If you love the look of a smooth base (and who doesn’t?), then the best blurring primers are about to become your pre-makeup MVPs. These makeup primers don’t just help foundation glide on more evenly—they also dial down the look of pores, fine lines, and texture for skin that looks more even and glowy (not flat). Today’s options go beyond silicone slip alone, blending skin care-focused ingredients with long-wearing finishes for makeup that lasts all day and night. Oil? Absorbed. Your look? Locked in. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best blurring primers that Allure editors and makeup artists rely on for a base that looks like your skin, but better.
Our Top Blurring Primers
- Best Overall: Smashbox The Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer, $34
- Best Long-Wearing: Fenty Beauty Grip Trip Mattifying + Blurring Primer, $37
- Best for Oily Skin: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm, $27
- Best for Dry Skin: Kulfi Double Life Serum Primer, $34
- Best Drugstore: Versed Smooth Skin Face Primer, $18
- Best Lightweight: Laura Mercier Blurring Primer, $46
- What ingredients should you look for in the best blurring primers?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Smashbox The Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer
Smashbox
The Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer
Why it’s worth it: If tons of shine, visible pores, and surprise breakouts are part of your everyday equation, this primer is here to help. Smashbox’s Photo Finish Mattifying Primer—an Allure 2025 Best of Beauty Award winner—creates a soft-focus, airbrushed effect the moment it hits skin. New York City-based makeup artist Christian Briceno loves how weightless it feels, saying the velvety matte finish smooths texture so well that he’ll often skip foundation altogether for a clean, natural look. When you do go full glam though, he recommends pairing it with a silicone-based foundation for the best results.
The formula doesn’t just blur—it also multitasks. Vitamins A and E deeply hydrate while locking makeup in place. Translation: smoother-looking skin now, longer-lasting makeup later.
Tester feedback from commerce writer Lily Wohlner
“The only primers I use are the blurring formulas that make my pores disappear and my acne look smoothed out—this one is a forever fave. At first touch, it feels a little oily, but once it melts into skin, it smooths out in a few swipes and blurs imperfections into oblivion. Unlike super-mattifying formulas, it leaves more of a soft satin veil, so makeup glides on super-easily.” —Lily Wohlner, commerce writer
More to know
- Key ingredients: vitamin A, vitamin E, polymers
- Formula: gel
Best for Oily Skin: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder
Danessa Myricks Beauty
Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder
Why it’s worth it: If you want a base product that blurs like a primer but feels more like skin care, the Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm—another Allure Best of Beauty Award winner—fits the bill. It delivers a soft finish that feels supremely lightweight. Available in a wide range of tinted shades as well as a clear version, it can be worn on its own for a little coverage or beneath foundation when you need some extra smoothing power
The balm-to-powder formula melts into skin on contact and never feels slick or greasy, making it a strong contender for oily skin types. Silicones help minimize the look of pores, squalane supports balanced hydration, and upsalite absorbs excess sweat and oil throughout the day for a natural matte finish. Bonus: Hyaluronic acid adds moisture, because oily skin deserves a little extra plumping power, too.
Tester feedback from associate manager of audience development Melanie Curry
“I get super oily and sweaty in the summer (don’t we all?), so I need an oil-free primer that keeps my makeup intact in the humid New York City heat. Danessa Myricks’ Blurring Balm does just that, and more. What I love the most about this baby is its cream-to-powder finish and lightweight feel. Plus, a little goes a long way. So, while this balm isn’t the cheapest on the market, it’ll last you a long time (like months), even if you’re wearing it daily.” —Melanie Curry, associate manager of audience development
More to know
- Key ingredients: squalane, upsalite, hyaluronic acid
- Formula: balm-to-powder
Best for Dry Skin: Kulfi Double Life Serum Primer
Kulfi
Double Life Serum Primer
Why it’s worth it: Kulfi’s Double Life Serum Primer is hydrating enough for dry skin types to wear on its own, but also plays well under foundation. However you choose to use it, it smooths and blurs the look of pores for a filter-like finish. The plumping, dewy effect comes from hyaluronic acid, while niacinamide helps even out tone and refine texture. Tranexamic acid rounds things out by targeting the look of dark spots and hyperpigmentation over time. And don’t let the word acid fool you—it’s still gentle enough for sensitive skin. If you want skin that looks smoother now and clearer with continued use, then this is the primer to try.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“I don’t mind looking extra dewy but my pores beg to differ sometimes. After I slather my face with hydrating skin care in the a.m., I can always count on Kulfi’s Double Life Serum Primer to reign the glow in just every so slightly, and more importantly, blur the look of my pores. (Thanks, niacinamide!) True to its name, this gel-cream formula feels very much in line with skin care, rather than the goopy mattifying/blurring primers I’ve tried in the past. My concealer (the only base product I use most days) applies beautifully on top of the primer, even in my pilling-prone undereyes and in the crevices around my nose.”—Sarah Han, commerce editor
More to know
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, tranexamic acid
- Formula: serum
Best Long-Wearing: Fenty Beauty Grip Trip Mattifying + Blurring Primer
Fenty Beauty
Grip Trip Mattifying + Blurring Primer
Why it’s worth it: The Fenty Beauty Grip Trip Mattifying + Blurring Primer stood out for its longevity: During testing, it created an even base for foundation and helped keep makeup intact from morning through night, even with sweat and oil in the mix. The formula features maple sap extract to help extend wear time and chia seed extract to mattify and control excess shine.
The finish is notably smooth, minimizing texture without flashback, so skin looks luminous in photos and IRL. And it’s a carry-on must-have for trips to hot climates, thanks to its sweat- and humidity-resistant formula. For those with drier skin who still want long-lasting hold, the brand also offers the Grip Trip Hydrating Primer, which delivers similar wear with added moisture.
Tester feedback from senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin
“Primer and my oily T-zone go together like peanut butter and jelly. I like this one from Fenty because it has that slippery silicone texture that layers so well underneath makeup. I also notice that, true to its name, this primer makes my skin look instantly more matte after I apply it—my pores seem smaller, too. While I wouldn’t say it’s the most mattifying primer I’ve ever tried (I do usually need to touch up with a blotting paper towards the end of the day), it does make my makeup last hours longer than on no-primer days.” —Sarah Felbin, senior commerce editor
More to know
- Key ingredients: maple sap extract, chia seed extract
- Formula: cream
Best Drugstore: Versed Smooth Skin Face Primer
Versed
Smooth Skin Face Primer
Why it’s worth it: With its soft radiance and pore-minimizing payoff, Versed’s Smooth Skin Face Primer pulls double duty for drier skin types that want a smoother canvas without sacrificing glow. It’s infused with hyaluronic acid for hydration and niacinamide to help even tone, so skin looks better the moment makeup goes on, and long after.
It even holds up on the red carpet: For Kristen Bell’s Nobody Wants This season two premiere, Los Angeles–based makeup artist Simone Almekias-Siegl reached for the radiance-boosting formula, focusing the formula on Bell’s T-zone to smooth and blur without tipping her complexion into overly matte territory. The result: blurred skin that still looks fresh and luminous. The best part? All of that glow-boosting, smoothing goodness comes in at under $20.
More to know
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
- Formula: cream
Best Lightweight: Laura Mercier Blurring Primer
Laura Mercier
Blurring Primer
Why it’s worth it: For New York–based makeup artist Lisa Aharon, a lightweight primer like Laura Mercier’s Blurring Primer is key for helping makeup go on smoothly and stay put. “It softens the look of pores and texture, keeps shine in check, and gives makeup something to hold onto,” she says. It’s her pick when you want near-instant results without feeling like you’ve piled on product.
The formula relies on practical, no-frills ingredients: a Skin Perfecting Complex, which features rose extracts that work to moisturize, protect, and smooth skin; Silica beads that blur and smooth; and red clover flower extract that works to manage oil and minimize the look of pores with continued use. The result is a clean, even base that wears all the way through the day.
More to know
- Key ingredients: silica beads, red clover flower extract, skin perfecting complex
- Formula: gel-cream
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients should you look for in the best blurring primers?
According to Aharon, silicones, soft focus powders and oil absorbing polymers are the most important ingredients to have in a blurring primer. “Think of silicones as that silky slip that smooths everything out, blurring little imperfections and giving you the perfect base to work on.” she says. The soft focus powders bounce light around so skin looks more even, helping pores, texture and fine lines appear less noticeable, she adds. “Then, oil-absorbing polymers step in to keep shine under control, so makeup stays put and looks fresh instead of sliding around.”
Meet the experts
- Lisa Aharon is a New York City–based makeup artist.
- Simone Almekias-Siegl is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles.
- Christian Briceno is a New York City-based makeup artist.
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best blurring primers, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, cosmetic chemists, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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