Best Hydrating and Illuminating Primers | Primers for Dry Skin

I love using primers whenever I am wearing makeup and I prefer hydrating and illuminating primers for my dry skin. In this post I am going to share with you which are the best ones I have tried so far.

Primers are a great makeup base, the right one can help to prolong the wear time of the makeup and also make it look more flawless. There are several types of primers to choose from like pore minimizing, blurring, mattifying, hydrating, etc. But, since I have dry skin and I like a more dewy finish to the skin, I usually go for the illuminating or hydrating primers. Now, someone will ask, why not just use moisturiser instead of the extra step of the primer. We can certainly use only moisturiser as the makeup base but the primer acts as an extra barrier between the skin and the foundation and it can minimize the clogging of pores. I have also noticed that applying a primer makes the foundation application much more smoother. So, here are my favourite hydrating and illuminating primers. But, I will highly encourage to use a moisturiser underneath for the most of them.

Becca First Light Priming Filter

The Becca First Light Priming Filter is hands down my favourite glowy and hydrating primer. This water based primer has a liquid lotion like texture with a slight lavender tint. It contains translucent  brightening microspores which appear lavender and claim to adapt to any skin tone which helps to even out and brighten the complexion. This primer definitely gives a very nice hydrated and glowy look to the skin, but not being extra glowy that looks unnatural. I love the very soothing lemon grass-y scent this primer has and the frosted glass bottle feels very luxurious. The primer also has a slight tacky feel once it is set on the face and I think this helps the foundation to apply very smoothly and last very well on the face. It’s great that this primer provide hydration and also give a subtle glow on the face. If you are looking to invest in a very good quality dewy primer, which is parabens and phthalates free, then I will highly recommend it.

Bought from: Sephora SG

Price: S$ 58

Quantity: 1 Oz. or 30 ml.

Maybelline Master Prime By FaceStudio Blur + Illuminate Primer

The next recommendation will definitely be the Maybelline Master Prime by Face Studio. I have the Blur + Illuminate version which is the glowy version. They also have just the blurring primer which is more mattifying and I think, recently they have extended the range to more types. The Blur + Illuminate version is a really good one at the drugstore if you are looking for a glowy primer which is also hydrating. It has a slight blurring effect on the face and gives a soft focus glowy finish. The foundation goes on very smoothly over this primer and it makes matte foundations look more skin like. This primer also has Broad Spectrum SPF30. However, it does have a slight pink tint, so for deeper skin tones this one may look off if you plan to wear it alone. Other than that, I have a very good experience with this primer. You can read more about it here.

Bought from: Watsons SG

Price: S$ 22.90 (There are frequent sales at the drugstore)

Quantity: 1 Oz. or 30 ml.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer

The Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer is another primer which I love so much! This primer is on the expensive side but it sure does work. It is a primer and moisturiser all in one and with this primer I sometimes don’t even use a moisturiser. It contains Niacinamide which helps to plump and moisturise the skin. In addition, it also contains my favourite Hyaluronic acid which helps the skin to retain moisture. I love that this primer has skin care benefits. The texture and consistency feels just like a lightweight lotion and it quickly gets absorbed into the skin and sets on the face, leaving behind a smooth canvas for the foundation. This primer provides a nice base for the foundation to hold on to and it really prolongs its wear time. I think my skin looks good every time I use this primer. If you don’t really care about the glow then this high-end primer is one to consider. I will highly recommend it.

Bought from: Sephora SG

Price: S$ 62/ $25 (mini)

Quantity: 1 Oz. or 30 ml / 0.5 Oz. or 15 ml. I never understood why the mini size was priced so low, honestly. It makes more sense to keep buying minis.

Catrice Prime and Fine Beautifying Primer

Next two picks are from the drugstore and they are really affordable good quality primers. The first one is the Catrice Prime and Fine Beautifying Primer. It’s very similar to the Maybelline one above but the Catrice one is a bit more hydrating for me. Both the primers have a similar scent and has a pink tint but I find that the Catrice one is just a tad bit less glowy than the Maybelline one. The difference isn’t that noticeable honestly. The texture is lightweight and the skin feels very smooth and silky after application. It has light-reflecting pearl pigments and Vitamin E which give an instant luminous glow. The glow is really pretty. It’s interesting that I can wear this one alone without looking unnatural unlike the Maybelline one, although both have a pink tint. Anyways, this one is also a winner for me at the drugstore and it costs a fraction of the price of the Maybelline one.

Bought from: Guardians Singapore

Price: S$ 9 – 12 (I don’t remember exactly)

Quantity: 1 Oz. or 30 ml.

Milani Prime Perfection Face Primer Hydrating and Pore Minimizing

The Milani Prime Perfection Face Primer is a really good option if you are looking for a really good hydrating primer at the drugstore and you don’t care too much about blurring, pore-minimizing or glow. Although, this primer claims to be pore-minimising, I don’t think it does that very well. This primer for me is a truly hydrating oil-free primer. It has light weight lotion like texture which gives a smooth skin for makeup application. It also feels quite hydrating on the face but not greasy. However, it doesn’t really give a glow to the skin just a more hydrated look and feel. But compared to the other drugstore primers I do find it a bit pricey here in Singapore and it’s difficult to find. So, I will recommend this primer if you have easy access to it and it’s not over priced. 

Bought from: Local Online Reseller Coma Makeup

Price: S$ 15-20

Quantity: 0.68 Oz / 20 ml.

Those are my favourite hydrating and glowy primers so far. There are, of course, so many brands out there and so much to try. So, if I find some more amazing primers, then I will definitely post again. I will also do separate post on a couple of pore-minimizing primers I really like. So, look out for that.

That’s all for this post. Hope it helped.

Cheers!