Not applying primer under your foundation or favourite base is one of the biggest beauty faux pas those with mature complexions can make. It’s the secret beauty weapon to creating a flawless make-up routine. Not only do the best primers smooth the way for make-up to apply seamlessly, they’re also the trick to making it go the distance.
Our skin texture changes with age. Fine lines, pores, blemishes, and dryness make it harder to apply coverage directly to the skin without it settling or migrating into and around these imperfections, accentuating them rather than concealing them.
That’s where a primer comes in. It glides over the skin, creating a smooth base – just like you’d prime a wall before painting – evening out the skin’s surface, so your coverage applies evenly. The extra prep step also ensures your make-up lasts longer, and some even have agents that make-up grip to which prolongs wear.
From blurring to mattifying, you’ll find an abundance of primer formulas to suit every skin type and need. But let me make it easy for you: stick to hydrating primers if you’re over 35. Moisturising formulas work best for ageing skin that sits on the dry side.
Your skin might also benefit from an illuminating primer if dullness is a skin-bugbear, they’re packed with light-reflecting particles to fake a youthful glow, or perhaps a little colour correction. I’ve covered all these bases below…
Read more: 9 best primers for the perfect make-up base, tested by a beauty writer
The best primers for mature skin 2026 are:
- Best overall – Vieve super skin nova: £39, Spacenk.com
- Budget buy – E.l.f power grip primer: £11, Boots.com
- Best for hydration – Hourglass illusion priming moisturizer: £58, Spacenk.com
- Best moisturiser – Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base moisturiser and primer: £54, Lookfantastic.com
- Best for colour correcting – Stila one step correct colour correcting and brightening primer: £28, Marksandspencer.com
Read more: Best neck creams for 2026, reviewed by a beauty expert in her 40s
Vieve super skin nova
Rating: 5/5
Best: primer for mature skin overall
Size: 50ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, peptides, ceramides
Why we love it
- Loaded with hydrating skincare
- Adds a golden radiance
- Keeps make-up in place
Take note
- Does sell out, so can be hard to get hold of
I’m a big fan of the OG skin nova primer, so when I heard make-up guru Jamie Genevive was adding this richer, moisturising primer to her collection, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it as it sounded perfect for more mature skin types, and I was not wrong.
Jam-packed with a blend of 33 impressive ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, peptides and ceramides, this is make-up that acts like skincare. It floods my skin with hydration, leaving it plump and prepped, ready for make-up to glide on. And ensures it feels the benefits of the extra moisture boost all day long, so make-up stays put and doesn’t migrate into lines.
But what I really love about this primer is the instant healthy glow it gives the complexion, like an IRL golden-hour filter. It perks up a dull, lacklustre complexion so well that I quite often just use it on its own as a base. Get hold of it now before it inevitably sells out again.
Buy now £39, Spacenk.com
E.l.f power grip primer
Rating: 4/5
Best: budget primer for mature skin
Size: 2ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
Why we love it
- Affordable and effective
- Keeps make-up in place all day
Take note
- Tacky texture grips to make-up
If you’re looking to spend less on your primer, reach for this hero product from easy-on-the-wallet beauty brand e.l.f. It’s not in the same moisture-infusing league as others here, but it is a smoothing, hydrating formula boosted by hyaluronic acid.
The first thing you’ll notice about this primer is how tacky it is; don’t let that put you off. It’s a good thing, as it provides the grip (hence the name) for the foundation to stick to it. Thus, extending the wear of make-up, which this budget primer has become well known for.
I’ve found you get the best results by letting this primer set for a minute before applying your base, and then the texture won’t bother you. You’ll be too busy admiring the natural dewiness it gives the complexion.
Buy now £11, Boots.com
Hourglass illusion priming moisturizer
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: hydrating primer for mature skin
Size: 28.8ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, niacinamide
Why we love it
- Plumps fine lines for a smooth canvas
- Packed with moisturising ingredients
- Foundation applies easily
- Prolongs make-up wear
Take note
- It’s expensive and a small bottle compared to others, which is only reason it didn’t get top marks
Already a fan of Hourglass’s popular vanish airbrush primer (it’s great for blurring imperfections), I had a feeling this new primer from the luxe brand was going to be good, as it sounded ideal for mature, dry skin types like mine, but I was wrong: it’s exceptional. It ticks all the boxes of a great primer for mature skin: it has a luxurious light, silky texture that absorbs in seconds, smoothing the way for an even coverage.
It’s been crammed with 11 types of hyaluronic acid to replenish the skin, as well as squalane to lock in moisture, and it shows. It makes skin feel silky soft and makes light work of even applying a full coverage foundation to my mature skin. I’m equally as impressed with the staying power it gives my base, making it worthy of its high price point.
Buy now £58, Spacenk.com
Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base moisturiser and primer
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: moisturiser and primer in one
Size: 50ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, shea butter, vitamin C and E
Why we love it
- Moisturiser and primer
- Silicones smooth lines and wrinkles
- Smells amazing (grapefruit and geranium)
Take note
- It's expensive
This cult-classic hydrating primer has counted many celebrity and beauty editor fans over the 24 years it’s graced us with its nourishing presence, but going viral among a younger generation on TikTok decades later is a testament to how good this really is – even after years of stiff competition.
Packed with a who’s who of moisture-boosting ingredients, it leaves my skin feeling soft and supple – no greasiness or heaviness in sight, so it’s instantly ready for make-up. These have been teamed with silicones that fill out lines and imperfections for a smooth canvas.
Resulting in a more seamless make-up finish, not only does it prevent make-up from sitting in lines or going patchy throughout the day, it also helps it last longer too. Plus, I love its delicate fruity-floral fragrance, which only adds to its appeal.
Buy now £54, Lookfantastic.com
Stila one step correct colour correcting and brightening primer
Rating: 4/5
Best: colour correcting primer for mature skin
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Antioxidants, minerals, glycerin
Why we love it
- Balances skin tone
- Neutralises light redness
- Silicone-based so creates a smooth make-up canva
Take note
- 3 shades available (this is the lightest version)
- Those with rosacea may want to use a green colour correcting primer for better results
Putting this cult-favourite primer back on test recently confirmed I had forgotten how great it really is. The swirly ribbons of green, lavender, and peach you see in it aren’t just there to make it look pretty, they’re colour correctors that brighten and even out the skin tone.
From angry blemishes to flushing, the green neutralises redness in the complexion. Lavender balances any sallowness, and peach helps to brighten the look of dark spots and the overall skin tone on light complexions. And they do all this so well, I always feel like I need less coverage on top when I’m using it.
The only flaw I can find is that I don’t find it overly hydrating, but it's silicone-based, so it still leaves skin silky smooth with an even surface for foundation to apply flawlessly to and last the day.
Buy now £28, Marksandspencer.com
Victoria Beckham Beauty the cell rejuvenating illuminator
Rating: 4/5
Best: illuminating primer for mature skin
Size: 20ml
Key ingredients: TFC8, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, squalane and ectoin
Why we love it
- Uses next-generation skincare
- Acts like a moisturiser and primer in one
- Leaves skin naturally glowing
Take note
- It’s expensive and a small bottle – for a budget illuminating formula try no7
This chic bottle is a high-performance lightweight moisturiser, primer and glow-giver in one, perfect for those who like a streamlined beauty routine. Promising nourishing skin prep, it delivers and then some: plumping the skin, evening out the surface for make-up to apply better.
Coupling elite hydrating actives with Augustinus Bader’s cell-rejuvenating TFC8, the very same ingredient that powers his famous luxury cream and helps to minimise fine lines and pigmentation, this doesn’t just seriously moisture-boost but works hard to defy signs of ageing.
But, I think my favourite thing about it is the subtle filter-like luminosity it gives the skin in the most natural way; sometimes I apply it and think it’s a shame to add coverage on top and just apply a little concealer instead. Pricey, yes, but I think it’s worth it.
Buy now £76, Spacenk.com
No7 pro artist base perfecting primer
Rating: 4/5
Best: budget illuminating primer for mature skin
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E
Why we love it
- Illuminates the skin instantly
- Excellent value
- Silicone blurs the look of lines
Take note
- Dry skin types will want something more nourishing like Victoria Beckham’s primer
- Less is more as contains mica that adds glow-effect
This primer needs to come with a warning sign of do not use unless you want to seriously illuminate your complexion. With no clue in its title, I wasn’t quite prepared for what kind of primer was going to come out of the glass bottle, but it’s certainly one that perked up my tired, dull-looking skin.
So much so that I’ve started to use it on its own too, on days when my skin just needs a little radiance and a touch of concealer. Just don’t use any more than a pea-sized amount, as it starts to look unnatural – I learnt this the hard way.
But, if you apply with a less-is-more approach and let it dry for a minute, you’re left with a cushioned skin that makes foundation application easier for an overall fresher and long-wearing make-up finish.
Buy now £19.95, Boots.com
Kat Burki silk protein primer
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: silicone-free primer for mature skin
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, silk amino acids
Why we love it
- Silicone-free line and pore smoothing
- Skincare infused formula
- Extra hydrating
Take note
- Not widely available
Not heard of Kat Burki skincare? The US brand with a plethora of celebrity fans has been gaining momentum here in the UK. With nutritional science at its heart and cold-pressed technology for maximum potency, it only uses ingredients with purpose. So, you’ll find no silicones in this bestselling primer that’s really been impressing me.
In keeping with the brand’s philosophy, this is a skincare-infused primer with skin-protecting antioxidants, skin-loving nutrients, and plenty of skin-quenching ingredients that make it a good pairing for my mature skin. Leaving it soft, even and yes, as the name suggests, silky, so that both a light BB cream or a full-on foundation applies effortlessly and adheres longer.
Buy now £43, Dermoi.com
Shiseido revitalessence skin glow primer
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: brightening primer for mature skin
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Prebiotics, niacinamide
Why we love it
- Hydrating like-skincare formula
- Adds glow to the skin
- SPF25 protection
- Extends the wear of coverage
Take note
- It's expensive
If you’re looking to cheat your way to a glowing complexion, I can’t recommend this primer enough. It feels more like an extension of your skincare: a very light moisturiser that’s neither greasy nor sticky – just beautifully hydrating and illuminating.
It leaves behind such a velvety-smooth finish (all without the use of silicone) that it makes applying foundation and concealer around tricky enlarged pores and fine lines much easier with such an even canvas.
What’s more, it locks make-up in place for longer and gives skin some added broad-spectrum SPF25 protection. Try it with the matching foundation for the glowing-skin dream team.
Buy now £42, Lookfantastic.com
Milk Makeup hydro grip primer
Rating: 5/5
Best: primer for long-lasting make-up
Size: 45ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, blue agave extract
Why we love it
- Grips make-up in place to prolong wear
- Hydrating formula
- Dewy, glow-enhancing finish
Take note
- If too expensive, try e.l.f’s primer often considered a dupe
Milk now has a popular wardrobe of primers to suit different needs but, in my eyes, this multi-award winner is still the best for mature skin because it packs a hydrating punch and locks on make-up if you have a long day ahead of you – all without oils and silicone.
The thirst-quenching formula uses skin-loving hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and aloe water to create a plump and smooth skin texture for make-up to apply to, but it’s the not-so-secret-ingredient blue agave extract that grips to make-up to stop it fading, going patchy or sitting in lines.
My skin always drinks in the cool, clear gel, leaving it with a healthy-looking, dewy finish. Just don’t forget to leave the primer to activate its gripping powers for a minute before buffing make-up on top, so as to get the optimum base for staying power.
Buy now £35, Boots.com
What is the best primer for mature skin?
Vieve super skin nova takes the top spot as the best primer for mature skin, because it boosts hydration and radiance: the two things most mature skin types are lacking. The extra make-up prep should not be underestimated for evening out the skin’s surface, making foundation application effortless and wear long-lasting.
If you’re looking to spend less, you can’t beat e.l.f. power grip primer, which also smooths the way to a better finish and staying power.
How I tested
I’m a beauty editor in my 40s, so I’ve tested countless primers as part of my job over the years. Narrowing it down to the best 10 for mature skin took some retesting of old favourites as well as putting the latest launches on trial.
With the typical fine lines and wrinkles of a 40-something woman and a dry skin type to boot, these primers had their work cut out. I tested each for at least two weeks and looked at the following criteria…
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As an experienced beauty journalist and reviewer, Sabine Wiesel has covered a range of beauty products, especially anti-ageing products. She’s reviewed everything from the best neck creams to retinol eye creams and best anti-ageing day creams for IndyBest so she knows which are the top performers when it comes to primers for mature skin that won’t crease, slide or cake.
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