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For lasting hold for every look, reach for primers from the likes of Elf, No7 and Vieve
There’s nothing worse than carefully applying your makeup in the morning to find that by lunchtime, it's gone patchy, faded, or your T-zone is beaming with shine. That’s why a good priming product can make all the difference to your beauty routine.
Some have a mattifying, skin-blurring effect to smooth out areas of enlarged pores, fine lines and keep excess oiliness at bay all day, while others add a luminous finish for a healthy glow and brightening effect, or intensely moisturise areas of dryness.
Many makeup primers now mimic much of our skincare, with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and shea butter that hydrate, moisturise and soothe, while leaving your skin supple and soft.
They’re also one of the easiest ways to extend the longevity of your makeup. This comes in especially handy during hot, humid weather, or for long days at the office or special occasions such as weddings, when you want to look and feel your best, especially in photos. That’s why I made it my mission to seek out the top-performing priming products – keep scrolling to discover my favourites.
Over the course of six weeks, I put many different primers to the test. I examined the performance of each against its marketing claims.
I wanted to see how easily they applied, what the finish was like, how well they were able to prolong my makeup, and how well they worked in tandem with the rest of my makeup routine, such as foundation and concealer. I tested all beneath setting powder and finishing sprays, and on their own, to see if they truly made a difference to my makeup.
Louise Whitbread has been a beauty writer for years and has tested dozens of makeup and skincare products for The Independent. She speaks to experts in the field when delving into the nitty gritty of formulas and ingredients, whether it’s to glean insight from dermatologists on all things skincare, or to hear from a makeup artist on how to best apply concealer. Her knowledge and real-world testing equips her to find primers that actually work.
While Milk Makeup has other, more popular primers, notably its hydro grip product (£18, Cultbeauty.co.uk), this mattifying option is very underrated. It has a creamy texture that I specifically used on areas of excessive oiliness, such as my forehead, nose and chin, allowing a couple of minutes for it to be fully dry before applying makeup as usual.
It makes an instant and dramatic difference to visibly larger pores, creates a smooth canvas for foundation and concealer to be applied on top, and keeps my makeup in place for significantly longer than usual. I needed fewer touch-ups throughout the da,y and the primer didn’t pill beneath my favourite liquid, cream, gel or powder products.
In 2022, budget beauty brand 17 relaunched with a revamped lineup of makeup featuring a huge 170 products, including this primer. It might be a few years old, but it’s still worth considering. It has a rich texture that’s closer to a balm than a cream, and spreads across the face more easily when warmed up between your hands first.
The shea butter and vitamin E formula make it ideal for dry skin types, but if you have combination skin (like me), I found it worked best when I skipped using any moisturiser first, as this primer felt too heavy otherwise. It has a subtle citrus scent, which is pleasant, but those with sensitive skin may want to exercise caution.
Danessa Myricks creates some of the most innovative and long-wearing formulas on the market. While its tinted blurring balm powder has a legion of fans, its universal shade is another great choice. It’s a solid balm that applies seamlessly to skin and settles down into a powder finish, making it a very effective way to control oiliness, especially around my nose.
My preferred way to apply this product is to swipe the pan with my fingers, rub them together and then smooth over my face (from the centre, with an upwards motion). However, it also came in handy as a setting powder – simply take a fluffy brush and swirl it around the pan and apply it like you would a traditional powder. It’s an easy way to touch up throughout the day.
This sticky blue gel is popular for good reason, and not just because it only costs a tenner. If, like me, you're prone to angry, red breakouts across the lower half of your face, this primer will prevent your carefully applied concealer from sliding off throughout the day. Elf’s power grip initially feels thick, with a sticky gel texture that needs to be spread across your skin.
I’d recommend giving it a few minutes before going in with your foundation – I usually use this time to fill in my brows. Think of it as a glue for your makeup. Two pumps are plenty, as any more will leave a tacky finish that’s too difficult to work with.
This makeup brand is focused on glow-giving products, and this multi-purpose gel is great if you want a radiant, dewy complexion without your skin looking too wet. It has a lightweight gel texture, is fast-absorbing and doesn’t leave you looking greasy.
I tested the roseglow shade, which has a sheer pink payoff featuring micropearl particles from mica, which give skin a healthy glow without any glitter. I like to wear it two ways: either on the high points of my face as a highlighter, or all over for a luminous complexion beneath my foundation.
Vieve’s portfolio of primers, highlighters and complexion products offers glowy, dewy skin in various formats. If you want to have a healthy glow but no glitter, shimmer or stickiness, try the brand’s super skin nova primer.
Upon opening the jar, I was initially sceptical that it would be too balmy for my oily combination skin, but it’s actually a very thin cream with a whipped texture. It has a warm orange hue that dissipates onto skin and leaves a subtle radiance behind, without emphasising texture or pores. I’ve found myself reaching for this product on repeat.
This elegant formula feels more like a lightweight luxury moisturiser than your typical makeup primer, with a non-sticky, non-greasy creamy texture that adds a luminous but unpigmented glow, making it a great option for mature skin.
I love the addition of SPF 25 and UV filters for an added dose of protection (but don’t rely on this in place of your usual suncare), and the velvety finish helped my foundation and concealer sit smoothly, especially around areas with increasing fine lines and enlarged pores on my nose.
This primer has a creamy texture and includes mica, which reflects light and gives a brightening, radiant finish.
It’s particularly good if your skin is looking dull or sallow, and you need a quick fix for the day. It dries down very fast, so you don’t need to spend ages rubbing it in, and it didn’t exacerbate my redness-prone cheeks. However, the sheer pink payoff may not flatter areas of redness.
This clever gel formula mattifies and blurs while evening out skin tone. It isn’t a primer worth using for radiance or luminosity, but it does a great job of blurring areas of enlarged pores.
I found that just a small 5p-size amount creates a smooth, even base to control oil production throughout the day. It has quite a strong botanical scent, but it caused no bother on my acne- and redness-prone complexion.
The main purpose of a primer is to prepare your skin for foundation, creating a smoother canvas for a flawless finish that makeup adheres to for longer. Just like using paint primer on a wall for a smoother finish, or wearing the right underwear to ensure there’s no VPL underneath your new dress, what goes on underneath your makeup can help perfect a look.
Next-generation primer formulas go beyond extending the staying power of your makeup, offering skin-perfecting benefits, too. You’ll find pore-blurring, line-filling, hydration-boosting and radiance-promoting formulations. Some are so good that they may make you want to skip foundation altogether.
You’ll find game-changing primers designed to enhance every complexion. “The key is knowing your skin type and understanding the benefits promised from the primer,” says makeup artist Aimee Connolly. “If your skin’s on the dry side, you’ll want to look for a primer with hydrating and moisturising benefits, whereas if your skin is oily, you may need something that has built-in oil control that mattifies the skin.”
Taking the top spot, Milk Makeup pore eclipse mattifying primer not only immediately improved excess oil production but also made a dramatic difference to the longevity of my makeup. It stood up especially well during hot and humid conditions. Meanwhile, the Danessa Myricks universal blurring balm powder is a unique formula that leaves a velvety-soft finish, so if you have the budget, it’s a luxury option well worth the price tag. However, budget-conscious shoppers, especially those with dry skin, will love the thrifty 17 vitamin enriched primer, thanks to its moisturising and hydrating benefits.
Want more recommendations? Read our review of the best setting powders