Best Matte Face Primers of 2026
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Matte face primers are a popular cosmetic product used to create a smooth, even base for makeup application. These primers are designed to reduce shine and excess oil on the skin, providing a matte finish that can last for hours. They can also help to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines, creating a flawless complexion. While there are many different brands and types of matte face primers available on the market, they are generally suitable for all skin types and can be a great addition to any makeup routine.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Matte Face Primers
Rimmel Lasting Matte Primer for Shine Control
The Rimmel Lasting Matte Primer is designed to instantly mattify your skin, helping you achieve a shine-free look. It effectively controls shine for up to 9 hours, so you can feel confident throughout the day. In addition to this, it smooths the appearance of your skin, creating an ideal canvas for makeup application. Moreover, this primer extends the wear of your makeup for up to 9 hours, ensuring your look stays fresh and vibrant. Enjoy long-lasting results with this fantastic primer.
Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer for Shine Control
The Rimmel Stay Matte Primer is designed to keep your skin shine-free for up to eight hours. Its ultra-lightweight formula ensures that it feels comfortable and never greasy or heavy on your skin. This skin-perfecting primer can be worn alone for a natural look, under your makeup for a smooth base, or on top to enhance your matte complexion. You'll appreciate how it helps create a flawless finish, making your makeup last longer and look better throughout the day.
Maybelline Fit Me! Matte Primer for Oily Skin
The Maybelline Matte + Poreless Primer is designed specifically for those with normal to oily skin. It provides a matte finish, helping you maintain a shine-free look throughout the day. The gel cream formula glides smoothly onto your skin, preparing it perfectly for foundation application. By controlling shine, this primer ensures that your makeup stays fresh and flawless, enhancing your overall appearance with ease.
Maybelline Baby Skin Matte Pore Eraser Primer
The Maybelline Baby Skin Primer offers a matte finish that leaves your skin feeling fresh and soft. Its unique gel texture helps to instantly vanish the appearance of pores, giving you a smooth base for makeup application. You will appreciate how lightweight the formula feels on your skin, making it comfortable for all-day wear. Additionally, the product provides a protective layer, ensuring your skin remains safeguarded throughout the day.
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Primer for Pores
The Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer is designed to enhance your make-up experience. It helps your foundation last up to eight hours, ensuring you look fresh all day. The formula works to minimise flaws by shrinking pores and evening out your skin tone, giving you a smoother appearance. With its day-proof properties, you can enjoy your glowing make-up regardless of the weather. Additionally, this primer offers a matte finish without over-drying your skin, keeping it hydrated and comfortable throughout the day.
L'Oréal Paris Matte Setter Primer for Oily Skin
The L'Oréal Matte Setter Primer is a lightweight and translucent product that seamlessly melts into your skin, instantly creating a more even complexion. It is especially beneficial for those with oily skin, as it effectively mattifies and reduces shine, enhancing the longevity of your makeup. You can apply it easily with your fingertips, a brush, or a sponge, ensuring you achieve the perfect canvas for foundation. Additionally, its unique formula contains 1% LHA and Salicylic Acid, which helps to rebalance your skin for a healthier appearance.
W7 Prime Magic & The Fixer Matte Duo
The W7 Matte Makeup Duo is your go-to solution for achieving a flawless look. This set features a pore-minimising primer that smooths and evens your skin texture, making it easier for your foundation to glide on perfectly. The lightweight setting spray then locks in your makeup, ensuring a shine-free complexion that lasts all day. Suitable for all skin types, this duo provides a professional quality finish while being vegan and cruelty-free, so you can feel good about your beauty routine.
e.l.f. Hydrating Face Primer for Flawless Makeup
The e.l.f. Hydrating Primer is designed to create a smooth and flawless base for your makeup, ensuring it lasts longer throughout the day. Its hydrating formula, enriched with grape and vitamins A, C, and E, helps to boost your complexion while keeping your skin moisturised. This primer is particularly beneficial for those with acne-prone, combination, or oily skin, providing a perfect canvas without clogging pores. When paired with e.l.f.'s Flawless Finish Foundation or Camo Concealer, you can achieve a beautiful satin finish that lasts all day.
e.l.f. Matte Putty Primer for Flawless Skin
The e.l.f. Matte Putty Primer is designed to deliver a perfect matte finish with its oil-free formula, which includes kaolin and white charcoal. The velvety texture glides effortlessly over your skin, smoothing out imperfections for a flawless, poreless appearance. By applying a thin layer to moisturised skin, you create an ideal base that enhances the grip of your makeup. Additionally, it is easy to carry and perfect for travel, ensuring you can maintain your look wherever you go.
PHOERA Matte Oil-Free Makeup Primer
The PHOERA Face Primer is designed to create a flawless base for your makeup, ensuring it lasts from day to night. By minimising pores, wrinkles, and fine lines, it helps even out your skin texture for a smooth finish. The refreshing and non-sticky formula hydrates and moisturises your skin, promoting a healthier appearance. By applying this primer before your foundation, you can enhance the longevity of your makeup and achieve a stunning look for any occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a matte primer?
A mattifying primer provides a smooth base for your foundation, works to control oil and helps makeup last longer. Cosmetic chemist and contributor to Oprah.com Ni'Kita Wilson recommends using a product containing silicone to help fill in any lines and diminish the look of scars, acne, redness or other imperfections.
2. What primer is best with matte foundation?
For that velvety matte, ultra-smooth texture, a silicone-based primer is ideal. Silky and easily spreadable, these formulas skim over the skin to blur pores and lines. For the acne-prone, a primer boosted with clarifying ingredients – think witch hazel or salicylic acid – will keep your skin clear throughout the day.
3. Is matte or dewy primer better?
A quick rundown: an illuminating face primer will essentially give your skin that “dewy” look to help your skin look healthy and hydrated. A natural “glow getter,” if you will. Matte primers work to combat any and all excess oil that might make your makeup fade away by the afternoon.
4. Which is the best matte primer for oily skin?
Tarte Poreless Mattifying Primer Tarte's Poreless Mattifying Primer helps blur blemishes, pores, and uneven skin textures.
During our matte face primer research, we found 149 matte face primer products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 921,875 customer reviews through our big data system to write the matte face primers list. We found that most customers choose matte face primers with an average price of £7.25.
The matte face primers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of matte face primers, including Rimmel, Maybelline, L'Oreal Paris, W7, e.l.f..
Charlotte Powell is a dermatologist and a licensed cosmetologist from Westminster, London. However, she was first a cosmetologist from London Beauty Training School. According to Charlotte, she needed better insight into the human skin, hence the dermatology degree. Long before she acquired her degree, she wrote and edited articles, eBooks, and editorials for companies and websites. Charlotte combines her skill and knowledge in providing DIY Beauty tips amongst other fashion related topics.