I get excited about the summer just as much as the next person, but if you’ve stepped outside in cities such as New York City, Houston or Miami this season (I’ve traveled to all three destinations for work), you’ve probably found your makeup in competition with the weather— especially if you have oily skin. Truly, I find it a struggle to get my foundation and the sun to cooperate even in environments virtually free or the tainting that is humidity. Of course there are only a few ways to conquer the weather so that your makeup can flourish, and a trusty face primer is one of them.
In addition to encouraging your face makeup to stick to your skin rather than giving in to the increasing temperatures and melting away, primers come in a number of various forms and thus can help with many other concerns as well: minimizing the appearance of pores, color correcting, and balancing oil production are just a few. But, face primers are the kind of thing you may feel uneasy shelling out the cash for if it hasn’t been vetted. Naturally, the place I like to turn to for trusted vetting? The reviews. Particularly on Sephora, they haven’t steered me wrong, next. If you’re looking for your makeup life saver for the season, take a look at the reviews from the fan-favorite face primer ahead. Of course, we’ve only rounded up the ones customers have declared worth the money.
“Absolutely in love with this primer. It does what it is supposed to do which is diffuse the look of your pores. I am 41 and have acne scars from when I was in my 20’s which left extremely large pores. I’ve tried many primers and for me, none have worked in covering and just having your face look flawless as well as Rare Beauty.”
Available at Sephora
“This is a miracle worker. Not only did it refine my pores, but this primer also gives such a natural, matte finish that I do not have to add anything else to my skin. I exfoliate, tone, cleanse, moisturize, and add a dime size amount (a little goes such a long way), and I am literally out the door most days when I do not want to add anything extra.”
Available at Sephora
“I like that this product doesn’t feel tacky or leave a tacky residue feeling on my face. You can feel it after you put it on, but it’s not an uncomfortable feeling in my opinion, and makes applying your foundation much easier and smoother. It also gives you a very nice dewy natural finish. It isn’t this jumped-out-of-the-shower wet look. It’s that you-have-healthy-nourished-skin dewy look. I’m living for that everyday.”
Available at Sephora
“I have really oily, sensitive skin that is prone to irritation, and pores that clog with millia if I use certain clogging ingredients such as oil. Primers work as a barrier between my skin and the makeup I wear, so without a primer like this, I will break out within a few hours. It feels really nice, not as slick and sleek as my other primers. but more pillowy and still dimethicone soft. Additionally, I am able to wear my makeup for over 12 hours with no problem. and hardly any oil in comparison to others.”
Available at Sephora
“Although the primer isn’t sticky, it does a great job of blurring, “filling” pores, and giving your foundation or concealer a good base. I struggle with acne, but I love doing my makeup. This primer does a great job of smoothing out the pores and my acne. I’ve also noticed that my makeup blends better when I use this primer!”
Available at Sephora
“I recently bought this primer and I cannot say enough about how amazing this is. I have oily skin and before this primer, my makeup needed to be touched up all the time if it’s a hot day. I used this primer to get photos taken in 95 degree heat, and my makeup looked perfect the whole time. It keeps me from looking shiny without drying my skin out, and it applies smoothly without leaving any tint or residue.”
Available at Sephora