Benefits: defends against blue light, UVA and UVB rays with SPF | softens and soothes skin with aloe vera | gives a radiant finish Benefits: increases the staying power of your make-up | can transform the look of your overly matte products | contains anti-inflammatory Porcelain Flower extract, which helps to reduce redness

Touche Éclat Blur Primer | Face Primer | YSL Beauty UK

Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt'r Mattifying Primer is a great option for combination-to-oily skin. If you’re prone to acne or breakouts, its oil-free formula will help keep your complexion clear. This is no ordinary primer: it’s a veritable gua sha moment. For starters, it loads a hydrating serum onto a roller applicator that smooths and sculpts the face, draining puffiness and leaving skin with a glassy dew. Then there are its ingredients – a skincare make-up-hybrid including niacinamide, vitamin B5 and polymers which minimise pores and grip your base. For skin that glows with and without make-up, it’s an excellent choice. A primer could also be your moisturiser, so yes, it’s very necessary. It provides a canvas for your foundation and can aid the longevity of your make-up.” How do I choose the right primer?When we tested the primer, our skin felt wonderful to the touch and it kept our foundation hydrated with a natural-looking glow. All you have to do is apply a pea-sized amount (or two) to your fingertips and blend, for a glowy finish. Be aware that some reviewers found this product made them break out. Honest Beauty’s Everything Primer is EWG (Environmental Working Group) Verified, which means it’s free from EWG’s known chemicals of concern and adheres to strict health standards. The clean formula employs micronized bamboo powder which creates a blurring, smoothing effect, and dries with a matte finish, making it a great option for blemish-prone skin.

Best Makeup Primers That Actually Work | London Evening Best Makeup Primers That Actually Work | London Evening

Created with a hydrating blend of glycerin and plant extracts – like olive leaf, apple, tea tree, willow, melon, fig, and more – dry skin is soothed and moisturized. We found that this primer also gave our skin much-needed radiance and hydration. A few pumps of e.l.f’s gel primer is all you need to keep make-up from separating, sliding and shining, even in hot weather. Press it into moisturised skin, let it sit for 30 seconds and everything you apply after will be firmly gripped. As well as keeping things fixed in place, it makes your make-up incredibly smooth, with hyaluronic acid for a plump, bouncy base and easy application. The applicator is a tube with a pump which we appreciate as it allows for the right amount of product to come out every time. Two pumps covered our faces perfectly, prepping our skin for makeup by taking away any excess shine. If you’re conscious of what goes on your skin, you’ll appreciate that this formula is free from parabens, phthalates, silicones, petrolatum, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances. However, if you’re prone to dry skin, this product might not be right for you.

How do I choose the right primer?

Careful, this answer is almost too simple: Just…smooth it over your skin before applying makeup. That’s it. It’s hard to mess up, but there are some best practice rules I’ve found over the years: Caitlyn Martyn is an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She has tested dozens of concealers — including several on this list. Caitlyn has been a writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers all things beauty.

Primer 24ml | SEPHORA UK e.l.f. Power Grip Primer 24ml | SEPHORA UK

A typically elegant offering from Hourglass. This sleek glass bottle houses a primer worth every pretty penny, elevated by the inclusion of microspherical powders and fine-line-filling silicone for a perfected canvas. It lends a filtered appearance to bare skin that we love, and enhances make-up so flawlessly that ours looked as if it had been professionally applied. As for the staying power? Nothing short of excellent – this one kept skin composed from morning meetings through to post-work drinks, giving our glam plenty of afterparty potential. Read more: 14 Of The Best Setting Sprays For A Base That Stays Put All Summer What is make-up primer? Infused with both silk extracts and silk powder, this velvety balm makes your skin quite literally feel as smooth as silk. Ideal for all skin types, the multi-tasking formula (it can be used on eyes, lips, and face) helps to minimize shine and offers a soft-focus finish that blurs the look of imperfections and fine lines. It also contains pollution-fighting natural actives like camellia sinensis leaf extract meant to not only repair immediate damage but also strengthen the skin barrier to protect against future damage. Plus, it contains the brand’s signature Hadasei-3, a trinity of Japanese superfoods, green tea, rice, and algae – antioxidants that leave skin soft and radiant.Use only a thin layer of primer (usually a pea-size blob for your entire face)—glob on too much, and your makeup can end up sliding around instead of melting into your skin. Primers aren’t just for the oily skin sect; there are plenty of hydrating options out there that are ideal for adding extra moisture to dry skin, too. The Too Faced Hangover Primer is i nfused with moisturizing ingredients like coconut water, glycerin, and probiotics (known to boost skin’s visible radiance and elasticity), making it a great formula for reviving dry skin. It's expensive, and I suspect that I could use any gel, but I have sensitive skin and I didn't want to take any chances.