Best Sheer Face Primers of 2025
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Sheer face primers are an essential addition to any makeup routine, providing a smooth base for foundation and helping it to stay put throughout the day. These lightweight, translucent products are designed to blur imperfections and minimise the appearance of pores, creating a flawless canvas for your makeup. They come in a range of formulas to suit different skin types and concerns, from hydrating and illuminating to mattifying and oil-controlling. Whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin, a sheer face primer can help to extend the wear of your makeup and give you a natural-looking glow.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 9 Sheer Face Primers
e.l.f. Putty Primer for Poreless Finish
The e.l.f. Putty Primer is designed to enhance your makeup application experience. Infused with Squalane, it provides excellent hydration, making it suitable for all skin types. Its velvety texture allows you to glide it effortlessly over your skin, smoothing out imperfections for a flawless, poreless finish. You can easily apply a thin layer to moisturised skin and let it set for 30 seconds, ensuring a strong grip on your foundation. This primer is also convenient for travel, fitting easily into your makeup bag.
W7 The Fixer Glow Makeup Primer & Spray Set
The W7 The Fixer Glow Set is your perfect companion for achieving a radiant, dewy look. The golden-based primer creates a smooth base, ensuring your makeup goes on flawlessly. It's suitable for all skin types, so whether your skin is dry or oily, you can enjoy a silky texture. The lightweight primer offers sheer coverage, while the setting spray locks in your makeup with a hydrating finish. With easy application, you can maintain a fresh, luminous complexion throughout the day.
Collection Cosmetics Lasting Perfection Primer for Pores
The Collection Lasting Perfection Primer is designed to keep your makeup in place all day, making it ideal for those with busy lifestyles. Its putty-like formula is easy to apply; simply tap and blend for a smooth base. You’ll find that a little goes a long way, as it minimises the appearance of pores and creates an even surface for foundation. Additionally, it is enriched with Glycerin and Vitamin E, which not only smooths imperfections but also cares for your skin.
e.l.f C-Brightening Putty Primer for Skin Tone
The e.l.f C-Brightening Primer is a dual-purpose makeup primer and skincare product designed to enhance your complexion. Enriched with 2% Vitamin C, it helps to brighten your skin and even out your skin tone, giving you a fresh and radiant look. Whether you choose to wear makeup or go bare-faced, this primer provides a smooth, flawless base that boosts your confidence. Its velvety texture ensures that your makeup grips well and lasts throughout the day, making it a reliable choice for all-day wear.
Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Primer, Hydration & Longevity
The Urban Decay All Nighter Primer is a lightweight and sheer makeup base that enhances your foundation's staying power. It provides essential hydration, ensuring your skin looks fresh and vibrant for up to 8 hours. Applying it is simple; just smooth it over clean, moisturised skin with your fingertips or a foundation brush for an even finish. This primer is perfect whether you wear it alone or under your foundation, making it a versatile addition to your makeup routine.
BSMKCL Hydrating Gold Gel Makeup Primer
The BSMKCL Gold Gel Primer is designed to prepare your skin beautifully. Its 24K gold gel formula helps keep face and body glitter in place, reducing fallout while enhancing sparkle. You will appreciate the instant smoothing effect it provides, improving uneven skin tone and giving a radiant, filter-like finish. This hydrating primer ensures your skin remains moisturised throughout the day, making it perfect for busy schedules, whether you're working or meeting friends. With its vegan and cruelty-free formula, you can feel good about your beauty choices.
Revolution Beauty London Pro Anti Redness Primer
The Revolution Anti Redness Primer is a green colour correcting primer designed to help you balance and conceal unwanted redness on your skin. Its sheer mint pigments work effectively to neutralise any redness, giving you a more even complexion. This lightweight, water-based formula is suitable for all skin types and tones, making it an ideal choice for everyone. As a vegan product, it contains no animal-derived ingredients, allowing you to apply it with a clear conscience.
Sheer Cover Base Perfector Primer - 35ml
The Sheer Cover Primer is a lightweight formula designed to create a smooth canvas for your makeup. This primer helps ensure your Sheer Cover Perfect Shade Mineral Foundation goes on effortlessly. It is infused with nourishing vitamins and soothing botanicals, making it perfect for your skin. Suitable for all skin types, this non-comedogenic primer works effectively without clogging pores. Additionally, it minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving you a more polished look.
TBeautfave SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen and Primer
The TBeautfave Primer is a lightweight hybrid that offers SPF 30 sun protection while preparing your skin for long-lasting makeup. Its gripping formula forms a protective barrier, reducing UV damage and keeping your makeup intact. With a hint of sheer peach shimmer, it creates a radiant complexion, enhancing your natural glow. Infused with hyaluronic acid and soothing ingredients, this primer hydrates all skin types, ensuring a smooth and healthy appearance that lasts throughout the day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the most popular face primer?
Best Overall: Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer Infused with both silk extracts and silk powder, this velvety balm makes your skin feel, quite literally, smooth as silk.
2. Do primers come in different shades?
Makeup primers are available in clear shades as well as in colours. The clear primers are useful if you have an even skin tone without too many blemishes.
3. What does primer do for your face?
Primers are the photoshop of the makeup world. They're used underneath eyeshadow, foundation, tinted moisturizer, and mascara to create a smoothing effect that enhances makeup coverage and helps your makeup stay on longer — all while targeting concerns like oily or dry skin.
During our sheer face primer research, we found 36 sheer face primer products and shortlisted 9 quality products. We collected and analyzed 263,587 customer reviews through our big data system to write the sheer face primers list. We found that most customers choose sheer face primers with an average price of £6.51.
The sheer face primers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of sheer face primers, including e.l.f., W7, Collection, Urban Decay, BSMKCL.
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.