6 Best Blurring Primers, Reviewed by Beauty Experts

We gathered recommendations from professional makeup artists and drew on GH beauty editors’ experience using these primers to assess their blurring effect, texture, ability to extend makeup, and overall wear.

✔️ Hydrating ingredients: “Hydrated skin almost always looks better under makeup,” Taylor says. “If you have dry skin but still want that smoothing effect, try looking for silicone-free formulas and ones that have some hydrating ingredients mixed in. That way, you get the blur without highlighting the dryness.” Look for hydrating ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid.

✔️ Soft focus powders: “This will mattify your skin's texture to diminish the look of fine lines and imperfections and eliminate shine,” Geller says. “Another great ingredient to look for is glycerin. It helps blur the appearance of pores while maintaining hydration, which improves skin texture and reduces shine for an overall filtered finish.”

✔️ Skin type: It's important to shop for your complexion's needs. "If you have dry skin, look for 'hydrating' on packaging, and if you have oily skin, look for 'mattifying' blurring primers," Wnek says.

✔️ Dimethicone: “A lot of traditional primers use dimethicone, which is what gives a smoothing effect,” Taylor says. “Think of the classic, original Smashbox Photo Finish. But there are newer formulas now that use different smoothing polymers and can be silicone-free, which can feel a little lighter and sometimes more hydrating.”

“Primers create a bit of a barrier between your skincare and your makeup,” Taylor says. “They help lock in your skincare while also giving your foundation something to grip onto. That extra layer helps makeup wear longer throughout the day.”

“Instead of completely eliminating imperfections, they soften the look of them by scattering light, which gives skin that smooth, soft-focus effect, almost like a real-life filter,” Geller says. “Most blurring primers are typically enriched with soft-focus powders that help diffuse light on the skin.”

“They usually work best for oily skin or anyone who has larger, more visible pores. Those formulas really help smooth things out and control shine,” Taylor says. No skin type necessarily has to avoid them, but the formula matters, according to Geller. “Very silicone-heavy primers can sometimes feel too matte or drying on already dry skin,” she says. “If your skin is dehydrated, you’ll want to choose a blurring primer that also contains hydrating ingredients so it smooths rather than emphasizes texture.”

Be sure always to follow the product instructions for best application, Wnek advises.

Begin with clean, moisturized skin. “I like to start in the center of the face—around the nose, cheeks, and forehead—because that’s usually where pores are most visible,” Taylor says. “Then I blend it outward. I personally love using my fingers because the warmth of your hands helps it melt right into the skin.” Geller recommends letting the primer set for about a minute before applying foundation.

Celia Shatzman is the temporary beauty editor at Good Housekeeping, and has covered beauty for 20 years, including all things makeup. She has long relied on blurring primers to keep her oily/combination skin in check and extend the wear of her makeup.

Since joining the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty & Personal Care Lab in 2014, GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek has been developing and overseeing testing across multiple beauty categories, including makeup, using both lab instrumentation and consumer feedback.

Erica Taylor is a L'Oreal Paris League of Experts Makeup Artist, and Laura Geller is the founder of Laura Geller Beauty and a veteran makeup artist.