As someone who suffers from oily skin and acne, foundation primer is a necessity. Not only does primer contain waxes and polymers that provide a smooth canvas for flawless application, it creates a bond between the skin and foundation that helps makeup last all day (which is essential since I don’t touch up throughout the day). One ingredient, the silica (or silica-type ingredient), also helps to control shine.
Like most people, I am a serial cheater when it comes to beauty products, using a product for a few weeks or months until another one catches my eye with prettier packaging or a miraculous new claim. Until this experiment, when it came to foundation primers, I was as loyal as they came. I’ve been using the same primer for the past two years but when I finished up my latest bottle, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to test out some new primers. Picking out the different primers to test was easy, but finding one that actually achieved my laundry list of requirements wasn’t: It had to minimize the appearance of pores and acne scars, control shine, provide a smooth base for foundation, spread easily (since I like to apply with my fingertips), and lend major staying power to my makeup. Click through the slideshow to see which primer came out on top.