If there were a season for minimalist, so-called “no-makeup-makeup” looks, it would be summer. Perhaps this is because warmer weather presents sweaty situations, and thus, increased risk of midday makeup melt-offs. As someone who wears a full face of foundation year-round, I plan to implement primers—which grip to foundation for longer wear time—as the temperatures rise. My current favorites are on the pricier side, yet the Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Blurring Primer, which is $18 at Amazon, performs exceptionally well, per makeup minimalists and maximalists alike. In fact, the primer has earned more than 7,000 perfect ratings at Amazon—ample incentive for me to snap it up myself.

The formula blurs imperfections like fine lines and hyperpigmentation, making it easier to achieve a fresh, believably bare-faced look, should that be your goal. For anyone who chooses to continue wearing foundation in the balmy months ahead, as I plan to, the primer is equally perfect, as it prolongs makeup weartime and mitigates melt-off by locking foundation in place. 

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Blurring Face Primer

Buy on Amazon$20$18

The Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Blurring Primer is a wrinkle-smoothing, fine-line-filling, pore-whittling cream that gives skin a filter-like finish in seconds. The silky, semi-matte finish is non-greasy and resists midday shininess. As a bonus, the primer delivers anti-aging ingredients, including SPF 30, to improve skin’s natural appearance and texture over time.

The formula relies on silicone, a notably smoothing ingredient attributable to the primer’s blurring effect. Furthermore, the easy-glide formula is spiked with shea butter, an ingredient rich in fatty acids that imparts instant suppleness. Cucumber reduces inflammation, and, in turn, puffiness. Green tea provides antioxidant protection from skin-damaging free-radicals in the environment, which, in turn, slows signs of skin aging, including hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and laxity. 

In addition to blurring the appearance of pores and wrinkles, the primer creates a hydrated look and feel—which, in tandem with its smoothing properties, boosts radiance and imparts an almost glass-like finish without excess shine. 

Case in point: One reviewer says their skin looks “so great” when they use the primer, they’re skipping foundation altogether. Moreover, they share, its smoothing effect lasts “all day.” Another fan notes the primer makes their skin feel “like silk,” while a final fan, who is over 60 and “can’t live without it,” calls it “terrific” for reducing the appearance of age spots. 

For a pore and wrinkle-blurring primer that may just replace your foundation entirely, shop the  Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Blurring Primer at Amazon. Shop more skin-perfecting primers at Amazon, below.

StriVectin Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer

Buy on Amazon$39$29

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Face Blurring Primer 

Buy on Amazon$14$11