Style
Here Are 4 Much More Affordable Dupes For Tatcha's Best-Selling Silk Canvas Primer
Tatcha's best-selling Silk Canvas primer became an instant cult favorite as soon as it was released in 2018. Part skin care, part makeup, it creates a velvety base that blurs pores, evens out skin tone, and prevents makeup from sliding off. Perhaps even more importantly, it protects skin from environmental damage, making it the rare type of makeup that offers long-term benefits for your skin. But this magical primer doesn't come cheap, which is why beauty-lovers are obsessed with finding more affordable Tatcha Silk Canvas dupes.
Narrowing down the best dupes for Tatcha's Silk Canvas primer meant scouring Reddit, beauty blogs, and YouTube videos for the most oft-recommended alternatives. And luckily, there are a handful of options that work similarly, but cost much less than the $52 original. However, because Tatcha is known for its high-quality ingredients, natural formulas, and innovative technologies (Silk Canvas was formulated over the course of two years by scientists at the brand's institute in Japan), you won't be able to find a dupe that works identically. The four primers on this list, however, come as close as you can get — and for half the price.
Scroll on to discover four alternatives to Tatcha's Silk Canvas primer, all of which are available for purchase on Amazon.
1The Overall Best Dupe For Tatcha's Silk Canvas
Beauty bloggers, YouTubers, and editors recommend E.L.F.'s Poreless Putty Primer as the closest dupe for Tatcha's Silk Canvas on the market — even Jeffree Star himself recommends it as a solid alternative, though he notes that you won't get the same "luxury experience" as you would with Silk Canvas, and that his makeup looked a tad drier when using Poreless Putty. That being said, he says it's one of the best drugstore primers he's tried, and that you can't beat it for the price point.
Like Silk Canvas, Poreless Putty goes on sheer but creates a smooth base that extends makeup wear time and blurs the appearance of pores. It's also cruelty-free, vegan, and infused with squalane, which helps keep skin moisturized and soft. Reviewers note that because this primer has become so popular and often sells out on the brand's website, Amazon is one of the only places left to get it.
One fan writes, "Literally makes your skin look blurred before even applying any type of makeup on your skin. I’ve used this several times by itself but when I tell you adding under makeup makes a WORLD of difference." Another reviewer shares, "All the YouTube videos were right: This stuff really works! Set with some translucent powder and you’re shine free and pore free for over 8 hours!"
2A Creamy Primer With A Mousse-Like Texture
A lesser-known alternative to Tatcha's Silk Canvas, the Winky Lux Whipped Cream primer works similarly by helping to smooth skin and prepare it for long-lasting makeup. Unlike the Tatcha and E.L.F. primers, which have more of a solid texture, Winky Lux's is on the creamier side. According to blogger Allura Beauty, who describes it as "airy" and "bouncy," it's easier to blend into skin, and feels less tacky than the E.L.F. and Tatcha primers.
"I've been trying so many makeup primers from drugstore to high-end such as GUERLAIN for years," one reviewer writes. They continue, "I feel that this is the best primer of all. So smooth, a little goes a long way, moisturized, blurs pores, grips makeup, [holds] it long... you can wear this with or without makeup to make your skin look smooth."
3A Rich, Creamy Primer At A Drugstore Price
Another skin-smoothing primer to consider, L'Oréal Paris's Magic Perfecting Base face primer also happens to be the most affordable option on this list. Like the Winky Lux primer, it's on the creamier side, and though thick, it's easy to blend into skin. The Magic Perfecting Base primer promises a long-lasting, matte finish that feels weightless on skin, and, like all of the other primers, it dries translucent.
"This stuff works for well over 8 hours to control my oily skin," one reviewer shares. Another says, "It keeps my foundation on all day, instead of sliding off. I don't even have to use blotting papers."
4A Cult-Favorite Primer That Makes Your Skin Look Like Velvet
The texture that Tatcha's primer gives your skin is one of its main selling points. Luckily, there are other primers out there that deliver similar results like this Velvet Skin Coat from cult Japanese beauty brand DHC. This lightweight primer does exactly what the name suggests: creates a velvet-like finish on skin that looks gorgeous on its own or underneath makeup. What's more, it also soaks up up oil and helps reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, so makeup not only glides on easier, but stays on longer, too.
One reviewer said it "remained in place for more than 32 hours now without cracking or thinning," and without the need for touch-ups. Another fan raves, "It keeps my makeup unbelievably pristine like I just put it on.... with sunscreen underneath, this primer STILL was just like SILK. And once foundation and setting [powder] were added, the SMOOTHNESS of my skin was AMAZING."
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