Once upon a time, I thought primers were just a beauty fad.
Then, I started using them — and boy was I wrong.
My makeup stayed on longer, looked smoother and they gave my skin that airbrushed look.
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Rare Beauty Pro Makeup Artist for Australia and New Zealand, Ell Hirst, explains the importance of primer and why it actually makes a difference to your beauty routine.
“Primer is a key step in any makeup routine and has endless benefits, not only do primers prolong makeup, but they also often contain skincare benefits as well as properties that help smooth or boost radiance,” she told Best Picks.
“Picking the right primer for you can depend on your skin type but also your personal preference.”
The primer market can seem overwhelming at times — which is why here at Best Picks we have compiled a list of the five best primers for 2024.
1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, from $57.20, Amazon
First up on the list is this classic primer that has been on the market for a long time.
The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer from Amazon is oil-free, lightweight and “fills in fine lines and pores instantly”.
This silky formula “creates a perfect canvas for foundation and contains a blend of vitamins A and E, grapeseed extract and green tea”.
The primer can be worn alone or underneath foundation “to increase longevity”.
Smashbox’s famous primer won the ‘Best of Sephora Award for Best Primer,’ one of Marie Claire’s ‘25 Products That Will Change Your Life’ and is an ‘InStyle Best Beauty Buy.’
This primer was actually the first primer I ever purchased, and it really did change my opinion on primers — it’s best for those with an oilier skin type and really gives an airbrushed finish.
It has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon and customers say it “gives a flawless look and glides on effortlessly”.
The primer starts at $57.20 and can be purchased from Amazon here.
2. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer, from $53, Sephora
Second on the list is my personal favourite and current primer, Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer.
This primer is a game-changer, it keeps my makeup flawless all day, it hydrates my skin and helps with oil control.
This Fenty Beauty primer is described as “a next level mattifying primer for combination to oily skin. It works instantly to deliver maximum all-day shine control while improving and extending foundation wear”.
This long-lasting formula is made with a unique blend of “Blue Agave Extract and blurring powders — known for mattifying with a filter-like effect”.
The product has a 4.2-star rating on Sephora and customers say, “they cannot fault it,” myself included.
Purchase yours for $53 here.
3. Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer, from $55, Sephora
This primer from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is a hydrating gel primer that “blurs the look of pores and fine lines and boosts and extends makeup wear”.
The primer is made with “hyaluronic acid which soothes while providing lasting hydration”.
Makeup Artist, Ell Hirst explains that this primer “is great if you prefer a soft-focus finish and it can also be worn without foundation”.
She also recommends “applying primer with your hands after your moisturiser and SPF”.
“This melts the product into the skin and allows your complexion products to glide on smoothly,” she told Best Picks.
This primer has a 4.4-star rating on Sephora and customers say they are “instantly blown away”.
You can purchase it here from $55.
4. The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer, from $10.60,Adore Beauty
If you’re after a cheaper option when it comes to a primer, The Ordinary has you covered.
This primer “primes skin for makeup application for a more polished look”.
This formula also works well for those with “blemish-prone skin or mature skin” as the silicone blurs imperfections and fills in any fine lines”.
A little goes along way with this primer.
“take a pea sized amount onto clean, moisturised skin and spread over the face, from the centre of the face outwards,” The Ordinary recommend.
This affordable primer has a 4.4-star rating on Adore Beauty and customers say that it is “their go-to primer”.
This primer is available to purchase from Adore Beauty now.
5. Glo Skin Hydrating Primer, from $73, Sephora
This primer may be on the slightly pricier side but is ideal for dry skin and “provides instant hydration”.
Glo Skin’s Hydrating Primer is water-based and has a “cooling effect that supports the skin’s moisture balance while extending the wear of makeup”.
This formula contains a “multi-tasking makeup-skincare hybrid with a radiant dewy finish”.
This primer “creates a hydrated, smoother makeup canvas, ensuring that foundations and concealers apply evenly without clinging or caking, and stays in place for longer”.
It has a 4.6-star rating, and customers can’t stop raving about its “hydrating powers”.
You can purchase yours here from $73.
