Despite the numerous non-believers in primers, they still remain as one of the staples in various makeup collections. Why? Because they actually matter. Primers are essential in every makeup artist’s kit—whether they are famous or not—because believe us, they don’t only make a perfect makeup base, but they actually prolong your makeup.
And speaking of prolonging your makeup, one of the things that seem to easily fade is your eye shadow. The culprit: your oily eyelids. Don’t tell us that you don’t have oily eyelids—because most of us do, even those who have super dry skin. The only way to counter that while you’re wearing your eye makeup is to never skip on the eye primer. Aside from keeping the oil on the down low, eye primers give a great base where your eye shadow can cling onto, keeping in place the pigments that make the hues a vibrant as they can be.
Avid users would know that exactly, but if you haven’t tried it yet, we dare you to. Just a friendly advice though—make sure you get the best ones on the market or else you might end up hating primers even more. Here are our best picks to get your started:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($24)
If you know someone who have been using eye primers for a long time now, that person may be a total fan of Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion. How do we know that? It’s simple—the perfect formula of this product makes it the favorite eye primer for many. It has a serum-like consistency that’s lightweight to the eyes and spreads out smoothly. The right amount of stickiness of the product makes it perfect for eyeshadows to attach to…for hours.
Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eyeshadow Primer ($20)
Elizabeth Mott may have revealed its love for Drake by naming this primer like the rapper’s debut album, but what’s more apparent it the brand’s love for long-lasting makeup. This primer makes it possible to make your eye makeup look stunning and perfect without it creasing and creaking down all day long. It easily dries and has a translucent formula that won’t affect your makeup’s pigmentation, too!
Tom Ford Eye Primer Duo ($47)
You might be shelling out more with Tom Ford’s products more than you would with other high end brands, but it’s for a reason. This Eye Primer Duo, for instance, gives you not only a primer formula but a translucent powder to set the primer, too. The effect? A smooth and budge-free base for your shadows, making it easy to blend the pigments and making it hard for them to fade as the hours go by. With such a gorgeous result, you wouldn’t regret ever paying a few more bucks.
BareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow + Primer ($20)
BareMinerals changed the primer game when it actually incorporated it to an eyeshadow formula. The Gen Nude Eyeshadow + Primer is a cream-to-powder product that makes putting on shadows so easy, because you can actually cover two steps in one by using it. By putting on your neutral eyeshadow, your eyes are already primed automatically! And what we love about this product is that it comes with options: a total of eight shades with added mango seed butter for hydration.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Amplifying Eye Primer ($22)
Whatever Rihanna sells, we’re surely buying. But what’s always satisfying is that Fenty Beauty’s products are actually worth the purchase and not just mere hyped items. The Pro Filt’r Amplifying Eye Primer alone proves that, with its awesome formula that provides a smooth base that amplifies the color payoff of your shadows. Want a version of it for your face? Don’t worry, the luxury brand got the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer for that purpose.
Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base ($21)
We love Tarte, that’s for sure. Mainly because they offer some amazing products like the Lid Lock Clay Eye Base, which ensures that my eye make-up would stay fabulous even after hours on the office, the dance floor, or maybe even while hiking (which we won’t do, but you get what we mean). Its beige formula doesn’t only provide a great sticky base for makeup, but it corrects any discoloration on your lids, too.
Laura Mercier Eye Basics ($28)
Looking for a primer that won’t crease your eyes? Grab the Eye Basics from Laura Mercier and you wouldn’t regret it even one bit. This primer is a water-resistant product that doesn’t only make your eye-makeup stay for long, but also tones down your pink and purple areas on your eyelids to make you look refreshed.
Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($26)
Nars never let us down with their expert formulation for products we thought are simple. The Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is the perfect example, with its added features: fragrance-free, ophthalmologist-tested and ultra-lightweight, which all add up to a perfect eye-primer experience. It doesn’t get choosy on what it keep on your eyelids too—both powder and cream eye-shadows will stay where they’re supposed to be.
Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer ($21)
Perfect for every skin type, Smashbox has surprised us with this 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer that actually speaks for its name. Both humidity and sweat-proof, this products takes the primer game up another level, making it the best one to use for high-humidity places and during hot summer days.
M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot ($22)
M.A.C. makes it easy for you to use a primer by making the Pro Longwear Paint Pot a cream shadow as well. The creamy formula makes it so easy to apply using your fingertips, while it doesn’t take too long to dry down and settle on your lids. You can layer other cream shadows over this product, but if you want to keep it natural, just this one paint pot is enough.
If you are a primer hater before, you might be surprised that there are a lot of high-end options for the product. Well, if you have read carefully, you must have figure out by now—they are necessary for that gorgeous and long-lasting eye make-up. And if you decide to try one of these out today, you’ll surely be far from a hater afterwards.
Image credits: Glamour UK, Urban Decay, iBeauty, five sixteenths blog, Makeup and Beauty, BareMinerals, litcome.com, Beauty Almanac, Lily Seymour, Bubbly Color, and Allure.
