Our 10 Best Drugstore Primers for Oily Skin – Top Picks Of 2024

Updated on February 6, 2024

Is your skin oily? Does your makeup keep on sliding off your face? Oily skin will break down your foundation, making your face look greasy and shiny before lunch. The solution is to apply a face primer. It provides an extra layer between your skin and your makeup. It mattifies, brightens, smoothens your complexion, and ensures that your makeup stays in place for a long. The best drugstore primers for oily skin create a smooth base for your makeup, minimize large pores’ appearance, and reduce superficial oil and shine. 

No matter the weather conditions, a greasy face is your least worry when you have applied a face primer. Here are drugstore primers that work wonders for oily skin. Read on.

Editor’s Choices

10 Best Drugstore Primers for Oily Skin

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Primer and Stay Matte Setting Spray (Best Ultra Lightweight Formula)

This is an ultra-lightweight non-greasy formula that helps you to keep shine at bay. The Primer minimizes the appearance of pores and gives a velvety flawless matte finish to apply your makeup. The formula is long-lasting and controls shine for up to eight hours.

Its formula is clear, meaning it is compatible with any skin tone. The Primer locks your makeup in place and prevents it from caking and smudging if your skin is oily.

Key Features:

• Controls shine for up to 8 hours
• Lightweight formula
• Minimizes the appearance of pores
• The non-greasy formula for all skin tones
• Can be used alone or with foundation

2. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer (Best Pore Treatment)

You can now say goodbye to skin pores with Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer. It is formulated with dimethicone, an active ingredient known for filling in pores, reducing the appearance of redness, and absorbing excess oils in your face.

Its texture is ultra-silky and lightweight, which leaves your oily skin perfectly mattified and blurs away skin inconsistencies.  This breathable formula allows your makeup to blend in easily. With its powdery finish, you achieve smooth baby-like skin, a perfect canvas that is ready for your foundation.

Key Features:

• Suitable for all skin types
• Instant pore eraser
• Absorbs excess oil
• Lightweight formula that leaves the skin smooth

3. Matte Makeup Base Primer for Face by Elizabeth Mott (Best Oil Control)

This face primer by Elizabeth Mott is all you need to control excess oils in your face and minimize pores and fine lines’ appearance. This lightweight hydrating Primer creates a smooth canvas for your makeup and lasts all day.

Its formula is silky and prevents shine instantly by giving you a matte finish while balancing and brightening your skin tone. This waterproof formula ensures that your makeup is instant and does not move an inch all day long. The formula is suitable for all skin tones and can be used alone or with foundation.

Key Features:

• Long-lasting formula
• Minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines
• Controls oil
• Lightweight hydrating formula

4. NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Studio Perfect Primer (Best For Normal Skin)

NYX Professional Makeup Studio Perfect Primer helps you to prep your skin for a perfect makeup canvas. It creates a smooth matte base for your foundation and also prolongs the wear of your makeup. The Primer is easily absorbed into your skin to create a smooth surface.

It comes in three shades which are: a clear shade that covers fine lines and large pores, the lavender shade that brightens and illuminates yellow undertones, and a green shade that helps to eliminate redness. This is the Primer you need to address a variety of skin flawless.

Key Features:

• Comes in three shades: clear, lavender and green
• Eliminates shines and oil
• Reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines
• Great for hot summer days

5. Revlon Photo ready Perfecting Primer (Best For Dry Skin)

Revlon Photo ready Perfecting Primer smoothes and perfects your skin to creates a picture-perfect canvas for makeup. The Primer uses high definition technology that reflects and diffuses light to create a flawless, airbrushed look that mimics photo filters.

This lightweight formula is oil-free and brightens your skin and softens the appearance of any flaws. It works for all skin types and locks your makeup in place all day long. It is the perfect Primer for any occasion that you are going to be photographed. It preps the skin to look smoother, softer, and more matte just how you want it to appear in that photo.

Key Features:

• Easy to apply
• Photo-friendly
• Lightweight formula
• Corrects any skin flaws with its HD filter technology

6. BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector (Best For Combination Skin)

BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector is a formula that eliminates excess oil and offers a long-lasting matte finish. The Primer is sweat and humidity-resistant, which ensures that your makeup gets through the day without caking and smudging.

The Primer minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines in your skin to create a smooth base for foundation application. It can be worn alone or under your favorite foundation. It is good to carry in your bag every day to do any touchup throughout the days to target the oiliest areas that make your skin appear greasy and shiny.

Key Features:

• Minimizes the appearance of large pores and fine lines
• Eliminates excess oils
• Sweat and humidity-resistant formula
• Creates a smooth base for foundation

7. e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer Small (Best For Sensitive Skin)

e.l.f. primer is great for both oily and breakout-prone skins. It is formulated using hyaluronic and salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and Vitamin E the perfect ingredients for absorbing oil and locking in moisture. The Primer keeps breakouts at bay to enhance a flawless face.

Apply this Primer before your makeup to get a baby-soft finish. It does this by filling in pores, imperfections, and wrinkles. The Primer has a smooth texture, complete with a matte finish that primes your face for a perfect complexion. It also ensures that your makeup stays locked and lasts all day.

Key Features:

• Absorbs excess oil
• Keeps breakouts at bay
• Increases makeup longevity
• Smooth texture with a matte finish

8. L’Oreal Paris Magic Perfecting Base Face Primer (Best Perfect To Pair)

L’Oreal Paris Magic Perfecting Base Face Primer is a mattifying primer that absorbs oil all day and leaves your skin with a silky-smooth finish. The Primer keeps shine under control and gives your makeup a more staying power.

This silky lightweight formula glides into your skin and It minimizes the appearance of large pores and blurs the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to create a smooth canvas for your foundation. Your skin feels smooth to the touch with its unified matte finish that is flawless.

Key Features:

• Silky lightweight formula
• Minimizes the look of pores and fine lines
• Suitable for all skin types
• A long-lasting matte finish

9. TOUCH IN SOL No Pore Blem Primer (Best For Smooths Skin)

If your skin has an uneven texture with big pores, you need to worry no more. Touch in Sol No Pore Blem Primer perfects your pores leaving a skin that is flawless and ready for makeup. This lightweight formula offers seamless coverage for all pores, wrinkles, and imperfections.

The Primer is formulated using green tea extracts that protect and energize the skin for long-lasting makeup wear. It is also infused with soluble collagen that increases the moisture level in your skin and its elasticity.

Key Features:

• The solution to your pore’s problems
• Infused with soluble collagen
• Increases moisture level in your skin
• Light and silky texture

10. Covergirl Matte Ambition Skin Primer Spf (Best For Oily Skin)

You can forget the afternoon grease with Covergirl Matte Ambition Skin Primer Spf. With its neutral matte finish, this Primer is great for oily skins and it leaves your skin looking fresh all day.

It creates a smooth base for makeup that ensures it stays intact all day with no touch ups required. The Primer offers an invisible layer of SPF and oil control. Your skin will be protected from sun damage while being prevented from becoming oily and greasy.

Key Features:

• Protects skin from sun damage
• Controls shine 
• Great for oily skins
• Creates a smooth base for makeup

How To Choose A Good Drugstore Primer For Oily Skin?

Look for a lightweight formula

A lightweight formula gets absorbed easily and quickly into your skin. You will not feel it as it is feather-light and it will not clog your pores.

Look for an oil-free primer

If your skin is oily, you need to add more excess oil using products that are oily and make you feel greasy. Choose the oil-free primers as they will help to mattify your skin and look for primers with ingredients like salicylic acid. They help to absorb excess oil produced by your skin and ensures your skin stays matte.

Look for photo-friendly Primers

Oily T-zones can be frustrating when you want to take a flawless picture. Look for a photo-friendly primer that contains zinc and talc. These minerals work to combat the flash of bright light against your skin to create an airbrushed look.

Look for Blurring Primers

Oily skins are prone to having larger pores than the dry and normal skins. Blurring primers have dimethicone and silica that help to fill in your large pores, absorb excess oil, and smooth out your skin texture.

Look for primers with moisturizing benefits

Your skin can produce excess oil if it is super dry. To avoid that, primers with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic and salicylic acid will ensure that your skin stays hydrated and there will be no need to produce excess oil.

How To Apply Face Primer On Oily Skin? 

Cleanse Your Face

Before applying your primer or any makeup product, cleanse and dry your face. This will remove any dirt and oils on your face so that your Primer settles on a clean surface.

Prep your Face

Before applying your Primer, it is good to apply small amounts of setting powder first on your skin. This increases the Primer’s ability to absorb oil and extends the wear of your makeup.

Apply your Primer for oily skin on your T-zone

The T-zone is the oiliest place for people to see oily skins. Apply your favorite Primer for oily skin on these areas. The other areas of your face may not be oily and you can apply a different primer in these areas and blend them.

Use a brush

Use a makeup brush to apply your Primer evenly and thoroughly until it is all absorbed. Please avoid using your fingertips because they carry oil and is the last thing you want to add on your face.

Remember your eyelids

Your eyelids also need to be primed for a flawless application. Eyelids tend to be oily and applying Primer will absorb the oils here to ensure your eyeshadow does not get cakey and ruin your makeup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Primers are the only secret you need to ensure your makeup stays intact the whole day. If your skin is oily, a primer will come to your rescue as it controls shine by absorbing excess oil from your skin. It also minimizes the appearance of pores and creates a smooth base for makeup application.

From our review of the best drugstore primers for oily skin, our best Primer is the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer and Stay Matte Setting Spray. It Controls shine for up to 8 hours and minimizes the appearance of pores. The non-greasy formula is also lightweight and it is suitable for all skin tones. The Primer can be used alone or with foundation.

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