There’s nothing worse than carefully applying your makeup in the morning to find that by lunchtime, it’s gone patchy, faded, or your T-zone is beaming with shine. That’s why a good priming product can make all the difference to your beauty routine.
Some have a mattifying, skin-blurring effect to smooth out areas of enlarged pores, fine lines and keep excess oiliness at bay all day, while others add a luminous finish for a healthy glow and brightening effect, or intensely moisturise areas of dryness.
Many makeup primers now mimic much of our skincare, with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and shea butter that hydrate, moisturise and soothe, while leaving your skin supple and soft.
They’re also one of the easiest ways to extend the longevity of your makeup. This comes in especially handy during hot, humid weather, or for long days at the office or special occasions such as weddings, when you want to look and feel your best, especially in photos. That’s why I made it my mission to seek out the top-performing priming products – keep scrolling to discover my favourites.
How I tested
Over the course of six weeks, I put many different primers to the test. I examined the performance of each against its marketing claims.
I wanted to see how easily they applied, what the finish was like, how well they were able to prolong my makeup, and how well they worked in tandem with the rest of my makeup routine, such as foundation and concealer. I tested all beneath setting powder and finishing sprays, and on their own, to see if they truly made a difference to my makeup.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Louise Whitbread has been a beauty writer for years and has tested dozens of makeup and skincare products for The Independent. She speaks to experts in the field when delving into the nitty gritty of formulas and ingredients, whether it’s to glean insight from dermatologists on all things skincare, or to hear from a makeup artist on how to best apply concealer. Her knowledge and real-world testing equips her to find primers that actually work.
The best primers for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Milk Makeup pore eclipse mattifying primer: £35, Boots.com
- Best budget buy – 17 vitamin enriched primer: £5, Boots.com
- Best glowy primer – Saie glowy super gel: £24, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best hydrating primer – Vieve super skin nova: £39, Vievebeauty.com
