If you want your foundation to stay in place for as long as possible then a good primer is non-negotiable. “The primary purpose of a primer is to prepare the skin for foundation,” explains make-up artist Joy Adenuga. “Depending on your skin type, this could be blurring the skin, filling in open pores, reducing shine, providing hydration, or providing a smooth canvas for make-up.”
As well as keeping your foundation firmly in place, a primer does much more besides. Whatever your requirements, whether it’s mattifying an oily T-zone, blurring uneven texture and fine lines, obscuring the appearance of pores, or hydrating irritated skin, the best primer can handle it all.
And if you don’t like the idea of adding an extra step to an already busy morning routine, these days primers offer skincare benefits, too, harnessing everything from hyaluronic acid to shea butter to hydrate, soothe and nourish skin for the day ahead. Which means you might be able to skip your moisturiser altogether.
How do I choose the right primer?
“To be able to choose the right primer, you need to understand your skin type,” explains Adenuga. “Primers are designed for different skin types – normal skin, textured skin, oily skin, dry skin, combination skin and more. When you understand your skin type, choosing the right primer becomes easy.”
Vogue’s pick of the best primers at a glance:
In this article:
Below, see and shop Vogue’s edit of the 19 best primers to try now.
