Top Korean Primers 2020

Create a seamless palette for you to put your makeup on with these top Korean primers!

Primers are hugely underestimated when it comes to makeup. The common misconception is that, when you use high-end makeup, you don’t need a primer. I beg to differ as even that expensive makeup can use a good base. 

Primers help make your makeup last longer, and as with most Korean skincare and makeup products, Korean primers come chock full of other ingredients that help improve the texture and health of your skin. 

What is a primer?

Apart from helping your makeup last longer, primers also smooth the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, pores and wrinkles. They form a good base for your other makeup.

What to look for in a primer? 

Like any makeup product, you have to choose a primer based on your skin type. If you have oily skin, go for a primer that has sebum controlling ingredients. Dry skin can benefit from a moisturising primer. For hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, choose primers that can colour correct and tighten the skin. 

Read on for the reviews of the top Korean primers you can find:

Best Picks For Top Korean Primers:

1. MISSHA M BB Boomer – Reduces fine lines, sagging and wrinkles
2. TONYMOLY Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm – Helps tightens your skin
3. Etude House FIX & FIX Tone Up Primer – Provides sun protection

Best Korean Primers

Top Korean Primers	Best For	Price
INNISFREE NO-SEBUM Blur Primer	Oily Skin	$11.99
TOUCH IN SOL No Pore Blem Primer	All Skin Types	$15.50
VDL Lumilayer Primer Fresh	Hydrating	$32.00
Too Cool for School All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream	Anti-wrinkle & Skin Tightening	$36.00
MISSHA M BB Boomer	Using Under BB Creams	$11.40
TONYMOLY Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm	Skin Tightening	$20.00
BANILA CO Prime Primer Classic	Normal Skin	$24.00
Miguhara B.p Cream	Minimising Pores	$42.00
Etude House FIX & FIX Tone Up Primer	Sun Protection & Toning	$12.00
Aritaum Poremaster Sebum Control Matte Gel	Controlling Excess Sebum	$14.99

INNISFREE NO-SEBUM Blur Primer

Top Korean Primers For Oily Skin

Trust the K-beauty industry to take care of your skin in every single skincare product they make. If you have extremely oily skin, the Innisfree No-sebum blur primer is the right choice to give you a mattefying look.

Key Features:

• The active ingredient is the extract of the camellia sinensis leaf
• It effectively controls the sebum production in the skin
• Keeps skin free of oil all day long
• Also contains titanium dioxide which offers sun protection
• Contains Jeju green persimmon extracts
• Firms the skin

Pros:

• Gives oily skin a mattefying finish
• Blurs the skin and hides imperfections
• Alcohol-free formula

Cons:

• Too much of the product can clog the pores

Related: Get your skin makeup ready with these amazing Korean CC Creams! Check it out!

TOUCH IN SOL No Pore Blem Primer

Top Korean Primers for All Skin Types

The Touch in Sol No Pore Blem Primer is a versatile primer that can be used by all skin types, thanks to its hypoallergenic formula. It minimises the pores, tightens the skin and helps your makeup last all day long. 

Key Features:

• Contains green tea extracts
• Refreshes the skin and hydrates
• Tightens the pores and gives a smooth texture
• Contains collagen that makes the skin more elastic and supple
• Hydrates the skin and keeps it moist all day long
• Gentle formula that is safe for the skin

Pros:

• Hypoallergenic formula
• Safe for sensitive skin

Cons:

• Takes time to get absorbed into the skin

VDL Lumilayer Primer Fresh

Top Korean Primers For A Glowy Finish

What use is makeup if it doesn’t make you sparkle and glow? Try the VDL Lumilayer Primer Fresh for that subtle glow on your face that comes from the added sparkling pigments in the product. 

Key Features:

• Contains sparkling pigments that lend the product its shiny effect
• Contains ingredients that are intensely hydrating
• Keeps the skin moist and well hydrated all day long
• Tightens the skin 
• Helps makeup last until it is washed off
• Gives the skin a smooth and even texture

Pros:

• Gives skin a glow
• Hydrates the skin intensely

Cons:

• Contains alcohol and silicones
• Too much of it can clog the pores

Related: Here are more makeup products from the best K-beauty brands. Check it out!

Too Cool for School All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream

Top Korean Primers For Anti-wrinkle & Skin Tightening

Infused with the benefits of egg whites, the Too Cool for School All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream instantly tightens the skin and keeps wrinkles and fine lines away. It nourishes the skin and brightens it, while helping your makeup last longer.

Key Features:

• Active ingredients are albumin and collagen from egg whites
• Has the properties of tightening the skin and minimising the pores
• Makes skin firmer almost instantly
• Increases the elasticity of the skin
• Makes skin more supple and plump
• Contains niacinamide as another active ingredient
• Brightens the skin and fades pigmentation

Pros:

• Instant firming of the skin

Cons:

• Contains added colourants 

Related: You cannot miss out on these K-beauty products. Check it out here!

MISSHA M BB Boomer

Top Korean Primers for Using Under BB Creams

The Missha M BB Boomer is specifically formulated to be used under BB creams. It does work well under your favorite foundations too, but we find that with a BB cream, your skin looks almost flawless. Not just that, this primer is also effective in keeping the skin hydrated and nourishes it with its active ingredients.

Key Features:

• Meant to be used with BB creams
• Contains adenosine and arbutin
• Moisturises skin and tightens it
• Contains extracts of moringa and squalene
• Locks in hydration and keeps skin plump 
• Reduces fine lines, sagging and wrinkles

Pros:

• Works beautifully under BB creams

Cons:

• Not suitable for sensitive skin

Related: Check out these skin-nourishing Korean BB Creams here!

TONYMOLY Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm

Top Korean Primers For Skin Tightening

TonyMoly’s Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm is a blend of all the good herbs you can lay your hands on, to keep your skin fresh and smooth all day long. From the packaging, I’m sure you have already guessed that one of the main ingredients is egg, which helps tighten your skin. 

Key Features:

• Contains egg extracts as the main ingredient
• Tightens the pores and firms the skin
• Contains a blend of herbs that include lemon, pepper and burdock
• Smoothens the skin
• Nourishes the skin and keep infections away
• Brightens the skin

Pros:

• Comes in a cute packaging

Cons:

• Comes in a jar, makes it difficult to dispense and use the product

BANILA CO Prime Primer Classic

Top Korean Primers For Normal Skin

Get a smooth, matte look for your skin with the Prime Primer Classic by Banila Co. The primer is light, with sebum controlling properties, while still keeping your skin hydrated.

Key Features:

• Light in weight 
• Spreads easily and gets absorbed quickly
• Reduces the production of sebum and keeps skin looking fresh
• Hydrates the skin
• Can be used over makeup as well 
• Leaves skin feeling smooth
• Evens out the skin tone

Pros:

• Effective in reducing the sebum production
• Available in three variants, for dry skin, normal skin as well as oily skin

Miguhara B.p Cream

Top Korean Primers for Minimising Pores

The Miguhara B.p Cream comes in a tiny squeeze tube as a solution for your oily skin and blackheads. The primer has a blurring effect that blurs not only your blackheads, but also other skin imperfections, and leaves you with smooth, flawless skin.

If you have oily skin, fret not, cos this primer also absorbs the excess oil and gives your skin a mattifying finish.

Key Features:

• Tightens the skin
• Minimises the appearance of pores
• Has a blurring effect
• Diminishes the appearance of blackheads and other imperfections
• Leaves skin with a matte finish
• Reduces the shine on the face by absorbing oil

Pros:

• Effective in minimising pores and blurring blackheads
• Suitable for oily skin

Etude House FIX&FIX Tone Up Primer

Top Korean Primers For Sun Protection & Toning

The Fix&Fix Tone up Primer by Etude House not only tones your skin and makes it smoother, but also protects it from the harsh and damaging effects of the sun. Not just that, this toner comes in 4 varieties, so you choose the one you want depending on what results you wish to achieve.

Key Features:

• Comes in four varieties
• “Pores” is for minimising pores and tightening the skin
• The “rose” variant is for toning the skin and brightening it
• “Mint” primer is for soothing the skin and reducing inflammation and redness
• The “Lavender” variant is for calming the skin and correcting the tone

Pros:

• Protects your skin from sun damage with SPF 33
• Variety of four to suit every skin issue

Related: Acne ruining your makeup look? Here are the best Korean skincare products for acne!

Aritaum Poremaster Sebum Control Matte Gel 

Top Korean Primers For Controlling Excess Sebum

The Aritaum Poremaster Sebum Control Matte Gel is a lightweight primer that smoothes out the skin while also helping it heal. It reduces redness and inflammation, and provides enough hydration. It controls the production of sebum, making this a blessing for those with oily skin.

Key Features:

• Contains centella asiatica extracts as the active ingredient
• Repairs the skin and helps it heal
• Soothes the skin
• Reduces the production of sebum
• Hydrates the skin without making it greasy

Pros:

• Heals the skin and gives it a matte finish

Cons:

• May clog the pores

Which is the best Korean primer?

I tried and tested several Korean primers on different parameters. While all Korean primers in this list were great, the Etude House FIX&FIX Tone Up Primer stood out to me the most. 

Etude House FIX&FIX Tone Up Primer is rated the best Korean primer. It not only covers up blemishes but also gives you sun protection as it has SPF 33. It comes in 4 different variants – Pores, Rose, Mint and Lavender. 

The Pores variant minimizes pores and tightens the skin. The rose variant tones and brightens your skin tone. The Mint variant soothes skin and reduces inflammation. While the lavender variant calms the skin and corrects the skin tone.

When and how to apply a primer?

Complete your skincare routine and apply a primer as your first layer of makeup. Even if you don’t wish to use makeup, you can apply a primer for that smooth and toned look. 

Take a small amount of the primer and dot it on your face. Spread it using your fingertips for good absorption. 

How to choose the most suitable Korean primer for your skin?

Choose a Korean Primer the way you would choose any skincare product- based on your skin type and the problems you want to address. 

Many Korean primers today come with ingredients that nourish the skin and improve its health, like added SPF for sun protection, sebum controlling properties for oily skin and hydrating ingredients for dry skin.

If you have scars and blemishes, opt for a primer that has blurring properties for covering imperfections. 

Always test a sample first and make sure it suits your skin type as well as matches your foundation before buying a larger quantity.

Also Read: 

1. Up your skincare game with these nourishing Korean essences. Check it out!
2. Add a Korean ampoule to your skincare routine to target specific skin concerns. Find out which one is the best for you here!
3. Give your skin a gentle scrub to get rid of the dead skin cells and reveal a brighter face. Check out these amazing Korean exfoliators here!