Updated August 20, 2021
Want to save some money? I’m sharing four amazing drugstore dupes for high end primers. Why pay high end when you can get the same thing for a fraction of the price!
Who’s ready for another makeup dupes post? Some of my drugstore and dupes posts are my most viewed posts, especially via Pinterest! In fact, my Full Face of Makeup Dupes post is one of my most popular posts of all time! Today we’ll be talking all about the best drugstore makeup primer dupes!
Primer is one step I just can’t skip in my routine. I am very passionate about skin prep and making sure my complexion has the proper base for me to lay my makeup on top of. I vary up the primers I use depending on the look I’m going for, whether I am going for a blurring, matte, or dewy look. I love me some good high-end primers and have used so many of them over the years, but of course, I am always searching for the best dupe!
These drugstore makeup primer dupes have been tested by yours truly and will work for all skin types. I take my makeup product testing seriously and I’m only sharing the best primers. I would confidently recommend each and every one of these dupes if you are on a budget but want something similar to its high-end counterpart. Some of these primers are not 100% identical in the way that they feel right away, but do the same thing on the skin. For me, I consider that a good dupe. Performance is what matters at the end of the day!
Let’s battle this out! I’ve also linked every high-end primer at Ulta and Sephora, and every dupe at Amazon, to make it easy for you to shop. One thing I’ve noticed lately is that Amazon is killing it with their prices of drugstore beauty… sometimes a few dollars less than what I see it in stores!
We have a bunch of different primers on this list! From smoothing, to hydrating, to gripping – I’ve got you covered!
Makeup Primer Dupes:
Let’s get to the best drugstore dupes for high end primers!
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Dupe
The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is a cult favorite, and the standard primer everyone seems to compare other primers with. This primer was originally developed to help makeup look better on set! It’s got a silky silicone texture that creates a poreless base for the makeup to glide onto. It also contains vitamins A & E. If I’m being completely honest here, there are so many primers out there just like the Smashbox primer for the fraction of the price. If you’ve never tried the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, add it to your cart! It’s the cheapest dead on dupe I’ve found. I previously mentioned it in my Drugstore Makeup Dupes post. I cannot tell a difference! Another dupe is the Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel – it is also nearly identical but a little bit more expensive. Lastly, another Smashbox primer dupe worth checking out is the NYX Studio Perfect Photo-Loving Primer, if you can’t find my other suggestions! It has over 6,000 5-star reviews!
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Dupe
The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer has a very silky texture that creates a really soft canvas for makeup. In my opinion, it isn’t as blurring as some other pore-filling primers, but it is a beautiful makeup base. It conceals redness, minimizes the appearance of pores and texture, and provides a broad spectrum SPF 15 protection. The Hourglass primer has a silky, cloud-like texture. NYX Angel Veil Primer is nearly identical! The texture is not quite the same when you first squeeze it out of the tube, but once it’s spread on the face, it creates the same feel and finish. I absolutely love it as a dupe to the Hourglass. Side note: why is Hourglass so pricey? It’s one of my favorite luxury brands but I die a little inside each time I look at the price, haha!
Becca Backlight Priming Filter Dupe
In my Full Face of Makeup Dupes post/video, I did a side by side dupe test of The Becca Backlight Priming Filter against the Maybelline Master Primer Blur + Illuminate. Come to find out, the Maybelline has been discontinued! That makes me so sad because it is an amazing primer. Anyway, the Becca primer will be discontinued soon as well, so we’ve got to find a replacement. If you have dry skin or want a luminous primer that leaves a healthy glow and evens out skin tone, you will love it. Luckily the Physicians Formula Spotlight Illuminating Primer is another option and a great dupe! It is nearly identical to the Becca and gives a lovely glowy base. You will not be disappointed!
Benefit Porefessional Primer Dupe
The Benefit Porefessional Primer is a longtime favorite for many people. It is a thick consistency that creates a smooth canvas, fills pores, and gives a slight matte finish. You can wear this alone to smooth out skin or underneath makeup. It has an oil-free formula that is translucent and complements all skin tones and types. I like to use this primer in very small amounts only on the spots that have the most texture. This is great for oily skin and also textured skin. Luckily, I found something identical. I’m telling you, I cannot tell the difference between the two primers. Go and grab the NYX Pore Filler and thank me later.
Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer Dupe
The Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer is well-loved face primer in the beauty community. It is a velvety priming balm that smooths, helps the appearance of fine lines, and helps the makeup last longer with a flawless finish. It’s very luxurious and great for all skin types. Forget about paying that $52 price tag – how about $9 for the e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer? I find it to be so similar! And you cannot beat that affordable price!
Milk Hydro Grip Primer Dupe
The Milk Hydro Grip Primer is a gripping primer that creates a sticky base to the skin. This award-winning primer is formulated with hemp extract and blue agave extract. Gripping primers help makeup adhere to the skin and last longer. They’re my favorite to use lately, especially in summer months! I see a big difference in how long my makeup wears! You know what’s an exact dupe for the Milk Hydro Grip Primer? The e.l.f. Jelly Pop Primer. I really cannot tell a difference other than the fragrance. There are some differences in the ingredients, but they perform the exact same way for me. The e.l.f. primer contains hyaluronic acid, niacinimide, vitamins A,C, &E, and watermelon extract. The e.l.f. primer has ranked to one of my holy grails!
Too Faced Hangover Primer Dupe
The Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Primer is lovely hydrating primer with a lightweight formula. It hydrates, smoothes, and brightens skin for a dewy healthy finish. It’s formulated with hydrating coconut water. A great drugstore dupe for Too Faced primer is the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Primer. It is a similar formula that also contains coconut water and hyaluronic acid! This primer has great reviews and is an amazing alternative to the Too Faced for a lower price point!
What type of primer do you like? Do you prefer a hydrating, gripping, smoothing, or luminous primer? Hope you found these makeup primer dupes helpful! I know they sure will be a help to your wallet. Do you have any favorite drugstore primers you love more than any other high-end brand? I’d love to know!
If you found this post helpful and you’d like to share it with your friends, I’d love if you’d pin this image below! Thank you so much!
Which makeup primer dupe are you going to try first?
If you loved this, check out some of my other drugstore makeup dupe and beauty posts:
All About Skin Prep! What Does Makeup Primer Do?
The Best Drugstore Lipsticks for Fair Skin
7 Cheap Makeup Brands that are Actually Great Quality
The 5 Best Translucent Setting Powders Under $8
The 5 Best Beauty Blender Dupes
…or check out all of my drugstore/dupes posts HERE!
Meg O.
Creator at Meg O. on the Go
- Drugstore Makeup BETTER than High End
- The BEST Drugstore Setting Sprays for All Skin Types
- Meg O. Beauty Awards – The Best Hair, Skin, and Nail Products 2022
- How to Do Makeup for Photos – 2022 Edition!
- The Best Daily Sunscreens for Face
- 10 Drugstore Lipsticks for Fall 2021
- Get Ready With Me – Maternity Photoshoot Makeup
- Testing Popular High End Makeup Dupes! It Cosmetics CC Cream Dupe? Pillow Talk Dupe? Let’s Find Out!
- Spring Skincare Routine on a Budget (Pregnancy Safe!)
- 7 Cheap Makeup Brands that are Actually Great Quality
- The Best Drugstore Self Tanner + Tips and Tricks
- Eyeshadow Tutorial for Beginners – Step by Step
I LOVE that ELF primer!! It’s amazing and is the closest to the benefit. The Maybelline Baby Skin is my go to primer, I love the feeling. It also doesn’t break me out either. Great dupes Meg!
So good, right?!! I love it!! Thanks girl!!
I’ve been thinking about buying one of those, which one do you like better? The elf one or baby skin?
I own both , the Baby Skin & the elf mint. They are both wonderful yet imo two completely different types of primers. The elf mint has gripping action that takes the longevity of your makeup to a new level. The Baby Skin is so smooth and does wonders at blurring. Both primers are A1 in my book, just depends on what your looking for!!
What would you suggest for an eye primer?
I’ve been loving this Maybelline Eyeshadow base lately! It has a little bit of skin tone pigment to it and it kinda covers up the whole area almost like a concealer! http://amzn.to/2CUYScp
Pore-fessional is one of my favorites; I’m excited to try the ELF to see if it works just as well for me and saves a little in the budget.
I love the maybelline super stay foundation as a dupe to urban decay up all night!
Which one would be best for oily skin?
I absolutely love serious skincare A-Primer. Is there anyone who knows of a dupe for this.
I found a great hourglass veil dupe, while it’s still more expensive than drugstore, it’s cheaper than hourglass (what wouldn’t be at that price? Damn! So good, though!), But Pur cosmetics makes a primer called prep and perfect. I actually like it better. Here’s the link: https://www.purcosmetics.com/products/4-in-1-correcting-primer-prep-perfect