Over the years, primers have become a staple in the beauty routines of many women. Their benefits include creating a smoother surface so makeup applies and holds better and providing a buffer between makeup and your skin so that the oxidation of sebum over the course of the day doesn’t really affect the way your makeup looks.
But as consumers become more discerning and demanding, primers have also evolved to deliver more benefits. And since one of the key concerns among Asian women when it comes to complexion is the look of dull and sallow skin, here are the best primers to get your hands on to even out skin tone and correct discolouration so you don’t need to pile on makeup for a unified complexion.
Formulated with hyaluronic acid, Rare Beauty’s Always An Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer ensures that your complexion stays hydrated while smoothing away the look of pores – it’s just like a real-life Instagram filter. The primer also helps to conceal fine lines, helps fight shine, and extends your makeup wear.
Perfect for those with normal to dry skin, this Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer is formulated with Grape Seed Oil and Sodium Hyaluronate which boasts amazing hydrating properties, so your skin stays quenched throughout the day. On top of that, it also gives a silky smooth finish that creates a filter-like blurring effect, and helps your makeup adhere better to your skin.
Infused with Witch Hazel, Salicylic Acid, and Zinc, the Photo Finish Control Mattifying Primer from Smashbox doesn’t only give you a smooth, matte base for you to work with, but it also protects your skin from environmental aggressors like pollution and blue light.
Sometimes, sunscreens and primers don’t play nice due to their formulations, resulting in the foundation pilling or looking patchy on the face. Circumvent that with Supergoop!’s Glowscreen Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Primer, which comes with SPF 40 PA+++ so you can skip the sunscreen.
Laneige’s Glowy Makeup Serum has been making its rounds on TikTok for good reason. Lightweight and hydrating, the serum keeps oil in check for visibly smoother skin. It also goes on completely sheer, imparting a lovely radiance and giving skin a supple, dewy finish. On top of that, it also makes your foundation or cushion adhere well to the skin, so your makeup lasts longer.
The backstage secret to flawless, radiant skin stat, Dior’s Dior Backstage Face & Body Primer blurs imperfections, mattifies and brightens skin, and helps keep it hydrated for up to 24 hours. It can be used on the body too, for a top-to-toe glow.
Like a real-life Instagram filter, Gucci Beauty’s Sérum De Beauté Fluide Soyeux glides on and fills in lines and pores—without clogging them—to give a smooth, flawless canvas. It has a silky finish that feels like second skin, and comes with olive emollients that give skin a welcome hydration boost.
(Read also “Gucci Beauty Launches New Foundation And Primer That Feel Like Second Skin”)
If inflammation is your bugbear, Make Up For Ever’s Redness Corrector Step 1 Face Primer, is just the prep you need (for those not familiar with colour theory, green is directly opposite red on the colour wheel and neutralises redness exceptionally well). The updated formulation boasts 24-hour wear to help makeup stay fresh all day.
This article was first published in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.