If you've ever wondered, "Do I really need a primer?"—you're not alone. But primer actually makes a significant difference in the staying power of your makeup. For those with mature skin, primer can help smooth out your base, filling in fine lines and wrinkles before you apply foundation or tinted moisturizer.
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"Folks with mature skin can definitely benefit from using a primer in their routine," agrees celebrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard, whose clients include businesswoman and Real Housewives of New York star Jenna Lyons. "Primers can help boost hydration, blur fine lines and wrinkles, and minimize pores."
The next question is, which one is right for you? Ahead, Spickard shares expert picks, along with our own editors' picks of the best primers for mature skin.
Pros
Great for dry skin
Cons
Over $50
YSL Beauty's Touche Eclat Blur face primer looks like liquid gold in a bottle. It combines corn, apricot kernel, passiflora, and rice bran oils with light-infused pigments to blur and smooth skin ahead of foundation and concealer.
- Finish: Dewy
- Key ingredients: Corn, apricot kernel, passiflora, and rice bran oils
Customer review: "This stuff is a miracle. I’ve tried so many primers, and with all my makeup will crust up around my mouth and chin. Not with this one. Plus, the texture is like velvet. You only need one tiny pump for the face, it will probably last me a year. Worth the splurge!" —cpschnied
Pros
Oil-free
Makeup artist-approved
Protects skin from environmental pollutants
Cons
Best applied with a brush or sponge
"To minimize pores, I go to my classic," Spickard says of this popular primer from Smashbox (which, fun fact, happens to be the first primer on the market). "It fills in large pores and helps blur the skin." The vitamin A- and E-packed favorite can also be worn with or without makeup to even skin's texture.
- Finish: Natural
- Key ingredients: Vitamins A and E
Customer review: "Absolutely love this primer, it is so silky and smooth to apply to your skin, and it makes your makeup look flawless." —Leticia C.
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Pros
Great for oily or combination skin
Cons
Over $70
If you're looking for a primer that gives your skin a natural finish, this translucent version from Hourglass is a beauty shopper favorite for extending the wear of your makeup. Its gel formula uses microspherical powders to give skin an airbrushed finish.
- Finish: Natural
- Key ingredients: Dimethicone, silica, sodium citrate, sodium chloride
Customer review: "I absolutely adore this product. I have textured skin from having cystic acne for years. Primers have always been an issue for me until I tried out this product. It's so velvety and settles into my textured skin perfectly. It's definitely worth the price." —Bucaa
Pros
Features pump dispenser for easy distribution
Cons
Some reviewers say the primer isn't grippy enough
We love how this primer uses vitamin C for added antioxidant protection while keeping skin hydrated with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. And at under $20, it's a great option for your budget and your makeup routine.
- Finish: Radiant
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C
Customer review: "This is a really good face primer. I like how it feels on my face, and it helps my foundation go on smoothly, and my skin looks healthier." —melissa196
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Pros
Great for dry skin
Makeup artist-approved
Cons
Over $60
Spickard says this rich, shea butter-infused primer from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is another favorite he keeps on hand in his kit. "Marketed as a primer-skincare hybrid, this formula is perfect for mature skin," he adds. "It gives the skin a beautiful, juicy, plump look, creating a smooth base for makeup."
- Finish: Natural
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, vitamins B, C, and E
Customer review: "I have extremely dry skin and have struggled to find any base/primer that has left my skin moisturized, supple, and glowing all day long." —Galeforce
Pros
Guards against blue light and environmental pollution
Cons
Not ideal for those looking for a dewy finish
Tatcha's viral Silk Canvas Filter Finish Protective Primer is a best-seller for a reason. The primer's balminess envelops skin and quickly enhances its smoothness, blurring the appearance of pores and uneven texture while locking your makeup in place.
- Finish: Natural
- Key ingredients: Silk powder, silk extracts, hadasei-3
Customer review: "Love this product. I’ve used it for several years and won't go without it. It evens my skin tone and covers pores and prevents blemishes—even at my age [of 65+]!" —Peggy M.
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Pros
Lightweight
Formula helps plump and tone skin
Cons
Here's a coveted pick from Merit Beauty that combines the work of a moisturizer and primer in a single bottle. The favorite is also ideal for firming and soothing your skin, thanks to hardworking ingredients like peptides, oat extract, and hyaluronic acid.
- Finish: Dewy
- Key ingredients: Peptides, spermidine, barrier polysaccharides, glycerin, oat extract, hyaluronic acid
Customer review: "Love this moisturizing primer! I use it every day under my makeup. It gives the perfect subtle glow and brings life back into my face. I also have very acne-prone skin, and it has not broken me out at all." —Gabi2278
Pros
Helps improve the appearance of dark spots
Cons
May not be ideal for those looking for a matte finish primer
If you can give or take foundation, this soft-focus primer is a great option to wear on its own or under tinted moisturizer. It blends in seamlessly to lend a pretty, not-too-shimmery glow, and it helps even out skin tone. Plus, the inclusion of SPF 30 in its formula is the cherry on top of an excellent primer.
- Finish: Radiant
- Key ingredients: Niacinamide, spirulina maxima extract, and sodium hyaluronate
Customer review: "Thanks to this magic in a bottle, my glow is back. My skin truly feels healthier inside and out. I like the lightweight, easily absorbed formula. It doesn't irritate my eyes or skin (and I have super sensitive skin). I love that SPF is in it. I have found that I hardly ever reach for foundation any longer. I love it!" —Stephie R
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Pros
Formula helps reduce fine lines
Cons
Over $80
As soon as you apply this primer from Elemis, you feel a cooling sensation that is designed to tighten the skin and reduce the look of pores. Superfans say it works wonders and that the formula creates an even canvas for foundation.
- Finish: Natural
- Key ingredients: Padina Pavonica algae, glacial water, marine extracts
Customer review: "This is worth every penny and more! I've used every primer out there and this is so smoothing makes me have the skin of a 20 year old at 39 and my make up lasts perfectly 6am-10pm or 11pm without a single crease line anything even after eating and working outside all day with kids!" —Katie
Pros
Great for travel
Formula aims to boost skin hydration for up to 24 hours
Cons
May not be ideal for those who prefer a matte primer
The refreshing gel texture of RMS Beauty's ReEvolve Radiance primer is a favorite among beauty lovers, and its makeup-gripping properties will likely make it one of your new favorites. Plus, the primer formula doesn't feel uncomfortably sticky on your skin.
- Finish: Radiant
- Key ingredients: Tightenyl, vegetable squalane, hyaluronic acid, eggplant fruit extract
Customer review: "This is a perfect primer. It works well under make-up, but I also enjoy wearing it without make-up. It smooths out my skin and adds radiance. I love the clean ingredients too." —Rebecca B.
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Meet the Experts
- Kasey Spickard is a celebrity makeup artist based in New York City whose clients include Jenna Lyons, Summer House star Ciara Miller, and more.
What makes a primer ideal for mature skin?
While everyone's skin is different, the best primers for mature skin typically offer both skincare and makeup benefits. "My primary focus when working on mature skin is hydration and grip," Spickard explains. "Mature skin tends to be drier, and with fine lines and wrinkles, makeup tends to settle and crease, so I want something that will plump and hydrate the skin but also grab onto the makeup and keep it in place."
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Looking for more beauty ideas for mature skin?
- How Celebrity Esthetician Joanna Czech Gets Better With Age
- The Best Foundations for Mature Skin
- The Best Eye Creams for Fine Lines and Wrinkles
- How Actor Gabrielle Union Gets Better With Age
Why trust Harper's Bazaar?
For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women at every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in beauty by working with the world’s leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, hair care, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.