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Byrdie / Sabrina Jiang
When it comes to applying a full face of makeup, a good primer is often overlooked. Nonetheless, this unsung hero is key to a gorgeous glow-up, delivering hydration and skin-smoothing benefits while blurring texture and offering staying power for your foundation.
And if your complexion is particularly parched, you definitely won't want to skip it. "Primer is a great way to smooth enlarged pores that can still be present with drier skin types," explains high-profile makeup artist Robert Sesnek. "This also ensures a smoother application of foundation."
But which formulas are best for thirsty skin types? "I would make sure to use a primer that is hydrating and has radiance to make the skin appear youthful, plumped, and glowy," says celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert Nydia Figueroa.
With tips and recommendations from these pros in mind, we rounded up the greatest pre-makeup solutions for prepping, smoothing, and quenching your dehydrated dermis.
Scroll down to check out the best primers for dry skin.
Best Overall: Too Faced Plump & Prime Luxury Face Plumping Primer Serum
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Ulta
Plumping
Lightweight
Absorbs quickly
Airtight container
Contains fragrance
What do buyers say? 800+ Sephora reviewers rated this product 4.2 stars or above.
Our number one pick is Too Faced Plump & Prime, which takes a skincare-focused approach to makeup application. This serum-like tincture contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and peptides to deliver a plumping effect and create an ultra-smooth canvas.
The notably lightweight, milky consistency absorbs exceptionally quickly. It tackles dryness and crepiness, improving your skin's natural texture before applying heavier products like foundation and concealer.
We also appreciate that the pretty pink bottle features an airtight pump. This prevents oxidation by eliminating air exposure and contamination from your fingers.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, St John’s wort, hydrolyzed rice extract, vitamin C | Skin Type: Balanced, oily, dry, combination | Dosage: 2 pumps | Size: 1 ounce | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Budget: Catrice Cosmetics Prime and Fine Aqua Fresh Moisturizing Hydro Primer
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Amazon
Budget-friendly
Lightweight
Fragrance-free
Contains dye
This wallet-friendly option by Catrice is one of Sesnek's go-to primers. "Its light formula gives the skin a fresh, hydrated look with bamboo water, and it is alcohol- and perfume-free," he tells Byrdie.
Key Ingredients: Bamboo water | Skin Type: All | Size: 1 ounce | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Drugstore: NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Hydrating Jelly Primer
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Ulta
Budget-friendly
Long-lasting
Dewy finish
Unhygienic container
From the drugstore aisle, we're big fans of Bare With Me. This water-based primer provides up to eight hours of hydration, sets the skin with a sublime, glass-like finish, and effortlessly grips to your makeup.
Key Ingredients: Aloe, cucumber extract | Skin Type: All | Size: 1.4 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Splurge: Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Aging Primer
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Courtesy of Net a Porter
Plumping
Natural finish
Contains light-reflecting pigments
Expensive
This high-end primer from Dr. Sturm flaunts a blend of hyaluronic acid, pearl pigments, and antioxidants. It saves your skin from dryness while ensuring smooth-as-butter makeup application and leaving a youthful glow in its wake.
Key Ingredients: Pearl pigments, modified rice starch, sodium lactate, lactic acid, inositol, purslane extract, hyaluronic acid, vitamin B3, urea | Skin Type: All | Size: 1 ounce | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Extended Wear: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Hydrating
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Courtesy of Sephora
Plumping
Comfortable feel
Long-lasting
May pill on some complexions
When you know you'll be wearing makeup all day, reach for Laura Mercier Pure Canvas. It hydrates with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, fills fine lines, and makes your skin feel comfortable underneath the foundation for several hours.
Key Ingredients: Olive extract, marine hydra botanicals, glycerin | Skin Type: Dry | Dosage: Dime-sized amount | Size: 1.7 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Stick: Beauty Bakerie The Butter HydraSilk Primer
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Ulta
Travel-friendly
Easy to apply
Small amount
If you haven't tried a stick primer yet, Beauty Bakerie's The Butter is a great gateway. This hydrating makeup prepper is supremely creamy and goes on smooth as, well, butter.
Key Ingredients: Goji berry extract | Skin Type: All | Size: 0.26 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Color-Correcting: Danessa Myricks Beauty Prism FX Hydrating Lotion
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Danessa Myricks Beauty
Comes in three shades
Color-correcting
Contains fragrance
Available in three shades to accommodate those with peachy, gold, and warm undertones, this illuminating liquid elixir offers subtle color correction while delivering much-needed moisture to dry skin.
Key Ingredients: Squalene, vitamin E | Size: 0.5 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Hydrating: Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer
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Jane Iredale
Dewy finish
Long-lasting
Expensive
"This skin-quenching primer not only makes makeup last all day, but it helps the skin hold on to its moisture," says Figueroa. "It also helps brighten the skin while adding radiance."
Key Ingredients: Apple extract, coconut alkanes, royal jelly, algae extract | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Pea-sized amount | Size: 1.7 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Blurring: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
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Sephora
Blurs skin
Silky consistency
Combats uneven texture
Not very hydrating
From veteran primer brand Smashbox, this skin-smoother is formulated to minimize the appearance of fine lines and large pores. It goes on silky smooth, spreads easily, combats uneven texture, and helps lock in your makeup.
Key Ingredients: Vitamin A, vitamin E | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Pea-sized amount | Size: 1 ounce, 1.7 ounces, 0.27 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Mattifying: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer
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Courtesy of Sephora
Blurs skin
Oil-free formula
Airtight container
Not very hydrating
Of course, not everyone with dry skin wants that glassy, hyper-moisturized appearance. With this in mind, the best mattifying option is Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r, an oil-free formula that blurs blemishes, evens tone and texture, and absorbs shine without an uncomfortably tight feeling.
Skin Type: Balanced, dry, combination, oily | Dosage: 1 pump | Size: 1.1 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Oil: Lilah B. Aglow Priming Oil Serum
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Amazon
Absorbs quickly
Airtight container
Expensive
Sometimes, dry skin just needs a heaping dose of moisture before going anywhere near makeup. That's why we love Lilah B. Aglow, a priming serum chock full of plant-based oils like jojoba, tamanu, and sweet almond.
Key Ingredients: Tamanu oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed extract, purple tea extract, lavender essential oil | Skin Type: Oily, combination, dry, balanced | Dosage: 1 pump | Size: 1 ounce | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Priming Moisturizer: Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich
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Glossier
Nourishing
Dewy finish
Unhygienic container
Containing murumuru butter and shea butter, plus ceramides and fatty acids, Glossier's delectably rich Priming Moisturizer pulls out all the stops for dry skin.
Key Ingredients: Anti-Redness Complex, red algae complex, shea butter, murumuru butter, ceramide 3, ceramide 6, fatty acids, lavender oil | Skin Type: All | Size: 1.7 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best K-Beauty: Etude House Glow On Moistful Base
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Amazon
Light-reflecting pigments
Airtight container
Slightly tacky
For K-beauty stans, we suggest Glow On by Etude House. This all-in-one base offers ample hydration while reflecting light and prepping even the driest complexions for makeup.
Key Ingredients: 8 types of hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: All | Size: 1 ounce | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No
Best for Sensitive Skin: First Aid Beauty Hello Fab Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer
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Ulta
Nourishing
Good for sensitive skin
Takes a few minutes to set
If you're dealing with dry, sensitive skin, your best bet is this priming moisturizer from First Aid Beauty. The two-in-one formula hydrates, nourishes, and protects reactive skin while providing a smooth canvas for makeup.
Key Ingredients: Coconut water, quinoa protein, mineral blend, micro-pearls | Skin Type: Dry, balanced | Size: 1.7 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best All-in-One: PÜR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20
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Amazon
Dewy finish
Contains SPF
Not long-lasting
If you're short on time, Figueroa recommends PÜR 4-in-1, which acts as a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunscreen. "When I want to achieve beautiful, natural coverage, this is the product I reach for," she tells Byrdie.
Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, ceretin complex, chamomile, shea butter, aloe, vitamin E | Size: 1.7 ounces | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Final Verdict
The best primer for dry skin is Too Faced Plump & Prime Luxury Face Plumping Primer Serum (view at Sephora), a luxuriously lightweight priming serum that hydrates, plumps, and improves texture. For something a bit more budget-friendly, we recommend Catrice Cosmetics Aqua Fresh Hydro Primer (view at Catrice Cosmetics), a makeup artist-approved formula that hydrates with bamboo water and provides a smooth makeup canvas.
What to Look for When Buying Primer for Dry Skin
Moisturizing Ingredients
Those with dry skin should look for moisturizing ingredients, including humectants such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides. You might also find priming moisturizers containing natural butters and plant-based oils, like jojoba, almond, sunflower, olive, avocado, or squalane.
In addition to providing much-needed hydration, Sesnek says, "Moisturizing primer can also give an illuminating effect to the skin by adding additional radiance."
Plumping Ingredients
"One of my favorite reasons to [use] a moisturizing primer is because it can add anti-aging benefits to the skin with ingredients that create a plumping effect," notes Sesnek. Ingredients that plump the skin include glycerin, hyaluronic acid, peptides, aloe vera, allantoin, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, and algae.
Finish
As with foundation and concealer, makeup primers have various finishes. The most common is natural, which is typically light and breathable, not shiny but also not matte.
Then there are glossy, dewy, and glass-like finishes, which can be great for dry skin, as they offer a moisturized appearance. You'll also find mattifying primers, which leave a shine-free finish.
Why Trust Byrdie?
Byrdie contributor Theresa Holland is a content creator specializing in commerce writing and copyediting. She interviewed two makeup artists for this story, compiling their product recommendations, insight into formulations, and application tips. From the above, she has personally tried Too Faced, Laura Mercier, First Aid Beauty, Smashbox, and Etude House. Theresa covers makeup, skincare, and haircare, and Byrdie.
Meet the Expert
- Nydia Figueroa is a celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert. In addition to professional makeup, she works as a beauty director at Fashion Gxd Magazine and Miss New Jersey Earth. Nydia has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, as well as in magazines such as Nylon and Allure.
- Robert Sesnek is a celebrity makeup artist with over 15 years of industry experience. His all-star client list includes Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Adriana Lima, and Julianna Moore.
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