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If you haven’t been using eye primer, you're lucky you’ve never needed one, but most likely you aren’t getting the best performance out of your eyeshadow. Starting your eye look with a primer creates a smooth, flawless base that can actually make it easier to apply and blend your eyeshadow. Plus, a good eyeshadow primer can help your makeup stay as crease-free and brilliant as the moment you put it on. Here are the most popular Sephora eye primers to try out for lasting, perfect eye makeup.
Have you ever caught a glimpse of your makeup a few hours after applying and noticed it creasing, fading or smudging? Even eyeshadow formulas touting their long-lasting capabilities are prone to wearing away over time. Applying an eyeshadow primer first can help your eye makeup look freshly done for hours. Eyeshadow primers create a smooth, even canvas that lets eyeshadows blend more easily, avoiding patchiness. Primers can also capture the true color of your eyeshadow and prevent it from being altered by your skin tone showing through.
Most eye primers are formulated to create a grippy base for your eyeshadow, but some offer color-correcting or skin care benefits as well. When it comes to color coverage, some primers dry down transparent, while others are tinted. Shop carefully to pick one that suits your skin tone and your makeup goals, and keep in mind that the lighter your primer, the more your eyeshadow’s pigment will pop. If you have oily eyelids, look for an eyeshadow primer formula that’s described as long-lasting to avoid creasing. For dry eyelids, choose a formula with hydrating ingredients like vitamin E.
Probably not. Some people with drier eyelids might be able to make their under-eye concealer multitask as an eye primer, but in general, concealers just don’t have the same ability to grip pigments and prevent creasing the way an eye primer can. Concealer can act as a good eyeshadow base and help eyeshadow color look truer and brighter, but it won’t last as long. You can set your concealer with a translucent setting powder or an eyeshadow that matches your skin tone, which helps turn it into a better base for blending. But in general, an eyeshadow primer is going to give you the same flawless base plus much longer-lasting staying power.
Eye primer is a quick and easy step to add to your makeup routine. To use eye primer, apply a small amount to your eyelid using your fingers (or the primer’s applicator, if it has one) and lightly pat with your ring finger to blend. Fill in your eyelid area from corner to corner and up to your brows. Start small, because it’s easier to build up product than it is to remove it. Let the primer dry down completely before applying your eyeshadow. To help your makeup last even longer, use a setting spray when you’re done with your makeup to lock everything in place.
Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion
This sheer beige primer can help heavily pigmented eyeshadows stay bright, colorful and crease-free for up to 24 hours. It blends out and dries down well, leaving your eyes ready for your makeup. This primer is vegan and cruelty-free.
Sold by Sephora
Smashbox 24-Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer
This powerful, long-wearing formula is sweat- and humidity-resistant so your eyeshadow can stay vibrant up to 24 hours, no matter what climate you’re in. Users with hooded and/or oily eyelids report excellent results. It comes in one shade that dries clear.
Sold by Sephora
Nars Pro-Prime Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base
This highly rated primer applies smoothly and keeps eyeshadow looking crease-free and true to color for hours, even on oily eyelids. The unique formula combines polymers and minerals for a grippy canvas that’s so lightweight, you’ll forget it’s there. It’s ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested and comes in four color choices, including untinted.
Sold by Sephora
Urban Decay Eden Eyeshadow Primer Potion
This opaque beige formula offers the same crease-free primer power as the original, but with a pale tint that can make eyeshadow colors look more vibrant. If you have a shimmery eyeshadow that looks too glittery, use this primer to soften it. This formula tends to feel a little thicker than the original, so only use a very small amount and build up as needed.
Sold by Sephora
Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Hydrating Primer
Apply this primer in a circle around your eye to conceal under-eye dark circles and create a base for eyeshadow. It’s a great choice for those with drier eyelids because it’s formulated with vitamins C and E as well as sodium hyaluronate, a hydrating, more lightweight derivative of hyaluronic acid.
Sold by Sephora
Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Another variation of the popular Urban Decay Primer Potion, this formula smooths the appearance of fine lines thanks to blurring pigments. Hydrating ingredients also help nourish the eye area, especially on dry eyelids. It needs a little longer to dry down than other Urban Decay formulas, but eye makeup still lasts hours without creasing.
Sold by Sephora
Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Pencil
Perfect for makeup minimalists looking for a multitasking product, this pencil can highlight and carve out brows, conceal dark circles, highlight the inner eye area and act as a grippy eyeshadow primer. The pencil point also makes it handy for priming for eyeliner and cat-eye flicks. It blends easily and comes in three shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Weightless Eyeshadow Primer
This primer is formulated to boost the color of your eyeshadow, and its hydrating ingredients help create a smoother, silky canvas for makeup. The custom doe-foot applicator has a pointed tip to help you get primer wherever it’s needed. The hydrating formula performs better on drier eyelids.
Sold by Sephora
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Laura Duerr writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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