Foundation not lasting all day? Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that. We’ve found the best primer for your skin type to make sure your makeup goes from day to play, no worries.
What is makeup primer?
Makeup primer preps your skin for the next step, quite literally priming it for makeup. It’s a step people frequently skip (less makeup = more time in bed), but it really does make a difference when it comes to the longevity of your makeup. We’ll defs avoid touch-ups if we can, so it’s a must-have step in our morning routine.
The best primers are used after moisturising and before putting on your base (whether it’s BB/CC cream or a foundation). They simply even out your skin texture ensuring your makeup applies more smoothly and lasts longer.
It comes in various textures, but most commonly you’ll find liquid, gel, cream and powder.
Best Primer
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£26.00 Buy now with HQhair STILA STAY ALL DAY 10-IN-1 HD BEAUTY BALM
Buy now with free deliveryBest illuminating primer
Not got time for a million step skincare routine? We’ve got your back covered. This Stila primer is a dream, as it works as a multi-tasking product.
It has a little bit of pigment in it, meaning that when worn beneath foundation it helps to illuminate skin. However, wear alone for a sheer coverage, more in-line with that of a BB Cream.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best BB cream
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£29.50 Buy now with HQhair BENEFIT THE POREFESSIONAL PRIMER
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer For Oily Skin
If your skin tends to err on the side of oily with excess sebum, it’s gonna be a constant battle making sure your makeup lasts all day. Give your products a lil helping hand by picking a primer that has the magic phrase “oil-controlling” in its title. We love Benefit Cosmetic‘s POREfessional as its sheer colour works across most skintones and it’s perf’ for keeping that sebum at bay.
Completely oil-free, this will quickly sink into skin, leaving an even base perfect for makeup application.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best Benefit products
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£24.00 Buy now with HQhair PIXI Flawless Beauty Primer Even Skin 30ml
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer For Dry Skin
If your skin starts to feel tight even after applying moisturiser, than you’ve got yourself dry skin. Add a shot of moisture to your skin pre-foundation to make sure that you’re applying makeup to a base that’s prepped for anything, and won’t shift and flake throughout the day.
We love the Flawless Beauty Primer by PIXI. Featuring a whole host of nourishing ingredients, this will help to ensure even application and hydrated skin.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best PIXI products
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£19.50 Buy now with HQhair DHC VELVET SKIN COAT PRIMER
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer for Pores
Always find your makeup hard to apply over enlarged pores? Annoying, we know. To avoid this look, there are plenty of products that’ll smooth your skin pre-makeup application to ensure that your foundation looks killa’ all day – no pores in sight. Look out for words like “smoothing” to find the one you’ll love.
J-beauty (AKA Japanese Beauty) brand DHC have created a primer that applies smooth as velvet. The transparent gel formula works for all skin tones, working to effectively smooth skin texture and appearance in one simple step.
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£19.95 Buy now with HQhair NIP+FAB VIPER VENOM MICRO BLUR SERUM
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer For Combination Skin
Have dry patches, but then some days you have a sheen that just wasn’t planned? There’s defs a primer for your combination skin type. If you have time, it’s best to pick different primers for the dry and oily areas of your skin to really get a targeted base, however if you’re looking for a product that’ll have your back in one tube, then we’ve defs got the one for you.
We love this NIP and FAB primer thanks to its serum formulation. Working like a skincare product too, its Syn®-Ake will help to target any wrinkles, while Liftonin® Xpress will help to reduce the appearance of pores.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best NIP and FAB products
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£50.00 Buy now with HQhair REN PERFECT CANVAS SERUM
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer for Mature Skin
If your main concern with applying makeup is foundation settling into fine lines, then the REN Perfect Canvas Serum will – as the name suggests – prep skin to be a smooth and supple canvas, perfect for an easy and smooth base application.
Plus, with added bio-actives and natural extracts, this is the best primer for helping to instantly plump skin for a more youthful appearance.
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£34.00 Buy now with HQhair ILLAMASQUA HYDRA VEIL PRIMER
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer to be worn alone
We’re long time Illamasqua fans at HQhair, and we always find ourselves going back to their Hydra Veil primer. First and foremost a makeup primer, this leaves skin hydrated and calm making for an easy makeup application process.
However, thanks to its Microalgae and Vitamins C and B3 formula, skin will be deeply nourished. Skin will look radiant on its own – who needs foundation?
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best Illamasqua products
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£14.00 Buy now with HQhair NYX Professional Makeup Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer
Buy now with free deliveryBest Drugstore Primer
Cult makeup primers don’t get much better than this. Coming in at well under £15, the NYX Professional Makeup Angel Veil is a lightweight formula that’s relied on my MUAs around the world.
Leaving a matte finish, this will also help to even skin tone and smooth skin.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best NYX Professional Makeup products
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£5.20 Buy now with HQhair THE ORDINARY HIGH-ADHERENCE SILICONE PRIMER
Buy now with free deliveryBest Mattifying Primer
If you’re on the hunt for the be silicone primer, you can’t get much better than The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer. Silicone works to smooth and mattify skin, while also hydrating it to ensure that makeup applies and stays looking great all day.
Free from alcohol and oil, this is great for making sure your skin doesn’t look shiny by lunchtime.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best The Ordinary products
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£7.99 Buy now with HQhair SLEEK MAKEUP HYDRATING PRIMER
Buy now with free deliveryBest Primer for Dehydrated Skin
Last on our list of the best makeup primers is a budget option by Sleek makeup. As the name would suggest, the main property of this base is to help restore moisture to dehydrated skin.
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Continue Reading: our guide to the best Sleek products
Now we’ve nailed all your primer needs, it’s time to get adding the best primer to bag
Shop Primer
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