Hey Smooth Skin, where ya been?

I existed for 21 years without ever knowing I was missing something pretty important from my makeup routine. Primer has kind of taken the beauty world by storm the past few years, with a tube of the good stuff becoming a regular in most of our makeup bags, but it can be so confusing at first.

Will it make my skin oilier? Which one is best for dry skin? Are their ingredients gentle enough for sensitive skin?

I’ve tried quite a few, with all of these questions in mind and here’s my little guide to my top 3 foundation primers that hopefully will work for you too. There’s gel and cream primers in here and all three are oil-free and translucent.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
£25, Boots

First up is one of the most well-known primers out there. The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer was even named as one of Marie Claire’s “25 products that will change your life”, which is a pretty bold claim!

I’ve used this for a while now and it was my go-to primer, before I started using the Hourglass one (more on that further down!). It has a thick clear gel consistency and helps create a silky soft base for you to be able to apply your foundation smoothly. It also helps with the longevity of your foundation, usually keeping it in place for a couple of hours more than normal.

As it’s oil-free, this is fine to use on oily skin but if you’re looking for something lighter, especially if you also have sensitive skin, you might be better using the light version.

Benefit The Porefessional
£24.50, ASOS

Another very well-known and loved primer is The Porefessional by Benefit. This is the sample size, but I actually bought the full size version a few years ago as my very first intro to primers.

As with all of these primers, you only need a pea-sized amount to cover your entire face. Although this one does come out of the tube as a sandy beige colour, it’s definitely translucent once applied to your skin so don’t worry about that!

I’d say this one is good to grab a sample of if you’re new to using primers. It’s suitable for all skin types and, although I wouldn’t say it makes all of your pores disappear, it really does help create a smooth and shine-free base for makeup application.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
£52, Net-a-Porter

This is my absolute guilty pleasure when it comes to buying makeup. The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is pure luxury. A runny but silky fluid, packaged in a glass pump bottle, which really does create the most dreamy feeling on your skin.

I found that when I stopped using it, after being put off by its £52 price tag for a new bottle, my foundation really didn’t last as well or look as good. It’s one of those Holy Grail makeup items that you hate for being so expensive but love for working so well. When my skin is feeling a bit dehydrated, this helps give it the lift it desperately needs without making it oily.

One to pick up when you’re feeling seriously spendy or have a birthday coming up! The Hourglass Tinted Moisturiser is also the perfect partner foundation for this primer.