Illuminating primers help give skin a glow, and can contain pearlescent particles or shimmer flakes. When used under foundation, these give skin a soft-focus glow. If you have oily skin, using a nourishing primer is only a good idea if you’re using a matte foundation.

Redness: If you’re battling redness or serious skin conditions like eczema, or rosacea, go for a green-tinted primer like Green SOS Primer. Keep your skin type in mind and avoid using too much of the same kind of product if you have normal or combination skin. Tinted primers with colour-correcting benefits help cancel out discolouration caused by acne, dark circles, or hyper pigmentation.

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This skincare-meets-makeup hybrid was formulated by a dermatologist who specializes in acne and it was specifically crafted with adult hormonal breakouts in mind. The star ingredient is the max level 2% salicylic acid, which is an oil-soluble BHA (beta hydroxy acid) that is known for penetrating deep within the pores to dislodge acne-causing oil and dirt. Because of the potent ingredient, you don’t need much product to mitigate acne, so a pea-sized amount daily will do. If you have areas of very dry skin that you’re not too concerned about in terms of acne flare-ups, you can use this as a spot treatment, but it is meant for allover use if your skin can tolerate it. In addition to sal acid, there’s a mix of hormone and bacteria-balancing botanicals and niacinamide, which is known for its dark spot, redness and blemish-reducing powers. A primer prepares your skin, creating a smooth surface for your make-up to glide over. Think of it as painting a wall. When you prime your wall properly, you get a much smoother finish. If it’s plastered correctly, you get a nicer finished result without the bumps.” Basically, it blurs, hides, and evens out your skin texture, while helping to give your make-up some serious staying power. Do you need a primer? If you have prominent pores and acne-prone skin, you’ll love this sunscreen-slash-primer from Supergoop. It provides SPF 40 sun protection (sans white cast or shine) and helps makeup glide on smoothly by blurring texture and pores. The best part about this formula is that you can wear it on its own without makeup or as the final step in your skincare routine before layering on concealer or foundation. Either way, you’ll love how the product refines the look of uneven skin tone and texture, all while preventing sun damage. Mattifying and anti-shine primers reduce the oiliness in one’s skin and are like mute buttons for grease.

Leave it on for a few minutes before moving onto foundation, as some primers take time to settle into the skin. Types of makeup primersAn undercoat should not be confused with the primer coating. The two serve entirely different purposes. If you have dry skin and you use a matte foundation with a matte primer, it will dry skin out even more, and the same goes for normal or combination skin. So, pair a nourishing primer with a matte foundation for best results. Jang HJ, Shin CY, Kim KB. Safety Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Compounds for Cosmetic Use. Toxicol Res. 2015;31(2):105-136. doi:10.5487/TR.2015.31.2.105 One key benefit of blurring primers is that they’re one of the few types of primers that can often be worn alone, without needing to finish it off with foundation. Unlike color-correcting primers and illuminating primers that may need to be topped off with foundation to blend and tone down the effects, many pore-filling primers can be swept on before running out the door for a blurred complexion. Many can also be layered on top of existing makeup to reduce shine if you wish, which can be a nice perk when you’re out and about. Since they come in a huge range of formats, it’s easy to find one that will work with your makeup routine — without eating up a ton of precious time. Pore-filling makeup primers typically only take a few seconds to apply, which means they are pretty much the ultimate five-minute makeup product.