Experts Say Skin Prep Is Key for Glowy Makeup—Here's What That Actually Means

I don’t know a huge amount about makeup application. I know what makes a really great product, of course, but when it comes to tips and tricks for application, I’m just as wise as the next person. You would have thought that after many years in my job as a beauty editor, I would have absorbed an abundance of mastery from experts. Alas, there is truly only one makeup lesson that I have actually listened to, understood and mastered—and it concerns skin prep.

Whenever I quiz makeup artists on the secret to a natural-looking, seamless, glowing base, they always tell me that the secret lies in thorough "skin prep.” And for years, this advice annoyed me. What is skin prep, after all? I already spend great lengths of time in the morning tending to my skin before I apply my makeup, so why doesn't my skin hit Zoë Kravitz or Hailey Bieber levels of glazed-doughnut glow? The truth, I have learned, is that the term skin prep is basically code for primer.

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(Image credit: @NINAPARK)

Slathering on layers and layers of skincare before you apply your makeup will only leave you with short-lived results. The more layers on your face, the likelier everything is to slide off. Really great, expert-level skin prep actually comes down to just one product: primer. Formulated specifically to be used before makeup, primers are the key product in making your makeup base work for you and your skin.

In fact, I’ve never met a makeup artist who doesn’t use a primer. Whether it be a hydrating moisturiser, a silicone-heavy pre-foundation layer to help disguise pores, or an illuminating, oily elixir, primers are, without a doubt, the single most important product if you’re after a natural-looking base. So whatever your skin's desires, keep scrolling to shop the 16 best makeup primers.

Best Glow-Boosting Makeup Primers

Best Pore-Blurring Makeup Primers

Best Hydrating Makeup Primers

Best Long-Lasting Makeup Primers

Next up, seven easy and simple makeup looks I'm copying right now.

Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.