What Primer Do Makeup Artists Use

Jewelyn Butron

In that location'southward null more annoying than applying touch-ups all day because your face makeup is disappearing faster than Houdini. Such a waste of time! "A lot of people think primers are merely an actress step in a routine, but makeup primers are actually a must-have if you desire your foundation to last," says Sona Gasparian, makeup creative person and founder of Pérsona Cosmetics. You're giving your foundation something to latch onto, she explains—and a good primer can fifty-fifty skin tone, camouflage pores, and assist your makeup withstand the test of a sweaty commute or belatedly night.

But here's the matter: All face primers are non created equal. Think of priming equally the final step in your skincare routine rather than the start step in your makeup application. Meaning, y'all should pay attention to your skin concerns when picking the right formula for you lot, just as you would when thinking almost skincare. The best makeup primers are packed with good-for-your-skin ingredients, similar hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and oils. They should also offer complexion benefits, like smoothing, hydrating, and brightening—just similar your other skincare products.

Before you use a primer, you should first with freshly cleansed skin, says Gasparian. Utilise your toners, serums, moisturizers, whatever, like you normally would—then give all of your skincare products a infinitesimal to dry earlier you lot go in with primer. Gasparian recommends starting with a pea-sized corporeality of primer and working it in with your fingers. Then you lot can apply the rest of your makeup. Ready to slay all day? Effort these makeup artist-approved confront primers:

Best Primer-Moisturizer Combo

Smashbox Photo Terminate Primerizer

"This moisturizer and face primer in ane absorbs quickly into the skin and looks neat nether almost every foundation," says makeup artist Gisela Fernandez. "Niacinamide plumps the skin while hyaluronic acid delivers long-lasting hydration. This amazing production prevents foundation from settling into fine lines, dry out patches, and pores."

Best Glow-Getter

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Confront Primer

This tan balm has a ton of lite-reflecting mica particles, giving you lot a radiant complexion the second you swipe information technology on. It also has slight blurring properties, then you tin use information technology lonely if you adopt a no-makeup makeup look, too.

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Best For Sensitive Skin

Becca Backlight Priming Filter Face Primer

"I honey the Becca Priming Filter," says makeup artist Tobi Henney. "It gives my clients the virtually gorgeous glow to their skin." This priming balm is packed with light-reflecting particles that make your pare glow—but is completely formulated without pare-irritating parabens, pthalates, and sulfates.

All-time Multi-Utilise Mist

L'Oréal Paris Lumi Shake & Glow Dew Mist

It primes your skin, it sets your makeup, and it refreshes your await throughout the day... Is there annihilation this spray can't do? Before use, just make sure yous give information technology a proficient milkshake to incorporate the tiny shimmer flakes into the hydrating base.

Best For Enlarged Pores

Benefit Cosmetics the POREfessional Face Primer

"For my oily skin, I love using this primer from Do good because I can really see my pores disappearing as I'thou applying it," says makeup artist Anum Siraj. "It's besides extremely lightweight, so I don't experience any extra heaviness on my face before adding my foundation." It also helps you look matte (not greasy) all day long.

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Best Smoothing Primer

Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(Cover) Blurring Coconut Face Primer

Go an Instagram filter wait IRL with this blurring and moisturizing face primer. The blend if silicones even out the surface of your skin without calculation any coverage, and the coconut-derived hydrators continue your skin supple.

Best For Dry out Peel

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Confront Primer

"I have dry, acne-decumbent skin and rely on primer to give me an even base and to mattify my larger pores," says Gasparian. "This moisture-rich primer is great for dry skin because it hydrates, brightens, and provides a dewy-looking stop."

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Best For Redness

e.fifty.f. Tone Correcting Green Face Primer

If you lot're dealing with a crimson complexion, you know that the redness tin can easily seep through your foundation, especially if yous adopt something with lite to medium coverage. Instead, outset with this green-tinted primer to colour-correct your redness before yous become in with your base of option (I hope it won't make you expect green!).

Best For Combination Skin

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

"I'm currently obsessed with the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer," says Maddie Due north, a glory makeup creative person. "You only have to utilise a tiny corporeality, and it feels like velvet, which all of my clients love—no one wants to feel like their makeup is caked on." The mineral formula is lightweight and oil-free, keeping philharmonic skin types happy.

Best All-Natural Choice

Ilia True Peel Radiant Priming Serum

As far as the green dazzler market has come up, it can still exist tricky to find all-natural primers. This brightening version from Ilia is then expert (information technology smoothes, moisturizes, and adds radiance), yous won't even know information technology free of silicone,

Best For Concealing Texture

Clarins SOS Primer in Peach

Gasparian recommends this color-correcting primer for people with uneven skin texture. "It'south super lightweight, and great for blurring imperfections and bumps before applying makeup," she says.

Best For Oily Peel

Fenty Beauty Past RihannaPro Filt'r Mattifying Primer

Since its launch, Rihanna'southward line has always been skin-tone inclusive—but now they're expanding that to include all skin types, besides. Enter this primer for oily peel, which uses blueish agave extract to keep skin matte all day long.

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Best Primer With Sunscreen

Smashbox Photograph Terminate Protect SPF 20 Primer

"My number 1 is always Smashbox Photo Finish Primer," says makeup artist Riva Bruck. "Information technology makes pores vanish, gets rid of shine, and holds makeup in place. For me it's a must-have all the fourth dimension." For a primer with SPF, their Protect iteration provides an extra sun barrier on top of your favorite moisturizer with SPF.

Best For Crumbling Skin

Guerlain L'Or 24K Radiance Primer

"Information technology's pricey, simply and then worth information technology if you lot need an extra heave of hydration similar me," says makeup artist Leticia Avrith. The gold-flecked gel formula keeps foundation looking polish and dewy all day, instead of dandy around fine lines and wrinkles.

Marissa Miller Marissa Miller has spent a decade editing and reporting on women'due south health issues from an intersectional lens with a focus on peer-reviewed nutrition, fettle trends, mental health, skincare, reproductive rights and beyond, and currently holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell.

Maddie Aberman Beauty Editor Maddie Aberman is the beauty editor at Women's Health and has been covering skincare, makeup, pilus, and health for more than five years.