In the world of affordable beauty, two primers are dominating the Amazon charts and every makeup enthusiast’s vanity: e.l.f. Power Grip Primer and L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Advanced Derm Primer. Both products boast impressive benefits and thousands of glowing reviews. But which one truly deserves a spot in your makeup routine in 2025?
Let’s compare them side by side to help you make the best choice for your skin, makeup goals, and budget.
Quick Overview
| Product | e.l.f. Power Grip Primer | L’Oréal Prime Lab Pore Minimizer |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight | Sticky, hydrating | Blurring, AHA + LHA |
| Skin Type | Normal–Dry | Normal–Oily |
| Finish | Dewy | Matte |
| Hold | All-day | 24H |
| Price | 💲 | 💲💲 |
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer – The Hydration Hero
This Amazon’s Choice product is a cult favorite for a reason. The e.l.f. Power Grip Primer is a gel-based, water based primer formulated to grip makeup while deeply hydrating your skin. Many beauty experts ask, “is elf power grip primer water based?” and the answer is yes! For those wondering “is e.l.f. power grip primer water or silicone based,” it is indeed a water based formula, making it ideal for dry and sensitive skin.
It contains hyaluronic acid, known for boosting skin moisture and elasticity. If you’re searching for the best hyaluronic acid serum to pair with your primer, try options like good molecules hyaluronic acid serum or a reliable hyaluronic acid cream. For those with acne-prone skin, you might ask: is hyaluronic acid good for acne? The answer is yes, but be mindful that in rare cases, hyaluronic acid can cause acne depending on your skin’s reaction.
Key Benefits:
- Sticky texture helps foundation adhere all day.
- Ideal for dry or combination skin types.
- Slightly tacky finish locks in makeup for long wear.
- Fragrance-free and cruelty-free.
- SKIN-SMOOTHING and GRIPPING PRIMER: Your makeup. It’s not going anywhere. Prep skin with this gel-ba…
- FOR ALL SKIN TYPES: Our Power Grip Primer’s formula goes on clear with a translucent finish for all …
- MOISTURIZES WHILE PRIMING: Infused with powerhouse ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid to retain moistu…
User Review Highlight:
“I’ve tried every primer from drugstore to high-end, and e.l.f. beats them all. My makeup doesn’t budge and my skin feels hydrated all day.”
Best For: Dewy finishes, dry to normal skin, foundation that needs a strong base to grip onto. Also pairs well with best eyeshadow primer for a full face look.
L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Advanced Derm Primer – The Skin Smoother
This sleek tube delivers professional-level smoothing thanks to 1% AHA + LHA, which helps gently exfoliate and refine the skin over time. If you’re dealing with visible pores, oily skin, or texture, primer loreal Paris or loreal Paris face primer is your go-to. It stands out as one of the best drugstore makeup primer options currently trending.
If you’re into alternatives like milk primer or silicone based primer, you’ll find L’Oréal’s formula a perfect middle ground with long-lasting matte control. It’s also great for those asking for the best primer for oily skin, primer for oily skin, or best primer for greasy skin.
Key Benefits:
- Instantly blurs pores and mattifies skin.
- Improves skin over time with AHA and LHA.
- Lightweight feel with up to 24H wear.
- Dermatologist-tested and suitable for sensitive skin.
- Age Perfect by L’Oreal Paris blurring face Primer is infused with a caring serum and features a univ…
- This product can either be worn alone or with age Perfect radiant serum foundation or age Perfect cr…
- It instantly smooths the look of lines and pores. In 1 Use it diffuses the look of lines with a natu…
User Review Highlight:
“I was shocked at how smooth my skin looked. My pores vanished, and my makeup didn’t get oily for the entire day. This stuff is magic.”
Best For: Matte finishes, oily or textured skin, pore-blurring effects. Ideal if you’re searching for the best primer for large pores or best primer for mature skin and best makeup primer for mature skin.
Face-Off: Which One Should You Choose?
| Category | Winner |
| Hydration | e.l.f. Power Grip |
| Pore-Blurring | L’Oréal Prime Lab |
| Makeup Grip | e.l.f. Power Grip |
| Matte Control | L’Oréal Prime Lab |
| Sensitive Skin Friendly | Both |
| Price | e.l.f. (More budget-friendly) |
Final Verdict: Choose Based on Your Skin Goals Go with e.l.f. Power Grip Primer if you want a hydrating base with strong makeup grip and a dewy finish. This great drugstore primer also pairs well with makeup tutorial styles from fairy makeup, soft glam makeup, to witch makeup and even birthday makeup!
Pick L’Oréal Prime Lab Primer if you need pore-blurring, shine control, and a long-lasting matte look. It performs exceptionally with vampire makeup, skeleton makeup, scarecrow makeup, and more artistic looks like drag makeup, beetlejuice makeup, joker makeup, or sfx makeup.
The best part? Both are available on Amazon with fast shipping, making it easy to try them both and decide for yourself. These are some of the best drugstore skin primer picks of the year.
Have You Tried These Primers? Let us know in the comments below which primer you prefer! Do you love the dewy grip of e.l.f. or the flawless finish of L’Oréal? Share your thoughts and help others make smarter beauty buys in 2025. And if you’re shopping for best makeup for older women or building a makeup kit as a beginner, these are two excellent starting points.
While exploring more options, don’t forget to check out city beauty products, meaningful beauty products, and other beauty products for beginners to complete your look. From hello kitty makeup to smokey eye makeup makeup, there’s something for everyone whether you’re channeling 2007 makeup, 2012 makeup, arcane makeup, or even kiss makeup from the 80s makeup scene!
