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Best Moisturizers to Use Under Makeup, According to Experts

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You can buy the priciest foundation, the most popular concealer, and the setting powder with thousands of five-star reviews, and it won’t matter if your skin underneath that makeup isn’t prepped properly. One of the most important steps when doing your makeup is exfoliating and moisturizing your skin beforehand, because the smoother and more hydrated your complexion, the better your makeup will look, the longer it will last, and the less of it you’ll have to wear. This means having a really good moisturizer to wear underneath your makeup is key.

“Choosing the right moisturizer for your skin is really important to get the best out of your foundation and to avoid your base becoming patchy or oily,” makeup artist Zoe Taylor tells POPSUGAR. Sounds simple enough, but anyone who’s tried searching for a new face cream before knows that there are a whole lot of options out there, and in this case, not only does it need to suit your skin type and sensitivity levels, but it also needs to play nicely under makeup. If it’s too greasy, foundation won’t stick to it. If it’s not hydrating enough, your concealer will crease. And then there’s whether or not it will peel and roll the minute you put something on top of it.

With so much to consider, we decided to turn to professional makeup artists to find out which creams, lotions, and serums they keep stashed in their kits. These pros have troubleshot hundreds of formulas, whittling down which ones work and which ones don’t, and the moisturizers on this list do it all. Not only do they hydrate and smooth, but they also help keep makeup in place, acting like a primer but without having to add an additional layer to the skin (always a plus). From bargain buys to luxury options, keep reading to discover these miracle moisturizers that also make wonderful makeup primers.

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