The best all-around Benjamin Moore primer is Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046). It is a premium, 100% acrylic formula perfect for drastic color changes, blocking common stains, and ensuring a uniform finish on both interior and exterior surfaces.
Whether you need primer for Benjamin Moore paint depends entirely on your surface. Many premium Benjamin Moore lines (like Aura, Regal Select, and ben) are "paint and primer in one," meaning they can be applied directly over previously painted surfaces in good condition.
INSL-X® High Build Primer (HB‑2100)
INSL-X® High Build Primer is an interior latex primer formulated to provide a smooth, uniform finish on new drywall, composition board, and cured plaster.
Benjamin Moore Advance Primer (0790) is a premium waterborne alkyd primer designed specifically to pair with Advance Interior paints. It bridges the gap between water-based ease and oil-based performance. It is sandable and seals surfaces, making it highly recommended for kitchen cabinets, trim, and doors.
The best makeup primer depends on your specific skin type and desired finish. Top universally acclaimed options include e.l.f. Cosmetics for the best budget-friendly grip, Benefit Cosmetics for blurring pores, and Armani Beauty for a luxurious, smoothing base.
While Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start premium primers cover the most surfaces, there may be times when you'll need a specialty priming product, like a bonding or metal-specific primer, including: Metal, if there is rust present. We recommend using Ultra Spec® HP Acrylic Metal Primer.
Depending on your beauty goals, the "#1" primer varies. The e.l.f. Power Grip Primer is the ultimate best-seller for gripping makeup. For premium smoothing, the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer or Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer are top-rated.
The best primer to use depends entirely on your skin type and your primary makeup goal. To help you choose, consider these top-tier options tailored to specific needs:
Yes, Sherwin-Williams is generally considered on par with Benjamin Moore, and both are top-tier, premium paint brands. While professional opinions vary, Sherwin-Williams is often favored for its application and frequent sales, whereas Benjamin Moore is praised for superior color depth and long-term durability.
Yes, a primer is highly recommended when using Benjamin Moore Advance paint. While it can be applied over previously painted surfaces, a separate primer ensures proper adhesion, prevents the old color from bleeding through, and yields a smooth, durable finish.
On bare substrates, two coats are recommended; previously painted surfaces can be finished with 1 or 2 coats. Special Note: Certain custom colours may require a Deep Base Primer tinted to a special prescription formula to achieve the desired colour.
The best paint and primer in one
Buy a quality paint and primer in one: use Kilz, a very good name in primer, and for sure one of the best paint and primer. Kilz has many very nice colors to choose from. It is also a quality primer with low VOCs.
Yes, you can paint over high-build primer, but you should not paint directly onto it. High-build primer is porous. It acts like a liquid body filler designed to smooth out imperfections, meaning it will soak up your topcoat or basecoat, leaving a dull, uneven, or textured finish.
Most professional painters will tell you—two coats of primer is often the safe choice. Here's why: surfaces like new drywall, bare wood, or even older plaster have different levels of porosity. That means the primer gets soaked up unevenly, leaving the surface patchy.
Regal® Select is self-priming on most properly prepared surfaces. While the high quality of our products sometimes makes one-coat coverage achievable, Benjamin Moore® recommends two coats to achieve full color development and to optimize performance.
Red is universally considered the hardest paint color to cover. Vibrant red pigments are highly transparent and inherently prone to bleeding through subsequent layers. Other notoriously difficult colors to cover include black, dark blue, dark green, and bright yellow.
Professional painters usually use contractor-grade or pro-line paints that aren't always available at your typical home improvement store. These include: Sherwin-Williams ProMar, SuperPaint, or Emerald lines.
For Coverage: Sherwin Williams SuperPaint takes the lead. For Value: Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec 500 is the clear winner. For Budget Projects: Benjamin Moore Super Hide offers solid performance at a low price.
Legendary Benjamin Moore Interior Paint provides better coverage, Zero VOCs, and high fade resistance. They stand out from their competition by manufacturing Gennex colorant, a formula that ensures their deepest colors are just as durable and washable as their white paints.
The best makeup primer depends on your specific skin type and desired finish. Top universally acclaimed options include e.l.f. Cosmetics for the best budget-friendly grip, Benefit Cosmetics for blurring pores, and Armani Beauty for a luxurious, smoothing base.
However, professional painters looking for a high-grade finish will always use a dedicated primer as the first coat on fresh drywall or raw wood. (If the drywall or wood has been painted in the past, dedicated primer is not necessary.)
The best overall primer for interior walls is KILZ Premium High-Hide Latex or Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 for general use, providing excellent adhesion and hiding power. For sealing tough stains (water, smoke) or odors, KILZ Original Oil-Based or KILZ Restoration are recommended.
Finding the best primer depends entirely on your skin type and the finish you want. The top-performing primers are formulated to address specific needs, ensuring flawless, long-lasting makeup application.
Silicone-based primer
TheL'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer is silicone-based and minimizes the look of pores while locking makeup in place for up to 24 hours.
Choosing the right primer depends entirely on your project. For makeup, select primers that address your skin type. For home improvement, base your choice on the surface material and the specific problem you need to solve, such as blocking stains or preventing peeling.