8 hydrating primers perfect for dehydrated skin

Pores may generally be equated with oiliness, but they can be a hassle for dehydrated skin types too, especially when dryness causes makeup to drag over them. Luckily, this pore-minimising primer is expertly equipped to smooth out the skin's surface, moisturising and refreshing even the driest of faces thanks to the replenishing talents of hyaluronic acid and shea butter.

$27 at Myer

Doesn't this stuff even look delightfully hydrating?! Yes, yes it does. Designed to create an instantly dewy canvas, it's a fancy jelly formula that's both a sensory treat to apply and a hardworking hydrator to boot. Helping makeup grip to and sit atop the barrier it creates (instead of sinking into skin), it guarantees the long-lasting, luminous wear we're all craving with ease.

$50 at Adore Beauty

When you're in desperate need of hydration, calling upon the aid of hyaluronic acid is always your best bet, and this primer does just that. What can you expect from it? A delicious coconut scent, a welcome cooling effect, and a gel formula that absorbs immediately (bypassing 'sticky' territory) but still leaves the surface silky smooth once it kicks into gear.

$42 at Tarte

A silicone-free smoothing primer is usually tricky to find, but this one delivers! And as anyone with dry skin will damn well know, 'smooth' is the eternal goal. It boasts a light-as-air texture, sure, but grips to skin (as the name would suggest), allowing moisture (but not makeup to dive beneath the surface). It's not cheap, no, but it's incredible.

$100 at Sephora

Considering the cult following that its matching foundation has gained over the years, it's no surprise that this is damn good stuff too. A comfortable and nourishing gel formula that melts into skin, leaving it (spoiler alert) both luminous and silky, it helps you swap dull for dewy while also glossing right over rough spots. The gratitude is real!

$79 at Sephora

Here's our favourite thing about this guy; while it's an absolute pro at priming, prepping and hydrating the skin (nice one, niacinamide), it also blesses your complexion with a coating of gloss that'll tempt you to go bare-faced, but will still work an illuminating treat under makeup. Basically, it's a hydrating highlighter with a multitude of wear-extending benefits.

$52 at Catch

Watermelon is a winning hydrator, so this primer puts it front and centre, guaranteeing that its fatty acid-rich oil extracts get exactly where they need to be (into the moisture barrier-strengthening trenches of course). On top of that, it also features a dehydration-thwarting hyaluronic acid and vitamin E duo to plump and pump up skin's moisture and bounce levels pre-makeup.

$51 at ASOS

A silky-smooth pearlescent primer that gives the skin a coating of lit-from-within radiance (and mixes like magic with any foundation if you want to turn it into a tint), it's as cooling, plumping and hydrating as primers get! Chalk that up to its combo of hyaluronic acid, Kakadu plum and white sapphire.

$69.95 at Oz Hair & Beauty