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We Tried the 5 Best-Selling Primers for Oily Skin — Here's What Really Worked

Because no one has time to try a thousand different primers
Unique Features: This primer can be used on top of foundation too, is sweat-resistant and free of silicone, oil, alcohol and fragrance.

Tested & True: This primer means BUSINESS. It was easily the most mattifying of them all, but my issue is that I don't get obnoxiously oily, so it was almost too much oil control for me. If you're someone who applies makeup then needs to blot within, say, an hour, you will fall in love with this option, but if you're someone who gets a bit oily in the T-zone, you probably won't vibe well with this pick. I feel like this would be the perfect option for a mid-summer day or when I'm headed to a concert or party where I'm going to be hot, sweaty and dripping oil.

Overall Rating: 6/10

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Unique Features: It features an incredible anti-acne treatment, heals existing blemishes and has a gel-like consistency.

Tested & True: While this primer is technically a makeup product, I appreciated the fact that it worked like skin care at the same time, using a 1 percent salicylic acid to help control and heal pesky breakouts. As soon as you apply this lightweight, gel-like primer, you'll see your skin looking more matte, but it also works to smooth out any texture in the skin, which was a nice added benefit. The oil-control properties of this primer did work well, but I did find myself blotting a bit sooner than I did with the other primers I tried.

Overall Rating: 6/10

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Unique Features: This guy has a blurring effect, serious skin care benefits and makes skin look airbrushed.

Tested & True: While the main feature of this primer is to control oil throughout the day, I think that the pore-smoothing ability was just as impressive. This primer felt lightweight and made my skin look airbrushed as soon as I applied it. Another positive thing was that it actually made my skin feel more plump and hydrated, which is another benefit of this beauty. It uses collagen to help make the skin look and feel more youthful and who doesn't want/need that? I felt that my oil was nicely controlled for most of the day, and I really only had to blot right before leaving work towards the end of the day.

Overall Rating: 7/10

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Unique Features: It's actually a skin care product, has SPF 15 and hydrates skin simultaneously.

Tested & True: What I loved most about this primer is that it is actually a skin care product. As a beauty junkie, I'm constantly trying new products, which means I'm no stranger to breakouts, so anything that can help heal blemishes while controlling oil is a win-win for me. This primer was liquidy and has a stickier consistency than the others, but I found that it controlled oil the longest. It went on smoothly, made my skin look instantly matte and my foundation glided over it perfectly, despite its stickier finish.

Overall Rating: 9/10

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Unique Features: It has a milky consistency, is super lightweight and has a soft-focus finish.

Tested & True: After using all five of these best-selling oil control primers, I think this option was my favorite, mostly because of the consistency and amount of oil control. It perfectly melted into my skin, almost feeling like a gel moisturizer consistency (which I love as someone who is oil-prone) and made the skin feel like straight velvet. The finish was so soft that my foundation looked even better than usual, which is always a plus. With my combination skin, it was the perfect amount of oil control to keep my skin nicely hydrated and not dried out, but never too oily during the day.

Overall Rating: 10/10

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BY KRISTEN BOUSQUET | OCT 12, 2018 | SHARES
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