Beauty Makeup Face Priming and Setting These Dewy Skin Drops Have Completely Replaced Primer in My Makeup Routine The results are so radiant, I sometimes skip highlighter, too. By Tamim Alnuweiri Tamim Alnuweiri Instagram Twitter Website Tamim is beauty commerce writer at InStyle, with nearly a decade of experience writing about beauty, fashion, wellness, and music. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on January 29, 2023 @ 04:00AM Pin Share Tweet Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Sephora I first experimented with primers a decade ago. At the time, they felt very silicone-like and were only marketed towards performers and dancers who needed their makeup to last for professional reasons — so I wrote them off because they felt too heavy and congested my oily, breakout-prone skin. While the primer product category has seen a lot of growth and innovation in the last decade (there are many that I now like), I have not touched one since realizing how great of a replacement Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops are. My discovery was actually an accident. My skin has been especially dry this winter, and to compensate I have been cycling through a number of products marketed as being “dewy” or “glow-enhancing.” When I was moving from my skincare to my makeup routine, I noticed that after using Glow Recipe’s Dew Drops, my complexion looked much more even, less porous, and yes, dewy. Sephora Shop now: $34; amazon.com and sephora.com When I first used the product, I elected to skip a primer and go straight to foundation, and the effect was stunning. My foundation went on like I was working with the most even of canvases and not like the road covered in potholes and pebbles that my complexion frequently is. InStyle / Tamim Alnuweiri Thanks to the niacinamide-packed formula, my skin looks (and feels) so soft, smooth, and radiant that sometimes I skip highlighter altogether. Plus, the hyaluronic acid in the formula locks in moisture super well — at the end of the day, my skin feels as hydrated as it did when I first finished my skincare routine. I also think the Dew Drops have been functioning as some sort of protective barrier, preventing any potentially comedogenic ingredients from penetrating my skin too deeply. My post-makeup skin is less clogged and congested when I prime my face with the product. The TL;DR? Your makeup and skincare routines are probably missing out without these drops. Head to Amazon and Sephora to shop Glow Recipe’s makeup-improving Dew Drops. Shop More InStyle-Approved Picks This $10 Nail Polish “Lasts Longer Than Gel,” According to Shoppers Who Can Go 8+ Days Without Chipping Banana Republic Just Launched a Secret Sale With Double Discounts — Up to 85% Off I’m an Amazon Shopping Editor, and These Are 5 Deals You Won’t Regret Adding to Your Cart This Weekend