Shiny and oily effect, large pores, redness, chunky or caked foundation that stays only couple of hours and by the end of the day you just grab some wipes and clean everything off your face. You’ve probably already asked yourself what are you doing wrong, even if you have sticked rigidly to the skin prep instructions. Been there, done that and asked myself the same question and had some wipes in my purse, in case I look a squamous snake by the end of the day. The trick to help with this is of course, applying a makeup primer! And there are certainly a lot of primers available on the market, from different brand, for different skin types and, of course, different price ranges. And today’s post is about makeup primers for oily skin that cost up to 15€ that you can find them on your local beauty store and that I had an opportunity to test on myself during some months.
1. Beauty Amplifier Smoothing Primer (Sephora)
May be one of the most famous primers out there, this one is an oil & fragrance free, non-comedogenic option that I used for a great amount of time. This primer is recommendable for those who have an oily and acnaic skin, which was ideal for my case. It is easy to spread, does not clog the pores, gives a very smooth finishing to the skin and protects it from possible problems that makeup can cause. Seems perfect, but this primer has its downsides.
It does not blur fine wrinkles, it does not last long and it is affordable, costing 14.50€ but it is not the most affordable makeup primer on the market too. It comes in a 15ml bottle and if you pretend to use it every day, it will last about two weeks.
2. The POREfessional Pro Balm (Benefit Cosmetics)
Another option at the same price range that I tested, is thePOORfessional Pro Balm from Benefit Cosmetics. I confess that I am a huge fan of the brand and once this primer showed itself on the shelves of Beauty Stores, I got one for myself.
This is an amazing smoothing, pore filling and wrinkle minimizing solution, but I’d suggest to use it as it is and not as a primer under your make up. On my experience, my makeup looked flaky and patchy. And again, it is a bit expensive, because you’ll pay around 15€ for a 7.5ml travel sized version.
3. Pore Filler (NYX)
I confess that I have not so good experience with NYX make up. Maybe it was just a coincidence and the products I bought, two eyeliners, were poorly stored (since I bought them at the same place in different time and they were dry and impossible to use), but trying this primer was a great idea. It is the same price range as its precedents, around 14.50€ (around 11-13 euros online), but it comes in 20ml package. It is similar to the POREfessional primer, since it also has a skin-colored texture that helps to minimize the pores and small wrinkles. It is pretty good on mattifying and smoothing beautifully the skin. But, unlike his precedents, it actually makes the make-up last a bit more.
4. High-Adherence Silicone Primer (The Ordinary)
This is the king of all affordable makeup primers on the market – it costs around 5€ and comes in 30ml packaging.
The High-Adherence Silicone Primer is very effective in mattifying and blurring the skin for a more flawless complexion, minimizes pores, fine lines and imperfections. It can be ideally used on oily skin, since it’s creamy mattifying finish keeps your skin from the excess of shine and allows your makeup to stay longer.
The Ordinary has also released a primer version for not so oily and sensitive skin, High-Spreadability Fluid Primer, which cost a bit more than High-Adherence Silicone Primer, around 8€, but still makes part of the most affordable makeup primers. It is a lightweight formula with a serum-like texture, this is a perfect solution for those who like to use full coverage foundations, since it will provide the necessary care and hydration under heavier foundations.
There are definitely good options to choose from and that will not break your bank. One thing to keep in mind: your choice will fall on a primer which is suitable for your skin type. What you have to do is to determine whether you have oily or combination skin with or without concerns like rosacea or acne, undertones, etc. And then, choose a primer that suit your needs.
