Style Makeup Ask a Beauty Editor: Best Drugstore Primers Under $20 The perfect foundation for your foundation. By Hana Hong Hana Hong Instagram Hana Hong is the beauty & fashion editor at RealSimple.com. She has been a writer and editor in the beauty and fashion industry for more than six years, sharing her expansive knowledge on skincare, hair care, makeup, fashion, and more. In addition to her broad network of beauty experts, she uses her family's background and training in skin science and cosmetic chemistry to differentiate between effective skincare formulations and marketing jargon. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 28, 2023 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Delmaine Donson/Getty Images Ever wanted to pick the brain of a beauty editor? Or get beauty product recommendations from someone who has tried them all? You've come to the right place. In our weekly series, beauty editor Hana Hong answers your biggest skincare, hair care, and makeup questions, all submitted by Real Simple readers. Tune in every Tuesday and submit your own burning beauty questions here for a chance to be featured. Reader question: What is the best drugstore brand for base/primer? @jholley2005 We all love makeup and a good deal (see our concealer roundup from last week), so let's talk drugstore primers. Primer may seem like a skippable step, but the makeup pre-game is arguably the most important consideration to take in your routine. Just like you would apply a base coat on your nails pre-polish (well, I hope so), primers give your foundation and concealer an even surface to grip onto so that makeup goes on evenly and lasts longer. Not to mention that many primers are also boosted with ingredients that make applying makeup better for your skin than going without. Oh, and here's the best part—you don't have to shell out big bucks to reap the benefits. Case in point: These six primers, which I've tested against even the most expensive alternatives to affirm they're the real deal. Best Drugstore Primers 01 of 06 Best Primer for Rough Skin: Maybelline New York Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser $7, amazon.com Dubbed by fans as "Photoshop in a bottle," Maybelline's aptly named formula smooths over pores and bumpy patches like an imperfection eraser. 02 of 06 Best Primer for Oily Skin: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer $4, rimmellondon.com If your oily pores ruin your perfectly blended makeup throughout the day, this primer will be a foundation-saver—it mattifies skin and controls shine for up to 8 hours, so your foundation looks the same at happy hour as it did at your 11 a.m. meeting. 03 of 06 Best Primer for Dry Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Glow Primer and Serum $20, ulta.com This serum-to-primer hybrid is infused with purified hyaluronic acid to give three major benefits: intensely hydrate, plump up your complexion (i.e. younger-looking skin), and bestow the *glow*. 04 of 06 Best Primer With SPF: Milani SPF BFF Primer $13, ulta.com Calling all skincare and makeup minimalists: This drugstore primer moonlights as sunscreen with SPF 30 to provide UV and foundation protection. 05 of 06 Best Primer for Acne: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer $18, sephora.com The last thing you want on an acne-prone complexion is a thick formula that sits on your face (read: clogs up your pores). This one has a gel consistency that absorbs quickly and leaves behind a matte, never sticky finish. 06 of 06 Best Primer for Redness: NYX Studio Perfect Color Correcting Primer in Green $13, amazon.com If you're familiar with color correcting (using complementary colors to cancel each other out), then you should know that green will neutralize any red you're trying to hide. This one from NYX cancels out any redness caused by rosacea, acne, and broken capillaries while prolonging the wear of your foundation. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit