I've Tried All of the Most Expensive Primers, But This £10 One Beats Them All

I have a love-hate relationship with makeup primers. Having both oily and dehydrated skin means I'm a hard-to-please beauty editor in this category. I'm prone to an oily shine come the afternoon, but in other areas, my skin looks parched. Heavy "putty"-textured primers lend a flawless result on first application, but end up looking cakey on my T-zone by the end of the day—which only highlights areas of dehydration—not to mention leaving my skin with breakouts, Lightweight formulas, on the other hand, feel nice, but don't seem to do an awful lot for the look nor the longevity of my makeup.

On my quest to find my holy grail primer, the most annoying part has been spending a small fortune on different products over the years, especially when primers from more expensive makeup brands have turned out to be not as great as they claim. So when beloved affordable makeup brand E.l.f. Cosmetics launched its Power Grip Primer (£10), I was naturally sceptical. But it has since become one of the only primers I reach for daily. And the best part? It's only £10, and a tube lasts for ages. Scroll ahead for my full review.

E.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer Review

The Formula

Power Grip Primer is a clear, gel-based formula, making it hydrating, cooling and lightweight on the skin—no risk of clogging pores here. The addition of hyaluronic acid helps to plump the skin before makeup application, but its biggest accolade is that it promises to cling onto any makeup that you apply on top, and I can attest that it really does.

It leaves a tacky finish on the skin which gives it the "grip" in Power Grip, making it like velcro for foundation. Don't let that put you off though; you need to wait 30 seconds before applying makeup, but it's not heavy or thick. Instead, it sinks into the skin and delivers visible plumpness, bounce and moisture, which is exactly what you want from a primer. E.l.f.'s website says it best: "Grippy. Sticky. No Icky."

The primer is also fragrance-free, making it ideal for those with sensitive skin, as well as vegan and cruelty-free. As someone who has oily, breakout-prone skin that is also prone to dehydration (as mentioned above), I can safely say that this works very well on combination skin, and equally as well on oily or dry faces. However, it does give a dewy finish, so if you prefer something more mattifying, you might find that Liquid Poreless Putty Primer (£10) is a better bet.

How to Apply It

One pump is enough to cover your entire face, and because of the tacky finish, you definitely don't need to go overboard on application here. The pump dispenses the perfect amount of product so none is wasted, and you can smooth it onto your skin with your fingertips. It will feel tacky to the touch at first, but this subsides after around 30 seconds whilst retaining enough of that grip to cling onto any makeup you're applying on top.

This was after applying E.l.f. Cosmetics Camo Hydrating CC Cream (£15) on top, and my skin is visibly more plumped and dewy than if I hadn't used the Power Grip Primer. It wears so well throughout the day, too. Whilst I'll never be able to control the afternoon shine I get with my skin type, it plays really well with any makeup I apply on top—there's no congealing, separating or patchiness when I use this primer. Thanks to the hydrating formula, it also helps my skin stay juicy-looking throughout the day and keeps my makeup looking fresh.

How It Wears Throughout the Day

I'll admit that on this particular day in the Who What Wear UK office, I really put the primer through its paces. I applied it at 6 a.m., and after commuting into London on a busy train, I then spent a sweaty couple of hours in our hot beauty cupboard during the day. Here's how my makeup was looking at around 4 p.m. Whilst my natural oiliness had quite literally shone through here, my base makeup had stayed in place for over 10 hours, and I wasn't left with any of the dry patches or makeup separation that other primers often disappoint me with.

The Verdict

This primer does exactly what it promises, and at £10 for 24 millilitres, I'm seriously impressed at how long-lasting the formula is, both in terms of how well it makes my makeup last and how such a small amount goes a long way. It's like superglue for makeup, and because it's so affordable, I don't feel guilty about reaching for this daily to ensure my makeup stays put as well as it can. It performs so well that I really notice a difference on the days when I forget to apply it before foundation or a skin tint. And because it works so well across many skin types, I'm inclined to recommend it to everyone.

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