14 Illuminating Primers That’ll Give You That Lit-From-Within Glow
Chugging tons of water, applying skin-brightening products, using makeup highlighter, and eating your greens are surefire ways to glow, even when you’ve clocked fewer than eight hours of beauty sleep. But do you know what the key to glowing skin is, even on those not-so-good skin days? An illuminating primer. Think about how amazing and glowy your skin looks with a face filter—yup, you can achieve that with a good primer, which is basically like a filter in a bottle.
Not only do these multipurpose makeup products add a subtle, skin-perfecting glow and blur imperfections, but they also grip makeup and help even out skin tone and texture. If you’re looking to achieve the no-makeup-makeup-look, an illuminating primer will be the key to success.
Below, we’ve rounded up the 14 best illuminating primers to help you achieve your most radiant skin goals. Continue reading to see what we’re obsessed with!
1. Best Overall Illuminating Primer:
RARE BEAUTY Always an Optimist Illuminating Primer
This gel textured primer actually has a cooling effect! It’s water-based, silicone-free, hydrating, and isn’t too heavy on skin at all. It has ultra-fine pearl pigments to give you the smoothest, most glowy skin possible. It’s ideal for all skin types, even mature skin thanks to how light weight its smoothing powers are!
2. Best Light-Weight Illuminating Primer:
SAIE Glowy Super Gel
SAIE calls this product an ‘all-over luminizer’ and we have to agree. Not only does this formula leave skin feeling hydrated, it’s incredibly lightweight. When you feel it in between your fingers it actually feels like water droplets.
You can put this glowy gel product over your whole face as a primer (believe us, we’ve done it) or use it to highlight your features. Either way, it’s built for either and it looks like natural glow as it easily blends into skin. This is truly a unique texture and must-have product for your makeup collection. It also comes in two different shades, star glow and sun glow.
3. Best Long-Lasting Illuminating Primer:
LAURA MERCIER Pure Canvas Primer Illuminating
This product comes highly rated by LAURA MERCIER customers. A quick glance at the reviews and you won’t be able to hit ‘add to cart’ fast enough. It contains hydrating and nourishing ingredients like glycerin, jojoba oil, plankton extract, and castor seed oil. We wouldn’t recommend this if you have sensitive skin as it may be irritating with the oils.
This is a great option if you’re going to be in makeup all day long or for an important event. It keeps everything in its place while giving the skin great antioxidant benefits.
4. Best Brightening Illuminating Primer:
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Bright Maker Primer
Skin looking a little lackluster? This fan-favorite formula relies on a peachy tint for its brightening power, seriously upping your complexion’s luminosity without adding shimmer. Plus, it can help your makeup stay put for a whopping 17 hours.
5. Best Illuminating Primer for Dry Skin:
L’ORÉAL PARIS True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer
We stan an all-over glow—and this primer is perfect for achieving a luminous finish wherever you apply it. Packed with shea butter and glycerin, this hydrating primer provides an extra layer of moisturizer for dry skin types without being greasy. We also love that it’s available in four skin-matching shades.
6. Best Illuminating Moisturizer & Primer in One:
GLOSSIER Futuredew
Yes, it’s a primer, but it’s also a face serum—and something entirely unique. Use it solo for a naturally dewy look, or apply under makeup for extra gleam and hydration. Either way, you’ll find a way to use it in your makeup routine every day. (Oh, and did we mention it contains powerful plant-based extracts to help make your skin look brighter instantly and over time?)
7. Best Anti-Aging Illuminating Primer:
CHARLOTTE TILBURY Wonderglow
It’s the super-fine light-reflecting particles for us. They help blur the complexion without being over-the-top shiny, so fine lines and wrinkles appear far less noticeable. This formula also hydrates with hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, and more nourishing ingredients, so your skin will love it as much as you do.
8. Best Illuminating Primer for the Entire Face:
THRIVE CAUSEMETICS Brilliant Face Brightener Illuminating Primer™
No eye primer? No problem. This formula is tested to be safe to use around the entire eye. It’s also enriched with brightening ingredients like licorice root extract and juniper berry oil to help brighten skin’s appearance immediately and over time.
9. Best Illuminating Primer Shade Range:
TULA Face Filter Primer
Makeup primers are more universal than a lot of other products, but they aren’t one-shade-fits-all. TULA expanded on their best-selling primer with four shades ranging from fair to deep (plus a non-tinted shade called First Light), so everyone can enjoy the buildable coverage, nourishing skincare ingredients, and unique “glow particles” that seamlessly blend into skin.
One Ipster found a new fave after getting this primer in a Glam Bag: “Currently my go to primer! Love the way it makes my skin feel. It's very moisturizing, not heavy on the skin, and a little goes a long way! It lasts all day & even most of the night!”
10. Best Oil-Free Illuminating Primer:
PURLISSE BEAUTY Silk Glow BB Base Primer
It can be tough to find a glow primer that doesn’t wind up looking greasy on oily skin types, but this vegan, cruelty-free formula delivers. Although it’s technically intended to be used with BB cream (and it certainly can be!), it works just as well on its own or underneath tinted moisturizer and foundation. “Love love love this brand,” reviewed an Ipster who received this primer in a past Glam Bag. “Never cakey or over the top. But, this primer always lasts 12+ hours. A girl can't ask for much more!”
11. Best Pore-Minimizing Illuminating Primer:
KALEIDO COSMETICS Dreamlust Pore-Refining Dewy Primer
As we’ve discussed time and time again, it’s impossible to actually change the size of your pores. However, this brightening primer can help refine the appearance of pores in seconds to create the perfect canvas for foundation—all while leaving skin with a healthy glow.
12. Best Illuminating Primer with SPF:
NARS Radiance Face Primer SPF 35
If you’re skipping foundation in favor of a no-makeup makeup look, a product with added sunscreen is all the more important. This lightweight formula gives skin the prettiest sheen, and offers fairly high sun protection as well.
13. Best Skin-Smoothing Primer:
BENEFIT COSMETICS The POREfessional Pearl Primer
The pearlized version of the fan-favorite pore-shrinking, mattifying, and smoothing POREfessional primer goes on with just a hint of pearly pink for a wide-awake, cheek-pinched makeup look in seconds. Can we just say we’re obsessed? And don’t just take our word for it: Ipsters who received this product in a Glam Bag love the concealer-like quality of the primer. One Ipster wrote, “This primer works so well. It smooths your skin and pores and makes makeup application so much better. One of the best primers I've tried.”
14. Best Drug-Store Illuminating Primer:
E.L.F. Illuminating Face Primer
A lovely pale golden shade, this formula blends in with all skin tones and imparts just the right amount of glow. Just apply, let dry, and enjoy an added radiance that lasts all day. Pro tip: You can also use it over your foundation as a highlighter, so it’s like having two products in one.
Want to try the best illuminating primers and more glow-worthy products with Glam Bag? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.
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