Using one of the best primers can make a noticeable difference to how make-up looks, feels and wears throughout the day. Whether you want to keep shine in check, add extra hydration, blur the look of pores or simply stop your foundation from disappearing by lunchtime, the right formula can help create a smoother base and give the rest of your routine a little more staying power.
Primer isn’t always considered an essential step, though, and choosing one largely comes down to your skin type and what you want from your make-up. According to professional make-up artist Mira Parmar (who’s worked with the likes of Joanna Lumley and Celia Imrie), primer “gives a bit of a lasting finish to your make-up” and can create “a really, really nice smooth base and canvas for the rest of your make-up.”
From lightweight gels to richer, more moisturising creams, there’s now plenty of choice beyond the silicone-heavy formulas that defined the mid-2010s. To find the formulas I think warrant a spot in your make-up bag, a pair of IndyBest experts and I tested primers across our three different skin types: 40+ and dry, combination, and oily. We considered everything from comfort and sticking power to how our foundations layered on top – here are our top picks.
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- Best primer overall – Vieve skin nova instant radiance primer: £33, Vievebeauty.com
- Best budget pick – Elf power grip primer: £9, Boots.com
- Best for oily skin – Danessa Myricks Beauty yummy skin blurring balm powder universal: £41.95, Sephora.co.uk
- Best for dry skin – YSL touche éclat blur primer: £29.60, Boots.com
- Best for long-lasting make-up – Victoria Beckham the cell rejuvenating illuminator: £76, Spacenk.com
Read more: 13 best foundations for every complexion, tested on four skin types
Vieve skin nova instant radiance primer
Best: primer overall
Why we love it
- Hydrating
- Balancing
- Adds dewiness
Take note
- May need setting powder if you prefer a matte finish
Reviewed by Helen Wilson-Beevers
This golden-coloured creamy primer adds an instant glow to skin, and it has a sweet, fresh rose scent that I liked, too. It includes balancing, hydration-promoting skincare ingredients niacinamide and beta-glucan, and I saw a smoothing effect like that of an intense moisturiser. The hydrating finish was a welcome boost for my dry skin, and I saw a dewy glow that lingered for hours on end. Because of this, you may need to use setting powder on any areas prone to oiliness or if you prefer a more matte finish.
The dewiness was still there at the end of a long day, and so was my foundation. The primer held it in place, while retaining that skincare-style finish. It looked like I’d freshly applied a hydrating moisturiser several hours after initial application. My skin felt soft to the touch well into the evening, and the tired dullness I often see was significantly improved, too.
IndyBest’s deputy editor Sabrina Sahota and senior shopping writer Lucy Smith are also familiar with the Vieve formula and concurred that it’s a worthy best buy. Sabrina said that "it's a lightweight formula that strikes the perfect balance between adding a subtle glow to your base, while actually making your make-up last." Meanwhile, Lucy commented that “Vieve skin nova is one of the best primers to give oily skin a touch of brightness without accentuating shine.”
Key specifications
Buy now £33, Vievebeauty.com
Elf power grip primer
Best: budget primer
Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Hydrating
- Smoothing
Take note
- A bit sticky
Reviewed by Helen Wilson-Beevers
This gel primer has a thick consistency that takes a bit of rubbing onto the skin. It is cooling on application and has a refreshing effect. There’s a slight stickiness to begin with, but it’s not unpleasant and instead feels like the formula is gripping onto skin. The primer absorbs quite quickly to leave a smoothing layer, which adds dewiness. It also includes hydration-promoting hyaluronic acid, and I could see that in the welcome glowy finish.
My foundation layered seamlessly over the lightweight formula, with no piling or residue. My base looked boosted, balanced and the wear-time lasted throughout the day. The dewiness faded slightly throughout the day. But after eight hours, my make-up hadn’t creased and the primer had retained an impressive amount of its coverage too.
Key specifications
Buy now £9, Boots.com
Victoria Beckham Beauty the cell rejuvenating illuminator
Best: primer for long-lasting make-up
Why we love it
- Waterproofed make-up in testing
- Mica adds a subtle glow
- Packed with skin-loving ingredients
Take note
- Very expensive
I didn’t want to love this primer, owing to its ludicrous price tag. But much like how I came around to Victoria Beckham’s foundation drops when testing skin tints, I’ve concluded that the formula of the Victoria Beckham cell rejuvenating illuminator is faultless (price aside).
It features heaps of beneficial ingredients, from squalane to ectoin, and glides onto skin beautifully. It’s slightly shimmery thanks to the inclusion of mica, but the finish is youthful and luminous versus sparkly and festival-esque. The texture is comparable to a gel moisturiser and my skin didn’t feel weighed under when layering it over my usual SPF and under my foundation of choice.
Amazingly, this primer meant that all of my complexion products survived a vigorous 30-minute swim, with my partner commenting after several underwater laps that my blush was still intact. I also wore it through numerous hot days on a holiday abroad and am pleased to report that nothing slid off. On one occasion, my make-up even saw me through a morning walking tour, a one-hour journey with luggage and a full three course dinner.
Key specifications
Buy now £79, Spacenk.com
Chanel sublimage le soin perfecteur ultimate primer
Best: primer for glowing skin
Why we love it
- Great size for travelling with three 15ml refills
- Glowy finish is perfect balance of dewy and light-reflecting
- Gives skin a little oomph if worn without make-up
Take note
- Price isn’t reflected in ingredients
- 45ml of product total isn’t good value for cost
If it weren’t for the price of this primer, I would’ve upped its rating by another half star. But for £240, it doesn’t benefit skin in any way besides hydrating it. Thankfully, its performance beneath make-up is stellar, and I loved layering it beneath my Charlotte Tilbury unreal skin sheer glow tint. It gave my skin a lit-from-within appearance that was visible both in photos and even when there wasn’t direct sunlight on my face.
When I’m reviewing beauty products I generally like to look beyond aesthetic packaging, but it’s hard to ignore how lovely this gold pump looks on a dressing table. I also enjoyed how petite the three refills are for travelling, but I’m not sure why Chanel doesn’t sell the vials individually without the outer casing. They’d be great from an environmental perspective and arguably an opportunity for the brand to lower the cost of the product.
Key specifications
Buy now £240, Johnlewis.com
Shiseido revitalessence skin glow primer
Best: primer for foundation
Why we love it
- Lightweight, skincare-like texture
- Revives the appearance of dull skin
- Foundation looks brilliant atop it
Take note
- Can look a little too luminous on oilier skin
My mum, who’s 67, was actually the person who introduced me to this primer and, now that I’ve tested it, I can see why it’s become such a staple in her make-up bag. The texture is closer to a lightweight serum than a traditional primer, and it spreads easily onto the skin, leaving you looking luminous without feeling like a layer of tar (yes, some primers have this effect). However, this gorgeous finish isn’t its only strength.
The revitalessence primer is excellent when it comes to combating your skin’s little quirks (read: the things that annoy you most). On my mum’s mature, drier skin, her foundation looked smoother and fresher, rather than catching around the dry areas she’s prone to. Meanwhile, on my oily skin, it worked with my foundation rather than against it, drawing attention away from my cavernous pores. My only qualm? It’s certainly not matte, so I needed a little powder top up around midday. Though it’s worth noting my mum doesn’t have this issue, so dry and mature skin types are in for a treat.
Key specifications
Buy now £44, Johnlewis.com
YSL touche eclat blur primer
Best: primer for dry skin
Why we love it
- Long-wearing
- Lightweight
Take note
- Texture a little slippery at first
Reviewed by Helen Wilson-Beevers
This gel-style primer has a slightly glittery finish in the bottle, which becomes a subtle radiance when applied to the face. The transparent formula feels lightweight, and it melts across the skin, leaving a blurring base for make-up to sit on top of. As it contains oils, the primer can feel a little slippery at first, but I found this consistency nourishing for my dry skin. Any initial greasiness did settle into a velvety veil quite quickly, leaving a silky-soft finish. However, it may be worth using a lighter moisturiser with it if your skin type is oily or combination.
The satin finish creates a gentle demi-matte dewiness. I was impressed by how well my foundation stayed in place while wearing this primer, and my make-up still looked fresh a full 12 hours later. I applied it before an early train, so the primer held my base in place during a long commute, day at the office, dinner and travel home again later that night.
Key specifications
Buy now £37, Boots.com
Danessa Myricks Beauty yummy skin blurring balm powder universal
Best: primer for oily skin
Why we love it
- A little goes a long way
- Makes make-up look blurred
- Controls oil
Take note
- Pricey
Reviewed by Sabrina Sahota
Danessa Myricks Beauty’s yummy skin blurring balm is my go-to primer when I truly need my make-up to last all day. The unique formula applies as a balm but sets like a powder, creating a base that looks blurred and, on my combination skin, requires very little, if any, setting powder.
The yummy skin balm powder contains upsalite, a form of magnesium carbonate that is said to be twice as absorbent as talc, and which works to reduce oil production throughout the day. In practice, my make-up still looked blurred hours after application. While it didn’t take away from the heavy feeling of make-up on my skin during testing, it was brilliant at reducing the shinier patches on my combination skin. I was impressed that I didn’t need a powder top-up in my T-zone when I checked in halfway through the day.
It’s pricey but a little goes a long way. Plus if you apply it in a targeted way to the areas where you get more shine, it should last longer.
Key specifications
Buy now £42.5, Sephora.co.uk
Refy glow and sculpt face primer
Best: hydrating primer
Why we love it
- Makes your base glowy
- Feels refreshing to apply
- Gel texture doesn’t feel heavy
Take note
- Applicator touches face, so needs regular sanitising
Reviewed by Sabrina Sahota
Refy’s glow and sculpt is the best primer I’ve tried for a glowy base. The gel primer is dispensed in a facial roller, so works well when applied across the cheekbones and jawline. It leaves your skin glowy and hydrated thanks to the inclusion of glycerin, so on my combination skin, I find it works best with long-lasting matte complexion products when I want to add some radiance to my make-up look.
Refy says it should help to grip your make-up in place for eight hours and while it certainly helped with the longevity of my base, I still needed a couple powder top-ups across a 12-hour day.
The gel primer felt refreshing to apply in the morning but the only downside is that the applicator touches your face when doing so. This means it needs regular sanitising, ideally after every use, so adds another step to your routine.
Key specifications
Buy now £24, Refybeauty.com
Nyx the face glue gripping primer
Best: primer for grip
Why we love it
- Affordable
- Easy to apple
- A little goes a long way
Take note
- Not the best for super long-lasting make-up
Reviewed by Sabrina Sahota
Nyx is known for its playful packaging, and its face glue gripping primer is no different, designed to look like a bottle of super glue that dispenses a sticky white primer. The primer’s gripping qualities come from the inclusion of sugar maple extract, aka maple syrup, and in practice, base products adhere to the sticky texture well.
You don’t need to apply too much, as I find it works best just applied in areas where your make-up tends to fade – for my combination skin, that’s the centre of my face and top of my cheekbones. When I checked in on my make-up halfway through the day, some radiance had come through and my blush looked a little patchy around the edges, but my foundation hadn’t faded in areas where it usually would. While it didn’t give my make-up as much staying power as more premium primers I tested, it’s a well-priced option that I’d be happy to reach for on days when I don’t need that extra longevity.
Key specifications
Buy now £8.99, Boots.com
Your questions about primers answered
What is the best primer?
Ultimately, Vieve’s skin nova instant radiance primer was our pick of the bunch, thanks to its knack for keeping foundation in place while leaving dry skin looking fresh and dewy rather than overloaded with product. Both Sabrina and I had also tried the formula previously and seconded Helen’s five-star review. For serious staying power, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s cell rejuvenating illuminator isn’t to be snuffed at – even with its sky-high price. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, both the Elf power grip and Nyx face glue primers proved you needn’t spend a fortune for a smooth, grippy base that lasts.
How we tested primers
Myself, Sabrina and Helen tested the primers over the course of two months across our three different complexions: 42-year-old dry skin, 30-year-old combination skin and 29-year-old oily skin. We each applied our usual make-up, putting the formulas through August heatwaves, sweaty commuter trains and full 12-hour days to see which primers wore the best beneath our foundations, bronzers, blushes and more. During testing, we paid attention to the following:
Is primer really necessary before make-up?
Not necessarily. Professional make-up artist Mira Parmar tells me that whether she uses one professionally depends on the person she’s working with and the finish she wants to create. “I don't use primers in every single job that I do,” she says. “It depends on what I want the outcome of the skin to look like.”
She explains that “some people have incredible skin, so you don't need a primer.” Instead, she views it as a personal choice and an extra step that can be particularly useful when you want greater longevity or a smoother-looking base.
“I use it sometimes; I don't use it all the time,” she says. “Some people love it, some people don't.”
Why does my make-up look worse when I use primer?
If your base suddenly starts looking patchy or rolling into tiny flakes after you introduce a primer, the products in your routine may not be working well together.
Mira explains that “if your skincare doesn't work perfectly with your primer, you tend to get this pill, which is where the water has reacted with an oil and it started to come off on your skin.”
It doesn’t necessarily mean the primer itself is the problem. “It may be that your primer is the wrong primer for you,” she tells me, adding that finding the right combination can take “trial and error”. You may need to switch to a more hydrating or mattifying primer, or reconsider the foundation you’re putting on top. “Maybe you need to change your foundation to something slightly different that doesn't react with your primer,” she adds.
Mira’s advice is to experiment rather than overhaul everything at once. “Try it, see how you work with it, and then kind of tweak the rest of your make-up routine and skincare routine,” she says.
Should an older woman wear primer?
There’s no reason women with mature skin have to use primer, but Mira says it can be a useful addition if hydration, fine lines or uneven texture are concerns. Her answer is refreshingly straightforward: “Yes, completely, if you want to, and no if you don't want to.”
She explains that primer can be particularly helpful for hydrating and smoothing the skin as it changes with age. “Skin loses collagen as we get older,” she says, adding that fine lines also become more visible over time.
Using primer, she explains, “just gives a little bit of a smoother finish, make0up goes on beautifully and it's great.”
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As senior shopping writer, Lucy Smith regularly tests make-up and skincare for IndyBest, from the best foundations to the best moisturisers for oily skin. With more than five years of professional experience in the field, she’s well versed in how these sort of cosmetics apply, wear and perform, and knows where the bar sits industry-wide for a good (or god-awful) product.
Helen Wilson-Beevers has been reviewing beauty for IndyBest since 2021, with particular experience testing products on dry skin. Her reviews span everything from skin tints to foundations for dry skin, with a focus on texture, finish and their appearance on her 40+ skin.
Sabrina Sahota is IndyBest’s deputy editor and regularly puts make-up launches through their paces on her combination skin. She has tested products including Fenty Beauty’s pro filt’r foundation, blushes, setting sprays and more – so she was just the person to put a swathe of primers through their paces.
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