prime Time Original Pore Minimising Primer
bareMinerals brought back its iconic Prime Time primer last year, along with three other editions, but the original is the true hero. It's a brilliant choice for oily skin, thanks to its non-comedogenic (non pore-clogging) formula, oil-controlling properties and lightweight feel. As for the user experience, it's comfortable on the skin and definitely keeps shine at bay. While it's not at all drying, those with very dry skin may find that a nourishing primer is more beneficial. Similarly, it doesn't really have any noticeable radiance-boosting properties—but for oily skin that wants a bit of smoothing and shine reduction, it's a great buy. Try the travel size first if you don't want to commit to the full size upfront.
12. Beauty Pie Wonderfilter Brightening Primer
Another one of our best illuminating primers, Beauty Pie's Wonderfilter is exactly that for skin: a radiant, glow-boosting filter. It's another that has a pearlescent glow to it, immediately adding a luminescent vibe to our skin upon application, with a silky texture that's nice and lightweight. It plays really well with make-up with absolutely no pilling, creating a lovely base for foundation. If we're being completely fair, the downside is that it's much more expensive if you don't have a Beauty Pie membership (£35 vs £13.50).
13. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
This is an incredibly important and clever product. Rose recommends this tub of green cream to anyone suffering from redness or rosacea as it "knocks out the redness, treats dryness and calms the skin" ahead of applying your base product. But she says the key to using it, is using it correctly. Which is warming it in your hands first, then applying it to the areas of redness only, not all over the face. If you've struggled in the past with trying to neutralise redness, you won't believe how you lived without this product.
14. ICONIC LONDON Velvet Smooth Pore Refining Primer
"The name of this primer really doesn’t lie - it has a beautifully silky matte finish, and really does blur my pores and texture effortlessly, making my foundation go on smoothly. I’m not a fan of a matte finish all over my face, (despite having an oily skin type, I prefer a dewy finish), so I’ll only use this over the areas I have the most texture - around my nose and chin. It has a thick consistency, so I only need a tiny amount. I’m certain the chic tube, thought small, will last me ages. For a flawless full make-up finish that lasts all day, this stuff can’t be beaten. Be warned though: when you first squeeze the product out it can separate a little, so be sure to shake it well before squeezing it out of the tube." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
15. Vieve Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer
"In my opinion, this primer is pure magic in a bottle - it’s definitely one of my favourite Vieve products of all the ones I’ve tried (and trust me, that’s a lot). It layers beautifully over my moisturiser and SPF, giving me a lovely glowing base for my foundation - without any large chunks of glitter.
It’s also incredibly versatile. I’ve mixed it into my moisturiser and even foundation to add an extra illuminating effect. I’m forever wowed by how it adds a glowy finish without making my skin look shiny or oily. I will say, though, that this is more of a skin perfector than a make-up prolonger, so if you’re after something to make your make-up last all day, try one of the other primers in this list." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
16. Clarins SOS Primer
"If you’re after a primer that makes your skin look visibly renewed, this is it. It might look a little intensely glowy upon first application, but this stuff really is meant to be worn under foundation - it adds hydration, evens my skin tone and has an illuminating effect for an utterly radiant finish. I always feel like my skin is looking its best when I wear this primer under my favourite foundation or tinted moisturiser." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
