A primer is an important make-up step for anyone looking to achieve a long-lasting finish with their application, but it’s especially important if you have oily or combination skin which can cause foundation to slip and slide.
The best primers for oily skin are those that contains ingredients like blurring powders to counteract shine and absorb excess oil. To rebalance sebum production that causes too much oil in the first place, some primers also contain skincare ingredients like salicylic acid to refine the skin’s surface and ensure pores stay free from dirt and debris.
If you’re not sure where to start in your search for a primer for your oily skin, let Vogue be your guide. Here is our pick of some of the best primers for oily skin to try.
The best primers for oily skin at a glance:
- Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer True Matte, £28.00
- Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer SPF 50, £40
- Chanel Perfecting Makeup Primer Mattifying, £47
- Erborian Mattifying Face Cream Blur Effect, £19
- Shiseido Synchro Skin Soft Blurring Primer,
£37.00£27.75 - Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas, £25
- MAC Studio Fix Mattifine 12 Hour Shine-Control Primer, £30
- Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, £24
- Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Primer, £9.99
- Urban Decay All Nighter Face Primer,
£27£20.25 - L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab 24HR Matte Setter Primer, £11.99
In this article:
Best for extending make-up wear: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer True Matte
Why it’s Vogue-approved: If you find your make-up sliding off halfway through the day you need a primer with good oil control. Using blue agave extract and blurring powders to keep shine at bay, this ultra-mattifying formula also helps keep your foundation in place and extends its wear.
Best for added SPF: Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer SPF 50
Why it’s Vogue-approved: The added anti-UV and pollution benefits of this primer means that skin is protected against damage as well as being left smoother and more flawless. The weightless serum formula glides on easily to skin and melts in, creating the perfect hardwearing base on which to apply the rest of your make-up.
Best for dehydrated skin: Chanel Perfecting Makeup Primer Mattifying
Why it’s Vogue-approved: Even oily skin can suffer from dehydration, a combination which can leave skin looking shiny but feeling tight, which is where this fresh, gel formula steps in. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, blue algae annatto seeds and marine sugar, the primer gently boost hydration and mattifies where needed. Skin is left feeling more comfortable and prepped for make-up.
Best for enlarged pores: Erborian Mattifying Face Cream Blur Effect
Why it’s Vogue-approved: Enlarged pores can ruin the effect of a flawless make-up base, which is why this is a great priming formula to keep in your kit. As well as helping to blur the appearance of large pores, it refines skin texture, keeps in much-needed moisture and dampens down excess shine thanks to Korean water lily extract.
Best for a weightless finish: Shiseido Synchro Skin Soft Blurring Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved: If your skin feels oily, the last thing you might feel like doing is adding an extra layer of product. This lightweight formulation uses advanced light diffusion technology to refine pores and create a more even skin tone. It also promises to add hydration for up to eight hours and, thanks to the Sebum Catch Powder included, absorbs oil and sweat throughout the day, helping to reduce excess shine.
Best for an uneven texture: Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas
Why it’s Vogue-approved: Oily skin can often come hand in hand with redness and a rough, uneven skin surface. If that sounds familiar then try this luxurious formula that uses thin layers of silk to gently mattify the skin and create the illusion of a refined, more even texture.
Best ultra-longwear: MAC Studio Fix Mattifine 12 Hour Shine-Control Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved: This make-up artist-approved formulation offers 12 hours of shine control and helps to redux excess oil on the skin. As a result, foundation and concealer glide on more smoothly and stay out for hours without caking, flaking or fading.
Best for a waterproof finish: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved: This oil-free not only offers a smooth, shine-free canvas on which to apply the rest of your make-up, it’s waterproof, too, ensuring that your foundation stays put no matter what you put it through. Thanks to blurring technology redness, fine lines and enlarged pores are also smoothed over.
Best for blemish-prone skin: Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved: There’s no need to worry that adding more layers of make-up will cause breakouts. This lightweight primer gets skin ready for make-up application without clogging pores or pooling around imperfections. A shine-free finish is guaranteed for up to eight hours, too.
Best for a full face: Urban Decay All Nighter Face Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved: If you’re wearing a full face of make-up, you need a primer that can more than hold things in place, without excess oil causing them everything to slip and slide. As well as locking your make-up into place, it offers eight hours of hydration so your skin look flawless not flat.
Best for skincare benefits: L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab 24HR Matte Setter Primer
Why it’s Vogue-approved:As well as offering 24 hours of reduced shine and extended make-up wear, this afforded is formulated with one per cent LHA and salicylic acid that get to work gently refining uneven skin texture and rebalance sebum levels as you wear it.
FAQs
What’s the purpose of a primer?
“I like to think of a primer as an additional layer of protection for the skin,” explains make-up artist Zoe Taylor. “It should be the first step of your make-up, sitting in between your skincare and make-up as it helps to prevent your make-up from sinking into your skin and disappearing.” It’s not just a question of one size fits all either, much like foundations and the rest of your make-up steps, look for a primer that address your skin’s needs. “Primers have come a long way, they are far more prescriptive, you can get anti-shine, anti-redness and extra glowy options. Basically they can give you that extra boost of whatever skin benefits you need that day,” adds Taylor.
Why might oily skin benefit from a primer?
While all skin will benefit from using a primer, oily skins especially ought to find that primers help with ensuring their make-up last longer and goes on more evenly. “Primers specific for oily skin are great for helping to mattify, and help with longevity of the overall make-up,” says Taylor. Don’t neglect other areas on your face prone to shine, like your eyelids and add an extra layer of primer on areas like your T-zone if needed. “Eyeshadow primers are especially useful for oily skin as often eye make-up can be prone to slipping too.”
What ingredients should you look for in a primer for oily skin?
If you think of your primer as an extension of your skincare then it ought to make it easier to choose the right formula for you. “It’s important to look for the same properties you would in your skincare, as so many primers have skincare benefits,” adds Taylor. Often ingredients like AHAs, BHAs and hyaluronic acid are found in primers as well as your skincare products, so finding that continuity for your skin is key.
Will it cause breakouts in oily skin?
Using the correct primer should not cause breakouts in oily skin, but all comes down to formulation. That is why it’s so important to choose one specially designed for oily skin that won’t aggravate your skin or exacerbate oil production.
How do you use a primer?
“I always wait until all my skincare and SPF is on and suitably absorbed,” says Taylor. “Then apply with either fingertips or brush, whatever your personal preference is. Wait a couple of minutes until it’s sunk in and then apply your base as normal. Don’t forget to set your make-up after powdering. I love the Vieve Setting Spray, it’s the best and suitable for all skin types.”
