9 best primers for the perfect make-up base, tested by a beauty writer

Ask any top make-up artist and they’ll tell you: if you’re wearing foundation, you should be using primer, too - (Louise Whitbread/The Independent)

There’s nothing more frustrating than taking the time to apply your make-up in the morning, only to find by lunchtime that it’s turned patchy, faded away or left your T-zone gleaming with shine. That’s where the right primer can transform your beauty routine.

Some primers deliver a mattifying, blurring effect that softens the look of enlarged pores and fine lines while helping to control excess oil throughout the day. Others are designed to create a luminous finish, adding radiance and brightness, or to deeply hydrate and nourish dry patches.