What Makeup Primer Should I Use

Jewelyn Butron

There's nothing more than abrasive than applying bear upon-ups all day considering your face makeup is disappearing faster than Houdini. Such a waste of time! "A lot of people call up primers are just an extra footstep in a routine, but makeup primers are actually a must-have if y'all want your foundation to final," says Sona Gasparian, makeup artist and founder of Pérsona Cosmetics. Y'all're giving your foundation something to latch onto, she explains—and a good primer can even peel tone, cover-up pores, and help your makeup withstand the examination of a sweaty commute or late night.

But hither's the thing: All face primers are not created equal. Call up of priming as the last pace in your skincare routine rather than the first step in your makeup application. Significant, you should pay attention to your peel concerns when picking the right formula for you, merely as yous would when thinking almost skincare. The all-time makeup primers are packed with proficient-for-your-skin ingredients, similar hyaluronic acrid, vitamins, and oils. They should as well offering complexion benefits, similar smoothing, hydrating, and brightening—simply like your other skincare products.

Before yous utilise a primer, yous should showtime with freshly apple-pie skin, says Gasparian. Utilize your toners, serums, moisturizers, whatever, like yous normally would—then give all of your skincare products a minute to dry earlier you go in with primer. Gasparian recommends starting with a pea-sized corporeality of primer and working it in with your fingers. And then yous tin can apply the rest of your makeup. Ready to slay all twenty-four hours? Try these makeup artist-approved confront primers:

Best Primer-Moisturizer Combo

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer

"This moisturizer and face primer in one absorbs chop-chop into the peel and looks keen under most every foundation," says makeup creative person Gisela Fernandez. "Niacinamide plumps the skin while hyaluronic acid delivers long-lasting hydration. This amazing product prevents foundation from settling into fine lines, dry patches, and pores."

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All-time Glow-Getter

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer

This tan lotion has a ton of light-reflecting mica particles, giving you lot a radiant complexion the second you lot swipe it on. It also has slight blurring properties, so you can utilise it solitary if you prefer a no-makeup makeup look, too.

Best For Sensitive Skin

Becca Backlight Priming Filter Face up Primer

"I love the Becca Priming Filter," says makeup artist Tobi Henney. "It gives my clients the almost gorgeous glow to their peel." This priming balm is packed with low-cal-reflecting particles that make your peel glow—but is completely formulated without skin-irritating parabens, pthalates, and sulfates.

Best Multi-Use Mist

L'Oréal Paris Lumi Milk shake & Glow Dew Mist

Information technology primes your skin, it sets your makeup, and information technology refreshes your look throughout the day... Is there anything this spray tin't do? Before utilize, only make certain y'all give it a good shake to incorporate the tiny shimmer flakes into the hydrating base.

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Best For Enlarged Pores

Benefit Cosmetics the POREfessional Face Primer

"For my oily skin, I beloved using this primer from Benefit considering I can actually run into my pores disappearing as I'k applying it," says makeup artist Anum Siraj. "Information technology's likewise extremely lightweight, and then I don't feel whatever extra heaviness on my face up before adding my foundation." Information technology likewise helps y'all await matte (not greasy) all solar day long.

Best Smoothing Primer

Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(Comprehend) Blurring Coconut Face Primer

Become an Instagram filter look IRL with this blurring and moisturizing face up primer. The alloy if silicones even out the surface of your skin without adding any coverage, and the coconut-derived hydrators keep your skin supple.

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Best For Dry Peel

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer

"I take dry, acne-prone skin and rely on primer to give me an even base of operations and to mattify my larger pores," says Gasparian. "This moisture-rich primer is peachy for dry pare considering it hydrates, brightens, and provides a dewy-looking stop."

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Best For Redness

due east.l.f. Tone Correcting Dark-green Face up Primer

If yous're dealing with a cherry-red complexion, you know that the redness can hands seep through your foundation, peculiarly if you prefer something with light to medium coverage. Instead, start with this green-tinted primer to color-correct your redness before you get in with your base of selection (I promise it won't make y'all expect green!).

All-time For Combination Pare

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

"I'chiliad currently obsessed with the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer," says Maddie North, a celebrity makeup artist. "You just have to employ a tiny amount, and it feels like velvet, which all of my clients honey—no i wants to feel similar their makeup is caked on." The mineral formula is lightweight and oil-free, keeping combo skin types happy.

All-time All-Natural Pick

Ilia Truthful Pare Radiant Priming Serum

Equally far as the light-green dazzler market has come, it can still be tricky to notice all-natural primers. This brightening version from Ilia is so adept (it smoothes, moisturizes, and adds radiance), you won't even know information technology gratuitous of silicone,

Best For Concealing Texture

Clarins SOS Primer in Peach

Gasparian recommends this color-correcting primer for people with uneven skin texture. "It's super lightweight, and bully for blurring imperfections and bumps before applying makeup," she says.

All-time For Oily Skin

Fenty Dazzler Past RihannaPro Filt'r Mattifying Primer

Since its launch, Rihanna's line has ever been skin-tone inclusive—only now they're expanding that to include all peel types, besides. Enter this primer for oily skin, which uses blue agave excerpt to keep skin matte all day long.

Best Primer With Sunscreen

Smashbox Photo Cease Protect SPF twenty Primer

"My number one is always Smashbox Photo Finish Primer," says makeup artist Riva Bruck. "It makes pores vanish, gets rid of smooth, and holds makeup in identify. For me it's a must-have all the fourth dimension." For a primer with SPF, their Protect iteration provides an extra sun barrier on top of your favorite moisturizer with SPF.

Best For Crumbling Peel

Guerlain L'Or 24K Radiance Primer

"It's pricey, just and so worth it if you demand an extra boost of hydration like me," says makeup creative person Leticia Avrith. The gold-flecked gel formula keeps foundation looking smooth and dewy all twenty-four hours, instead of cracking around fine lines and wrinkles.

Marissa Miller Marissa Miller has spent a decade editing and reporting on women's health problems from an intersectional lens with a focus on peer-reviewed diet, fitness trends, mental health, skincare, reproductive rights and beyond, and currently holds a certificate in plant-based diet from Cornell.

Maddie Aberman Beauty Editor Maddie Aberman is the dazzler editor at Women's Wellness and has been covering skincare, makeup, hair, and wellness for more than five years.