The best primers for mature skin can help minimize the appearance of pores, wrinkles, and fine lines before the first dab of makeup onto your cheeks. But that’s not all. In addition to creating an even base for foundation or tinted moisturizer, a top-notch primer can lend a lit-from-within glow to the entire face. However, not all formulas are created equal—or with aging skin in mind. Ready to elevate your makeup base? Below, everything you need to know about what to look for in in a primer for mature skin, plus Vogue’s edit of the best tested and expert-approved formulas.
Our Top Picks
In This Article
Best for Sallowness: RMS Beauty ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer
- Why we love it: Vogue’s beauty team once reverse-engineered Michelle Pfeiffer’s perfect 60-plus makeup look with melting formulas from RMS Beauty. The brand’s ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer provides the perfect underpinning for the softly glam look, priming the skin with a sheer, glowy formula that erases sallowness with its pinky-peach hue. Made with the patented firming ingredient Tightenyl, the formulation also keeps the complexion hydrated with vegetable squalane and hyaluronic acid. As a pro tip, RMS founder Rose-Marie Swift says that primer can increase the efficacy of skincare, which will help aging skin look all the fresher. “People think primers are just for holding your makeup on, but that’s not the case,” she says. “Primers also help hold on to your skincare and lock it in underneath your makeup.”
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Tightenyl (a patented natural alternative to retinol), vegetable squalane
- Size: 1.01 fl oz
- Finish: Sheer, natural, and glowy
Best Oil-Free: Lancôme La Base Pro Makeup Primer
- Why we love it: “Lancôme La Base Pro Makeup Primer is excellent for mature skin because of its lightweight, oil-free formula that helps blur imperfections without feeling heavy,” says celebrity makeup artist Sheika Daley. “Its silicone-based texture smooths fine lines and wrinkles, giving the skin a soft-focus effect. It also provides a strong base for makeup, ensuring that foundation stays put longer without settling into creases.” The formulation harnesses the brand’s proprietary Elasto-Smooth Technology, which diffuses light to hide imperfections and give the skin a smooth, satiny look. Daley notes: “The primer is designed to enhance radiance while keeping the skin looking fresh, which is crucial for a youthful appearance.”
- Key ingredients: Elasto-Smooth Technology, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone crosspolymer
- Size: 0.8 oz
- Finish: Radiant with a silky-soft, airbrushed look
Best for Fine Lines: L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Face Blurring Primer
- Why we love it: L’Oréal’s creamy, serum-infused primer instantly blurs fine lines for a smoother, more youthful-looking complexion.
- Key ingredients: Dimethicone, water, glycerin
- Size: 1.0 fl oz
- Finish: Natural-looking, soft-focus
Best Long-Wearing: Milk Hydro Grip Primer
- Why we love it: Beloved by the Gen Z cohort on TikTok and mature skin types alike, Milk’s long-wearing primer hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. It helps makeup stay in place for up to 12 hours.
- Key ingredients: Blue agave extract, hyaluronic acid, aloe water, hemp-derived cannabis seed extract
- Size: 1.52 fl oz
- Finish: Dewy
Best Radiant Finish: Saie Glowy Super Gel
- Why we love it: The lightweight gel imparts a radiant finish that infuses any makeup look with a subtle gleam. Opt for glimmer in one of two hues: Starglow casts a champagne-hued glow, while Sunglow has a golden-bronze tint.
- Key ingredients: Plant-derived glycerin, olive-derived squalane, rosehip seed oil, mica
- Size: 1.0 fl oz
- Finish: Subtly glowy, without glitter
Best Protective: Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas
- Why we love it: Formulated with silk extracts, the featherlight primer protects the skin from pollutants while boosting makeup’s color payoff.
- Key ingredients: Silk extracts, anti-pollution natural actives, Hadasei-3 (Tatcha’s signature complex of green tea, rice, and algae)
- Size: 1.0 fl oz
- Finish: Smooth and natural
Best Blurring: StriVectin Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer
- Why we love it: Formulated with optical microspheres to scatter light, StriVectin’s blurring primer gives skin a poreless, silky smooth appearance.
- Key ingredients: Optical microspheres, Cyclopentasiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate
- Size: 1 fl oz
- Finish: Matte
Best for Oily Skin: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Primer
- Why we love it: Blurring microspherical powders smooth out the appearance of pores while mattifying the skin by sopping up excess oil. What’s more, the translucent primer has a gel formulation that comfortably sits on skin all day, extending the wear of makeup.
- Key ingredients: Microspherical powders
- Size: 1 fl oz
- Finish: Translucent, with an airbrushed effect
Best for Irritated Skin: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Moisture Repair Balm Serum
- Why we love it: The balm-to-serum formulation sinks into the skin, moisturizing the face with glow-enhancing ingredients. The 98% natural primer also helps to soothe tightness, flaky patches, and irritation thanks to soothing Asiatic pennywort.
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, blue tansy flower extract, centella asiatica
- Size: 1.41 oz
- Finish: Smooth and natural
Best for Dry Skin: Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer+ Hydrating Primer
- Why we love it: With a silkscreen complex that smooths the skin and locks in moisture, this primer is packed with hydrating ingredients that instantly plump dry or sagging skin.
- Key ingredients: Triple hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
- Size: 1 fl oz
- Finish: Dewy and fresh
Best for Uneven Skin Tone: No. 1 De Chanel Skin Enhancer
- Why we love it: Chanel’s illuminating primer instantly gives skin a radiant boost; after one month, it creates a more even skin tone. Infused with hyaluronic acid, the hydrating formula can be worn on its own as a tinted gel-cream or under foundation.
- Key ingredients: Red camellia extract, red camellia oil, hyaluronic acid
- Size: 1 fl oz
- Finish: Sheer with a pearlescent sheen
Best Pore Minimizing: Benefit Cosmetics Benefit the POREfessional Face Primer
- Why we love it: The translucent formulation flatters all skin tones and instantly makes pores and fine lines disappear.
- Key ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer
- Size: 1.5 fl oz
- Finish: Matte
Best Softening: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer
- Why we love it: Infused with moisturizing ingredients, the smoothing primer gives the skin a softer, more supple feel. Whether used with makeup or on clean skin, it instantly boosts luminosity.
- Key ingredients: Shea butter, rice bran, glycerin
- Size: 1 fl oz
- Finish: Luminous
Best Anti-Aging: Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bader Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer
- Why we love it: Powered by Augustinus Bader’s much-lauded TFC-8 technology, which works to diminish signs of aging, Victoria Beckham’s primer of choice blurs wrinkles and fine lines while moisturizing, tightening, and lifting the skin.
- Key ingredients: Microalgae extract, natural black tea ferment, natural papaya enzymes, avocado oil, peptides
- Size: 1.7 fl oz
- Finish: Radiant, with a blurred effect
Best Plumping: Estée Lauder Futurist Peptide-Power Serum Primer
- Why we love it: With a weightless serum-gel texture, this moisturizing primer plumps up the skin, infusing it with hydrating ingredients. It also serves as a protectant from antioxidants and blue light.
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides
- Size: 1.0 fl oz
- Finish: Luminous
Best Smoothing: Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base
- Why we love it: This melt-into-your-skin formulation creates a smooth makeup base that makes it easy to apply an even, dewy layer of foundation. Drawing on skin-conditioning vitamins B, C, and E, it also gives skin a healthy glow.
- Key ingredients: Vitamin E, shea butter, squalane
- Size: 1.7 fl oz
- Finish: Natural, healthy-looking luminosity
What’s the difference between regular primers and those for mature skin?
As opposed to primers for mature skin, “I find that regular primers tend to be very sticky and don’t blend as nicely into the skin, because they are holding extreme amounts of makeup that younger people tend to wear,” says makeup artist and RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie Swift. “A woman who has mature skin requires something made for her skin type.” In other words: A formula that’s both lightweight and packed with hydrating ingredients—but more on that below.
What to look for in a primer for mature skin
According to Dr. Jeannette Graf, board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, “Primers for mature skin will typically be more hydrating and have a thicker consistency to address concerns like wrinkles and fine lines as well as make the skin smoother for better makeup application.” Ingredients-wise, Graf recommends seeking out moisture-boosting ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and peptides.
Swift’s go-to primer is the RMS ReEolve Radiance Locking Primer, which contains a blend of natural peptides that soften dry skin. The formulation also contains a slightly peachy hue, which “corrects sallowness that is often found in mature skin,” Swift says. For Graf, the hyaluronic-acid-infused One Size Secure the Blur Makeup Magnet Primer stands out. “It will minimize the appearance of your pores and any fine lines,” she says.
How to use primer
To get the maximum results from a primer, apply it “after your skin care and before your makeup,” says Swift. “Simple as that. One thing I find that works too is to use my primer to lock in my skin care as a final step—especially when I’m not planning to wear makeup.”
To apply the product, Graf recommends using the fingers to apply a dime-sized amount to the face, focusing on areas with wrinkles or other signs of aging. “I also recommend applying it after sunscreen,” she notes. “Since the purpose of a primer is to create a smooth canvas for makeup to lay on, it should be applied right before any makeup goes on.”
Should people with mature skin wear a primer?
According to Daley, “People with mature skin can benefit from using a primer, especially when dealing with fine lines, wrinkles, or texture issues. Primers can help create a smooth surface for makeup application, improving the overall look and longevity of foundation. However, the decision to wear primer also depends on individual skin concerns. For mature skin, hydrating and blurring primers are often ideal as they can add moisture while minimizing the appearance of lines and pores.”
Does primer really help smooth the appearance of wrinkles?
Indeed, “Certain primers can help smooth the appearance of wrinkles by filling in fine lines and creating a more even skin texture,” Daley says. “Silicone-based primers are particularly effective at blurring imperfections and creating a smooth canvas. To get the best results, it’s important to apply the primer after your skin-care routine, focusing on areas with deeper wrinkles or uneven texture.” She suggests gently pressing the primer into the skin with your hands rather than rubbing it in, as it “helps it settle more effectively into fine lines for a more youthful finish.”
Meet The Experts
- Rose-Marie Swift is the founder of RMS Beauty.
- Sheika Daley is a celebrity makeup artist for the likes of Serena Williams, Anok Yai, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
- Dr. Jeannette Graf is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.