21 Best Hydrating Makeup Primers For Dry Skin

Keep your skin nourished and your makeup on fleek.

By Alice Kelly — Written on Jul 29, 2020

Photo: getty

21 Best Hydrating Makeup Primers For Dry Skin

If you struggle with dry skin, you’ll know that applying makeup can be a nightmare.

Your skin is left feeling tight and irritated underneath foundation, powders cling to your dry patches, and achieving an airbrushed finish is impossible. Even when you’ve loaded up on moisturizers and oils to hydrate your skin, your makeup is left looking greasy or won’t apply evenly. You can’t win!

Even though your makeup primer should never replace your moisturizer, having a good hydrating primer will act as a barrier between your skincare and your makeup.

You’ll lock in moisture and hydration, and your foundations and concealers will go on seamlessly. Even on your makeup-free days, a good primer will blur your pores and fine lines to enhance your natural glow and give you a flawless look.

Here are the best primers for dry skin that will hydrate and nourish

1. NYX Professional Makeup Hydra Touch Oil Primer

An oil-based primer is a great way to keep your dry skin moisturized underneath your makeup. This one will give you a gorgeous glowy finish that looks amazing under foundation.

(Target, $13.99)

2. Fenty By Rihanna Pro Filt'r Hydrating Primer

Rihanna is quickly becoming the queen of the makeup world, and her Pro Filt’r Hydrating Foundation is a favorite among beauty experts, so the matching primer is one to rely on. It’s formulated with grape seed oil and sodium hyaluronate to nurture your skin and extend foundation wear.

(Sephora, $32)

3. Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Foundation Primer

A lot of primers are filled with silicone that makes your skin appear smooth, but actually does nothing for the health of your skin. This primer has minimal silicone and hydrates your skin with antioxidants instead.

(Sephora, $38)

4. Aveeno Positively Radiant MaxGlow Hydrating Face Serum + Primer

Aveeno knows how to make the most of natural ingredients, so this 2-in-1 primer and serum will hydrate your skin without irritating it with chemicals and additives.

(Walmart, $13.12)

5. No7 Airbrush Away Original Primer

This primer is amazing for not only hydrating dry skin, but plumping up dull complexions to leave you looking youthful and vibrant. It contains hyaluronic acid that draws in moisture from the atmosphere throughout the day for long-lasting hydration.

(Check prices and reviews on Ulta)

6. Dior Backstage Face + Body Primer

Mature skin will love this smoothing primer for filling out fine lines and wrinkles. It’s used by Dior makeup artists backstage during fashion week, so it’s runway approved.

(Sephora, $36)

7. Maybelline Facestudio Master Prime

A cocktail of moisturizing ingredients from glycerin to shea butter make up this affordable primer. It’s awesome for creating a smooth base for your foundation.

(Walmart, $7.78)

8. Revlon PhotoReady Rose Glow Finishing Primer

Formulated with hydrating beads that melt into your skin, this is an affordable yet luxurious product that will enhance your skin’s natural radiance. The dropper applicator also makes it a hygienic product that won’t pick up bacteria from your hands.

(Target, $11.19)

9. Tarte SEA Quench Hydrating Primer

Delivering antioxidants, prebiotics, and amino acids, this will protect and enhance your skin’s barrier functions. It’s 100 percent vegan and has a delicious coconut scent.

(Sephora, $32)

10. Glo Skin Beauty Face Primer

Everything you need to know about this product is in the name. You’ll look glowy and hydrated all day. It's especially recommend for sensitive dry skin as it contains skin-soothing plant extracts to calm inflammation.

(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)

11. Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Almost 1,500 reviewers gave this gel primer 5 stars on Sephora! Its impressive ingredient list contains hemp-derived cannabis seed extract, which provides amazing antioxidant benefits.

(Sephora, $30)

12. e.l.f Puff Puff Primer

If you want the benefits of hemp without the MILK Makeup pricetag, this e.l.f primer is a great alternative for almost a quarter of the price. It contains hydrating cannabis savita seed oil, keeping your skin’s moisture locked in under your makeup.

(Target, $7.99)

13. Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer

If you’re willing to splurge, this awesome hydrating primer contains SPF 50. UV damage contributes a lot to dryness and irritation over time, so using a good SPF primer is a great way to protect your skin.

(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)

14. The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer

The Ordinary is a great skincare brand because of its minimal but effective formulas. If you have combination skin, this smooths your skin without leaving you looking oily. Its grease-free formula won’t replace your moisturizer, but it will block your makeup from drying out your face.

(Sephora, $4.90)

15. Olay Sun Face Lotion + Makeup Primer

If you’re reluctant to load up your skin with too many products, replace your primer with this sunscreen that protects from UV damage while providing a shine-free base for your makeup.

(Check prices and reviews on Amazon)

16. NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Hydrating Jelly Primer

Infused with aloe and cucumber extracts, this primer has amazing calming benefits if you’re prone to redness. The jelly texture leaves your skin feeling bouncy and plump, and makeup will grip and last all day.

(Target, $16.99)