Prepare To Meet Your Secret Weapon For Blurring Fine Lines & Evening Skin Tone

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Some people shy away from primers in fear of that tacky, sticky feeling on their skin. You won’t have that fear with this silky formula. With lavender water, cold-pressed olive oil, and oat extract, the formula is so moisturizing and calming that it almost feels like a lightweight moisturizer. 

On my skin, it leaves behind a noticeable sheen that helps my cheekbones catch the light—no highlighter necessary. 

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Here’s a little hack for those who want to try Augustinus Bader’s famous Cream without dropping $300: Snag this Victoria Beckham x Augustinus Bader primer to test the waters. It features the brand's signature Trigger Factor Complex (TFC8) to promote cellular regeneration, as well as avocado oil, peptides, and papaya enzymes to hydrate and brighten. 

It’s so hydrating, in fact, that you could use it as your sole moisturizer if you wanted to. Under makeup, it blurs pores and provides a smooth, firm base. A bonus? It also comes in a tinted version, if you’re looking for a true skin care-makeup hybrid. 

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Looking for an oil-absorbing primer that doesn’t leave your makeup looking cakey? Well, here she is! I’ve truly never experienced an oil-free primer as hydrating as this Exa number. It has a lightweight gel consistency that really feels like a splash of moisture on your skin, thanks to star humectants glycerin and aloe. 

Especially if you typically gravitate towards water-based foundations (like iconic makeup artist Daniel Martin does), you need a similar water-based primer that won’t pill under your base. This, my friends, is your best bet. 

Note: It’s currently sold out, so I’d check back in periodically for a restock. It’s worth it! 

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I personally have combination skin, and I’ll frequently wear this primer without a stitch of makeup—just to further lock in moisture and seal in my skin care. It’s a tip I learned from Youthforia founder Fiona Chan, who refers to it as "daytime slugging." She previously tells mbg, "I learned this technique when I lived in Asia (where some days the pollution can get really bad). A lot of girls would wear primer every day, even on no-makeup days, to prevent breakouts, dehydrated skin, or a weakened skin barrier from pollution." 

Consider it a barrier between your skin and the outside world. And this buffer layer includes soothing actives to calm the skin and dial down redness, like a proprietary "Skin Save" complex to temper inflammation. It also features golden yellow undertones to even out the skin tone. It’s a must-get for “no-makeup” makeup days, IMO. 

Found: The perfect primer-foundation hybrid for folks who hate wearing foundation (ahem, me). This tinted liquid primer features an extremely lightweight consistency that effortlessly melts into your complexion and feels like silk.

Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and licorice root extract keep the confection hydrating, and it leaves the prettiest dewy finish. Not to mention, it contains “skin-adapt pigment technology” to help each flexible shade fuse to your skin tone. 

Technically all primers provide a buffer from environmental aggressors, but this Grown Alchemist formula is chock-full of pollution-fighting antioxidants. Indian ginseng root extract, in particular, helps protect skin cells from environmental stressors, while prebiotic-peptides support the skin microbiome and improve barrier function. 

The kicker? It has the most glorious gel consistency. It honestly feels like a traditional silicone-based primer, just without the tackiness. If you’re looking for a gel to really cling to your makeup, you can’t go wrong with this pick. 

This blurring formula was specifically formulated with oily, acne-prone skin types in mind. It contains niacinamide, which has been shown to reduce sebum production1—one factor that contributes to clogged pores. (And clogged pores appear way more noticeable.) It also features AHAs from ginger root, lemon, and grapefruit extracts to brighten skin tone and further tighten your complexion. 

In terms of texture, it has a gel consistency that clings to your makeup with ease without feeling tacky on the skin. Think of it like a super-hydrating buffer between your skin and foundation.  

This holy grail product is like a serum, sunscreen, and makeup primer wrapped into one. It contains vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl glucoside (a more stable form of vitamin C that is converted into L-ascorbic acid on the skin), along with vitamin E to fend off free radicals.

For the SPF 50 component, you’ll find zinc oxide, while niacinamide helps brighten the skin and even tone. It also has a bit of a tint, which is perfect for “no-makeup” makeup days when you crave just a whisper of coverage. 

As soon as I tested Weekend Skin, I was impressed by its skin-gripping power: It easily fuses to your complexion and doesn’t smear onto your clothing—I even wiped my hands on my white shirt immediately after applying, and it left zero transfer! 

Yes, priming serums do exist! Namely, ones that prep and plump your skin pre-makeup so that your complexion shines through any foundation base. Some people use hyaluronic acid to deliver that subtle plumping effect, which is why this serum contains four types of HA to hydrate multiple skin layers.

But unlike most standalone HA serums, Merit’s number doesn’t feel sticky on the skin—it has a weightless consistency that instantly absorbs and leaves behind a noticeable glow.  

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Ingredients by skin type

The primer you choose can have a significant impact on your overall makeup aesthetic. For dry skin, a hydrating primer can help lock in moisture for a dewy glow; for oily-prone individuals, a mattifying or pore-blurring primer may be your best bet. 

Here, Compton provides a quick primer guide for your skin type: 

You may associate primers with a tacky, sticky, gel texture. That consistency is largely thanks to silicones: They’re commonly added to formulas as a smoothing, occlusive ingredient; in primers, they generally help give formulas a blurring effect. 

But as the product category expands, brands discover alternative ingredients to deliver that same smooth consistency—without leaving behind a tacky residue. "Even as a professional makeup artist, I used to be skeptical of primers," Compton one shared with mbg. "I used to dislike them, especially the [cyclic] silicone-based primers that have that icky, almost suffocating feeling on the skin. Now, there are so many different types of primers to achieve different finishes for any skin type." 

Water-soluble silicones aren’t necessarily a red flag in primers (namely dimethicone, which isn't as sticky), but it’s important to know if you have an adverse reaction to them. 

On the subject of texture, we should note that primers can fulfill different skin and makeup goals. Some are deliciously creamy and serve as another layer of moisture, while others have a gel-like consistency that’s great for gripping makeup. Some even contain tints for even more coverage! 

Depending on your skin type and makeup look, you might want to opt for a specific form. 

Primers do so much more than extend the longevity of your makeup: Grab an antibacterial formula, like Jori’s Acne & Oil Control Primer, and you can simultaneously treat clogged, enlarged pores. Snag a redness-reducing confection, like Youthforia’s Pregame Primer, and it essentially acts as a no-makeup color corrector. 

In short, you can totally wear a primer all on its own. Though they do pair exceptionally well with one of these silky foundations—take a browse and thank us later.