By admin 
Painting your face isn’t that different from painting your nails. Or even painting a house. Sponged or brushed on, pigment is layered to give rich, long-lasting coverage—and most of them need some sort of primer to look their best. Primers are must-haves on our walls and nail beds, but when building a makeup routine for yourself, or your professional kit, face primers are often overlooked.
From the golden age of Hollywood all the way to the dawn of reality TV, makeup artists didn’t have high-tech face primers capable of amazing effects. It was only recently that companies began launching primers that could work magic tricks on your skin: refine texture, color-correct the complexion, minimize fine lines and pores, mattify and prevent fading, and serve as the 24-7 holding agent to your foundation.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s not only oily skin that can reap from a primer’s capabilities—all skin types stand to benefit in some way. “Depending on the formula, primers can add a bit of moisture on dry skin, can even out textured skin, and help acneic skin with added skin care properties,” says renowned makeup artist James Vincent.
Sometimes, selecting the right primer takes trial and error to find one that feels weightless, doesn’t clog your pores, and gives your skin just the right texture. How do you navigate the overwhelming world of primers? These questions will put you on the path to the right primer for you.
Why do I need primer?
Think about how your primer can help you or your client’s skin. Will it be used for high-definition or bridal makeup, where camera-ready durability is priority? Or maybe you want an everyday base with a bit of SPF? “Look at the job at hand first,” advises James. “A primer with a bit of silicone is great at keeping the skin fresh-looking, but it may show shiny hot spots on the face in photography.”
Anyone with coloring issues can enlist the help of color-correcting primers. A light purple or mauve will cancel out sallow tones, a hint of green evens out ruddy tones from rosacea, and a subtle pink can brighten a dull complexion.
What kind of face makeup do I have already?
Pairing your foundation with a new face primer, remember that like attracts like. If you use a water-based foundation, it’s best to opt for a water-based primer. Same goes for silicone- and oil-based products. “It just makes sense for durability,” says James. Oil and water can break down silicone, so be sure to check the ingredients label before you purchase.
Can my moisturizer substitute for primer?
Many save that extra step in the morning and use moisturizer as face primer, but both products bring different valuable qualities to the table. Primers are formulated to smooth uneven skin texture, whereas a moisturizer’s main purpose is to bring hydration, protection, and polish to the skin. Of course, with today’s hybrid BB and CC creams, there’s overlap to both. “I think they can be both used together, but it really depends on the client,” weighs James. “Primers might make it easier—you might skip it in winter and layer a moisturizer instead, but it could help your foundation stay on in hotter weather as an extra barrier.” If you say the more steps the merrier, remember to layer your moisturizer underneath your primer first.
If you’re ready to take the extra step in your makeup routine, browse some of the best face primer picks for every skin need below.
The Hydrators
BY TERRY Hyaluronic Hydra Primer, $56
This weightless primer is powered by hyaluronic acid to hydrate, plump, and smooth. It instantly blurs imperfections, minimizes pores, evens skin tone, fills in fine lines, and controls shine—all in one skin-loving formula.
Danessa Myricks Beauty Prism FX Hydrating Lotion, $28
This lightweight liquid elixir does it all—it’s formulated with squalene and vitamin E to hydrate and nourish, while multicolored micronized crystals illuminate the skin.
Natasha Denona Hy-Gen Energizing and Hydrating Primer Serum, $48
This silky formula infuses skin with up to 72 hours of moisture (!) It balances oil in the T-zone, boosts radiance, and leaves skin baby-soft, dewy, and plump.
The Mattify-ers
MOB Beauty Blurring Blot Balm and Primer, $23
This universal, colorless balm soaks up shine and blurs texture and pores with the tap of a finger. Use it as skincare, a primer, or over makeup for a velvet-soft finish that feels like nothing on the skin.
Grown Alchemist Skin Defense Primer, $42
Mattfies, smooths, and strengthens—this primer does it all. It blurs pores and fine lines while defending skin with barrier-boosting botanicals.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Primer, $58
Like a real-life airbrush, this translucent gel cream blurs, mattifies, and creates a flawless canvas that grips makeup for all-day wear.
Dominique Cosmetics Cooling Blur Mattifying Primer, $36
Refreshingly cool to the touch, this mattifying primer blurs, tightens, and keeps shine in check. A must for oily or combination skin—and a flawless base that lasts.
The Brighteners/Illuminators
BY TERRY Brightening CC Serum, $79
What happens when you combine radiant rose stem cells and light-diffusing particles? A feather-light serum primer hybrid that hydrates, brightens, and restores your complexion’s natural glow.
Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow, $55
Charlotte’s “miracle fix” for tired, dull, or dehydrated skin, this magical perfector uses hydrating botanicals and light-diffusing technology to create effortlessly dewy skin with a soft-focus finish.
Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Glow-Filter Priming Serum $42
Formulated with illuminating minerals and diamond powder, this clinically proven hydrating primer serum illuminates skin for a more lifted, defined look—instantly and over time.
Sisley Paris Instant Eclat Instant Glow Primer, $115
This luxe, illuminating primer features radiance-boosting skincare benefits to brighten, smooth, and reduce signs of fatigue while gripping makeup. Non-greasy, non-comedogenic and perfectly adhering,
The Color-Correctors/Bronzers
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Makeup Color Base, $89
These lightly tinted formulas counteract discoloration, blur fine lines and pores, and create a flawless base that keeps makeup looking fresh.
Sisley Paris Instant Correct, $115
Designed to perfectly prime the complexion, this color-correcting primer visibly evens out the complexion, rebalances, and smooths skin texture for a perfectly prepped canvas.
Natasha Denona Hy-Gen Bronze Energizing Hydrating Primer Serum, $48
This multi-tasking formula balances sebum production and delivers 72 hours of moisture, leaving skin dewy, plump, and naturally bronzed.
The Multi-taskers
Peter Thomas Roth Max Clear Invisible Priming Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45, $38
A smoothing, blurring, and invisible primer with SPF 45? Yes, please. This gel formula hydrates, protects, and perfects—no white cast, just a soft-focus finish.
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, $24
This primer does it all: blurs imperfections, evens tone, extends makeup wear, smooths lines, and blurs imperfections—while protecting skin from sun damage. Cloud-like texture, flawless payoff.
RMS Beauty ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer, $45
Experience a dose of skin-loving ingredients at work firming, toning, and hydrating (for up to 24 hours!), as you create a smooth canvas for flawless makeup application.
Sisley Paris Double Tenseur Instant & Long-Term Lifting Primer, $225
Luxury in a bottle. This fan favorite firms, smoothes, and hydrates on contact—then keeps working with a flexible “second skin” mesh that lifts and tones over time.
Kjaer Weis The Beautiful Primer, $55
Just one formula to hydrate, prime, and improve skin over time. This certified organic primer nourishes, firms, and illuminates skin for smooth, long-lasting makeup application.
Nurain Alicharan contributed to this article. This article was originally published December 21, 2012, and last updated on June 10, 2025.