The Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is one of the most iconic primers on the market. This luxurious formula nourishes the skin while giving makeup more grip for long-lasting and comfortable wear. It’s also one of my favourite primers, but at £54 for 50ml, it’s very expensive.
So when I discovered that the No7 Pro Artist Runway Radiance Primer is meant to be a dupe for the iconic Bobbi Brown primer, I had to try it. At £19.95, it’s less than half the price of Bobbi Brown and claims to moisturise the skin, prep it for makeup application, and prolong makeup wear.
In this honest review, I put the two primers through a side-by-side comparison to see how well they perform and whether No7 is truly a good dupe for Bobbi Brown.
*This post contains some affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you, I earn some commission if you purchase a product through my link. All thoughts are my own, though, as always. If you want to find out more, visit my affiliate disclosure page*
Need-to-knows
Before I delve into the comparison, here’s how I tested the primers. I have combination skin with mild rosacea, and my T-zone is particularly prone to makeup breakdown. I applied one primer to each side of my face, keeping all my other skincare and makeup products exactly the same for a fair comparison.
About the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base
The Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is a moisturiser and makeup primer in one. It claims to provide 24-hour priming, instantly hydrate skin, improve the look and wear of foundation, and leave the complexion looking smoother and more radiant. Bobbi Brown says the buttery formula creates the perfect makeup-ready canvas while helping skin feel nourished and refreshed. The primer is finished with a 100% natural grapefruit and geranium scent.
About the No7 Pro Artist Runway Radiance Primer
The No7 Pro Artist Runway Radiance Primer is designed to prep skin for makeup while delivering lasting hydration and a healthy glow. It claims to smooth the complexion, help foundation apply more evenly, and improve makeup longevity throughout the day. No7 says the rich yet lightweight formula absorbs quickly, leaving skin feeling soft, nourished, and perfectly prepped for makeup. It can also be worn alone to give bare skin a radiant finish.
The comparison
Price and packaging
At £19.95, the No7 primer costs less than half the £54 RRP of Bobbi Brown. Even with my discount code at LookFantastic, Bobbi Brown is still double the price of No7. It’s difficult to compare the exact value, as Bobbi Brown gives the product weight in grams while No7 uses millilitres, but No7 may contain slightly more product at this price point. No7 wins on price, easily.
Surprisingly, I think No7 has more luxurious packaging. While I think the design of Bobbi Brown is prettier, more sophisticated, and chic, No7’s tub is weightier, which makes it feel more expensive, whereas the Bobbi Brown tub is lighter and made from plastic.
Ingredients
The two primers have a lot in common. Both contain glycerin, squalane, shea butter, panthenol, niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and vitamin E, giving them a similar combination of hydrating, moisturising, and skin-conditioning ingredients.
There are some differences, though. Bobbi Brown contains acetyl glucosamine and uses ascorbyl glucoside as its vitamin C derivative, while No7 uses ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate and includes dimethicone, which helps give the primer a smooth, silky texture.
Overall, the INCI lists are surprisingly similar, particularly when it comes to the ingredients that hydrate, moisturise, and condition the skin.
Texture and application
While both primers have a lovely, rich, moisturiser-like texture, I prefer the consistency of the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. It’s more nourishing and luxuriously smooth, giving my skin an instant glow and making it feel noticeably softer. I could easily get away with using it as a moisturiser by itself. No7 is also creamy and hydrating, but feels more like a traditional primer and doesn’t deliver quite the same radiance or smoothing effect.
Both primers melt into the skin effortlessly, leave my skin feeling soft, and don’t feel greasy or heavy. Bobbi Brown simply delivers a more luxurious experience.
On application, both primers have a fruity and botanical scent. Interestingly, No7 describes its fragrance as having the same grapefruit and geranium scent profile as Bobbi Brown, which I can definitely pick up when using them side by side. The Bobbi Brown fragrance is more noticeable and smells particularly premium, but the No7 scent is much subtler and doesn’t linger either.
The 8-hour wear test
Most importantly, is there any difference in how well my makeup lasted, how it applied over each primer, or the overall finish? I put them to the test with an 8-hour wear test.
For this wear test, I put No7 on one side of my face and Bobbi Brown on the other, as labelled below. I kept the rest of my skincare and makeup exactly the same, didn’t touch up with setting powder or reapply any makeup, and took the photos in artificial lighting to keep the conditions as consistent as possible.
See the results below:
Honestly, in both the before and after photos, I don’t think there’s any difference between the 2 primers. Both have an equally smooth, satin finish in the before photo. Makeup applied smoothly over both primers, with no cakiness or pilling. No7 felt grippier, whereas Bobbi Brown felt more hydrating, but this had no impact on the final look.
As for lasting power, my t-zone is always the culprit for becoming oily, particularly on my nose and cheeks. I couldn’t tell any difference between the Bobbi Brown and No7 sides.There’s noticeable shine on both sides of my face, and my base makeup looks equally as patchy and worn down.
Key differences between the primers
| Feature | Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base | No7 Pro Artist Runway Radiance Primer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £54 for 50ml | £19.95 for 45g |
| Packaging | Lightweight plastic tub with a prettier, more sophisticated design | Heavier tub that feels more luxurious |
| Texture & feel | Rich, buttery, and luxuriously smooth; feels more nourishing | Rich and creamy, but less nourishing |
| Finish & radiance | Gives skin an instant glow and a smoother, more radiant finish | Gives skin a healthy-looking glow, but less radiance and smoothness |
| Application | Melts effortlessly into skin; makeup applies smoothly without pilling or cakiness | Melts effortlessly into skin; makeup applies smoothly without pilling or cakiness; feels slightly grippier |
| Fragrance | Fruity and botanical grapefruit and geranium scent; more noticeable and premium-smelling | Same grapefruit and geranium scent profile, but much subtler |
| 8-hour wear | Makeup looks equally worn down and oily after 8 hours | Performs equally well, with no noticeable difference in longevity |
Is the No7 primer a good dupe for the Bobbi Brown primer? The verdict
The No7 Pro Artist Runway Radiance Primer is a very good dupe for the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. Bobbi Brown still wins for me on the overall experience: it has a more luxurious texture, feels more nourishing on the skin, and gives me a smoother, more radiant finish. But No7 comes remarkably close, particularly when you consider the huge difference in price.
The two primers also share many of the same key ingredients, and even have the same grapefruit and geranium scent profile, although No7’s fragrance is much more subtle.
But the real test was how they performed under makeup, and this is where No7 really impressed me.
After 8 hours, I couldn’t see a meaningful difference between the two sides of my face. Makeup had broken down to a similar extent, my T-zone was equally shiny, and both sides still had a smooth satin finish. No7 also applied makeup just as well as Bobbi Brown, despite feeling slightly grippier on the skin.
Bobbi Brown will always have a special place in my heart because it feels like such a beautiful skincare and makeup hybrid. But if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, I’d have no hesitation recommending No7. It doesn’t completely replicate the luxurious feel of Bobbi Brown, but it delivers remarkably similar results where it matters most: underneath your makeup.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 7 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has combination skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.