9 best face primers we've tested to lock in your makeup all day
The best face primers are the secret to a flawless makeup application. Just as you would prep a canvas before painting a masterpiece, your makeup deserves the same thoughtful treatment. Find the right one, and it'll stop your foundation slipping, keeping your complexion just as smooth at 8 a.m. as it is at 8 p.m.
A good primer – whether liquid, cream, balm, or even a lightweight gel – doesn’t just sit on the skin. It can blur the appearance of pores, smooth texture, curb redness, stave off greasiness, and give a subtle glow that shines through your foundation and concealer. Some formulas even hydrate, nourish – while specific primers for mature skin address signs of ageing – meaning your skin benefits while your makeup performs.
With so many options boasting different finishes, textures, and skin-loving ingredients – from illuminating primers for dry skin to mattifying heroes – it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why the Glamour team have rounded up the very best face primers: carefully tested, expert-approved, and ready to elevate your makeup routine to the next level.
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How I tested the best face primers
Before I even consider applying a primer, I put every formula through the same level of scrutiny I bring to all my beauty reporting. That means looking closely at the ingredient list, checking whether the brand caters to a genuinely diverse range of skin tones and undertones, and ensuring each product is safe for sensitive skin and contact-lens wearers. I also weigh up price point (is it a budget hero or a spenny treat?) and take note of packaging - consciously designed, or just more plastic for the sake of it?
For this round-up, I enlisted Glamour testers to help out with reviewing the best primers so we could cover a spectrum of skin tones, skin types, and concerns, ensuring our verdicts reflect how these formulas perform in real life, not just in perfect studio lighting. Together, we considered texture, hydration, wear time, price point, and finish (from dewy to natural), as well as whether they caused any irritation or tightness throughout the day. We also paid close attention to fragrance levels and ingredient lists, noting which formulas felt comforting vs. potentially irritating for compromised skin. And of course, we consulted leading dermatologists and facialists to understand which ingredients to seek out - and which to avoid - to ensure these picks really work for dry skin. If you want the full deep dive into our process, you can read more on our complete how we test page.
Why you can trust me
As a shopping writer, testing products is quite literally my job. I spend my days researching formulas, interviewing dermatologists and makeup artists, and putting countless new launches through their paces so you don’t have to. Every product I recommend has either been personally tested by myself, someone on the wider Glamour team, or thoroughly vetted through expert insight. Essentially, if something makes our list, it’s because it truly impressed us - on real faces, in real routines, across real skin.
1. Best for Large Pores: Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas
Why Glamour loves it: A perfect makeup look calls for a perfectly primed canvas, and Tatcha's The Liquid Silk Canvas Primer delivers just that. Naturally, it's packed with Tatcha's signature Hadasei-3, a magic trio of rice, green tea, and algae that adds up to a hydrating, silky formula ready to blur and lock in your product. The primer is inspired by bintsuke, a soft wax geishas use on their faces to prep for long-wearing makeup. If it isn't The Liquid Silk Canvas, you might be into, don't overlook the balm version, which celebrity makeup artist Courtney Hart calls her "go-to" for people with more prominent pores.
Tester feedback: "It glides on so smoothly and keeps your makeup in place all day long. Put this on after your moisturiser and right before foundation so that you're setting in your base makeup," commerce writer Mayola Fernandes explained.
Key ingredients: rice, green tea, algae, silk extract | Who it's good for: everyone | Finish: silky.
2. Best for Dry Skin: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Illuminating
Why it's worth it: Laura Mercier’s Pure Canvas Primer brings a subtle luminosity to skin thanks to its pearl-infused formula, which helps reflect light for a dewy finish. Blended with porcelain flower extract, it works just as well on no-makeup days too, giving your skin a smoother, brighter appearance while softly blurring any texture on the skin.
Tester feedback: “After using this primer for just a few days, I noticed my makeup looked noticeably fresher by the end of the day - but what really stood out to me was how smooth and radiant my skin looked even before foundation. I use a pea-sized amount straight after my moisturiser, pressing it in with my fingertips before going in with a foundation, and it gives my skin the most flawless, dewy finish” explains Mayola.
Key ingredients: Glycerin, squalane and rose extracts | Who it's good for: Normal/dry skin types | Finish: Radiant.
3. Best for Hydration: Kiko Milano Skin Lover Instant Result Face Primer
Why it's worth it: This lightweight primer glides effortlessly onto the skin, delivering an instant boost of hydration before any make-up is applied. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, rose extract and Liposphere Matrix Technology, it helps smooth out your complexion, leaving the skin looking naturally more even and feeling soft, almost silky, to the touch. Pair it with your makeup or wear it solo for a dewy look.
Tester feedback: “It absorbs quickly without any heaviness or residue, creating a soft-focus base that works just as well worn alone for a bare-skin finish as it does beneath make-up for a longer-lasting look” says Mayola.
Key ingredients: Glycerin, squalene, niacinamide, | Who it's good for: everyone | Finish: Radiant.
4. Best Grip: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer
Why it's worth it: Milk’s Makeup's Hydro Grip Primer is the next best thing to supergluing our makeup to our faces — and thank goodness for that. This Allure Readers' Choice Award-winning primer uses blue agave extract to form an invisible film on the face that sticks to makeup for an all-day hold. The formula also features skin-loving ingredients like hydration-boosting hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and aloe.
Tester feedback: "If primer is a non-negotiable for you and dry, indoor heat also tries to ruin your life (or you just have dry skin), this is a lovely primer that will act as extra hydration while holding onto your makeup all day, kind of like if your hyaluronic acid serum had extra makeup-gripping powers," Allure contributor Sable Yong previously told Allure. "It's a refreshing change from the spackle-like reputation of most makeup primers."
Key ingredients: blue agave extract, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Who it's good for: everyone | Finish: satin.
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5. Best De-puffing: Refy Glow and Sculpt Face Primer
Why it’s worth it: Our ears perked up when we caught wind of the rollerball applicator on Refy’s Glow Primer, which de-puffs as it imparts the silky, skin-care-forward serum formula. The base is shimmer-free, perfect for people who want an especially natural look, all while maintaining the grippy power of your favourite primer. You’ll find niacinamide, vitamin E, and glycerin in the ingredients list to help brighten your complexion, minimise any redness, and replenish hydration.
Tester feedback: “Arguably my favourite ever make-up or skincare product to apply, the REFY Glow And Sculpt Primer is a true non-negotiable in my morning make-up routine. Designed with a clever facial roller applicator, the brightening serum-like formula lifts and sculpts my face better than any other priming product I've tried.” Shop more REFY Cyber Monday deals here.
Key ingredients: niacinamide, vitamin E, glycerin | Who it's good for: people who want a sculpted look, people who don’t want shimmer | Finish: natural.
6. Best Premium: Armani Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer
Why Glamour loves it: Silky without sacrificing the soft stickiness key to an incredible makeup primer, Armani’s Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer checks all the boxes. The skin-care/makeup hybrid formula boosts radiance, moisturises swiftly, and amps up the wear time of your favourite products. Pair it with Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation for a seriously glowy moment.
Tester feedback: "True to its name, this primer really does make my skin look more luminous. In my mid-30s, I've been dealing with both large pores and fine lines, so I love that this multitasking formula can handle both with ease," says interim shopping director Deanna Pai. "It feels smooth (but not greasy) and leaves my skin looking airbrushed, especially when layered under foundation."
Key ingredients: shea butter, rice bran, glycerin | Who it's good for: everyone | Finish: glowy.
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7. Best Moisturiser: Merit Great Skin Priming Moisturiser
Why Glamour loves it: Few things tickle our editors more than versatile formulas OR products, so when we got our innovation-loving hands on Merit's Great Skin Priming Moisturiser, we were pumped. This cream is super lightweight, packed with hyaluronic acid to soothe and lock in hydration, allowing makeup to go on smoothly sans pilling. It's non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, meaning it's safe for people with sensitive skin.
Tester feedback: “I've been a fan of Merit's take on skin care since they dropped their first serum in 2022, and the Great Skin Moisturiser is a worthy addition to the brand's truly great lineup of products," says Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann.
"I keep this priming moisturiser in my makeup bag and use it pretty much daily as a prep step. It adds a layer of silky hydration to my skin that plays great under makeup, but it also contains a biomimetic emulsifier that creates a blurred, suede-y finish that's perfect for makeup-free days."
Key ingredients: glycerin, hyaluronic acid | Who it's good for: people with sensitive skin, dry skin | Finish: blurring.
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8. Best With SPF: Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50
Why Glamour loves it: What's better than a hydrating primer? A hydrating primer that contains SPF, of course. Charlotte Tilbury's Invisible UV Flawless Primer has a little something for every skin type: vitamins C and E for brightening, hyaluronic acid for moisture, and a combination of UVA and UVB filters to protect skin from sun damage and pollutants. Since this formula reduces flashback, it's a good pick for photo-forward events like weddings.
Tester feedback: “My biggest beauty flaw is that I constantly forget to apply face sunscreen (a total skin sin, I know), but I don't have to fret about that when I have Charlotte Tilbury's Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50 in my makeup bag,” says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “Not only does it provide sun protection, but it also grips my complexion products in place all day long while feeling totally weightless on my skin.”
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, camellia oil | Who it's good for: people who want a one-and-done | Finish: radiant.
9. Best for Combination Skin: Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum
Why Glamour loves it: The Best of Beauty-winning Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum is a weightless, moisturising pick that won't bug naturally oily skin. Its ceramide hydration gel balances sebum production without sacrificing hydration or radiance (that's the diamond mineral powder at play). Miami-based makeup artist Natalie Dresher calls it one of her favourite makeup primers for its ultra-light texture and glowy finish.
Tester feedback: "When my skin needs an extra wake-up call, I love reaching for the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum to prep my complexion before makeup," Sarah Han says. "As someone with combo skin, I can't deal with overly heavy or silicone-y primers, so this lightweight serum is so ideal — it leaves my skin looking extra hydrated and radiant, but not greasy."
Key ingredients: ceramides, diamond mineral powder | Who it's good for: people with oily and combination skin | Finish: radiant.
Your Face Primer FAQs, Answered:
What are the benefits of using a face primer?
"Face primers can help prep the skin, smooth uneven texture, even the skin tone, and may help makeup last longer," says Dillon Peña, makeup artist and founder of Leland Francis. When shopping for a primer, keep your skin concerns in mind to get more out of the primer than just grippiness. Oil-prone? Look for a lightweight mattifying or oil-controlling primer that employs ingredients like silica or salicylic acid, says Peña.
People with dry skin should seek creamy, hydrating, or plumping primers formulated with hyaluronic acid or glycerin. If you have redness, Peña suggests opting for a colour-correcting primer with a green tint to help neutralise. (Soothing ingredients like aloe or green tea can also help). Enlarged pores will fare well with a thicker, balm-like, or silicone-based primer that can help smooth the appearance.
How should I apply a face primer?
Makeup artist tip #1? Allow the primer to dry fully for around a minute before you put on your makeup. "The trick with any primer is to make sure it's applied in a small dime-to-nickel-size amount and fully blended in first [before going in with foundation]," makeup artist Allan Avendaño previously explained. "Applying lightly and sparingly is my go-to rule," he adds.
Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo also recommends starting small. He previously explained that someone with dehydrated skin who tends to absorb makeup more quickly can handle a quarter-size dollop of primer. In contrast, someone with oily skin should stick to the bare minimum because it sits on the surface longer.
Always apply primer with clean fingers so your makeup absorbs fully and isn't sullied by outside grime. To keep your makeup from pilling, align your primer and foundation bases — for example, your best bet is to use a water-based primer with a water-based foundation, or a silicone-based primer with a silicone-based foundation.
Meet the experts
| Rafael Pita | A makeup artist based in Paris. |
|---|---|
| Courtney Hart | A makeup artist and men's groomer based in Los Angeles. |
| Dillon Peña | A makeup artist based in New York City and Los Angeles. |
| Allan Avendaño | A makeup artist based in Los Angeles. |
| Vincent Oquendo | A makeup artist based in New York City. |
| Natalie Dresher | A makeup artist based in Miami. |
After something else? Shop the best lash primers and the best eyeshadow primers.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
