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Flawless Eye Makeup: 7 Best Eyeshadow Primers

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Rebecca Moses
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Best Eyeshadow Primers
Best Eyeshadow Primers

Flawless Eye Makeup: 7 Best Eyeshadow Primers

Makeup has long been used to enhance physical beauty, and the eyes are often the focal point. Eyeshadow primers provide a perfect base for eye makeup, allowing it to blend easily and last longer.

An eyeshadow primer helps eyeshadow adhere better to your lids, reduces creasing, and prevents fading. It’s essential to achieve a beautiful look with flawless makeup that will stay in place all day.

With the suitable primer, you can get the perfect level of boldness without smudging or caking, whether you want to create a subtle everyday look or an intense evening style. Keep reading to find out our top picks of the best eyeshadow primers!

Best Eyeshadow Primers That Don’t Budge

From drugstore products to fancy ones, here is the list of the best eyeshadow primers that won’t budge!

Urban Decay Cosmetics Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Urban Decay Cosmetics Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Urban Decay Cosmetics Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion

There’s no denying that Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, especially the original shade, has achieved a cult-like status in the world of beauty. It’s transparent, dries invisibly, and makes shadow more vibrant in your flawless base.

Its lightweight formula helps ensure your eye makeup stays comfortably in place for longer, minimizing creasing. You can use it with eyeshadow products or alone to avoid oiliness.

Key Benefits

  • Transparent
  • Makes eye shadow vibrant
  • Long-lasting color
  • Dries invisibly
  • Vibrant staying power
  • Crease-free shadow color
  • Ideal for oily eyelids

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Base

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Base
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Base

Give your eyelids the perfect base with Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Base. Keep your eye makeup looking true to its original color and vibrant for up to eight hours — thanks to its non-drying formula that locks it in place.

Plus, this tinted primer helps neutralizes redness, maximizing your shadow color. Whether after a matte look or something a bit more lively, you’ll find the right shade from various colors suitable for all skin tones.

Key Benefits

  • Creates smooth surface
  • Makes eye shadow vibrant
  • Non-drying and non-greasy
  • Crease-proof
  • Extends shadow wear (up to 8 hours)
  • Neutralizes and diminishes redness and skin discoloration

Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer

Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer
Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer

Smashbox’s original Photo Finish Foundation Primer created a buzz among fans of makeup when its “eye version” was released – featuring oil-free and budge-proof wear in a lightweight formula.

This primer is truly a holy grail, especially for oily lids, thanks to its matte dry down that locks in eyeshadow and boosts pigment — we rave about it!

Key Benefits

  • Oil-free
  • Matte finish
  • Budge-proof
  • Lightweight primer
  • Ophthalmologist-tested
  • Infused with a Silkscreen Complex for a smooth base
  • Silky barrier
  • Intensifies shadow colors
  • Long-wear (up to 24 hours)
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Transfer, sweat, and humidity resistant

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging

Besides its original shade, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion also provides a unique option: anti-aging. This option is especially great for people with fine lines s the nude, transparent formula improves texture and smooths its appearance.

This lightweight formula glides on translucently and keeps your eyeshadow vibrantly in place — minimizing creasing and oiliness. Moreover, it contains Dermaxyl®, which works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, while Kalpariane® helps to hydrate and firm skin — increasing suppleness and elasticity for a plumper and more youthful complexion.

Key Benefits

  • Sheer coverage
  • Dermaxyl® improves texture and smooths fine lines
  • Kalpariane® plumps, firms, and hydrates skin
  • Ensures intense eyeshadow color payoff
  • Crease-free
  • Long-lasting formula
  • Paraben-free and cruelty-free
  • Vegan

NYX Professional Makeup HD Eyeshadow Base Concentrated Eye Primer

NYX Professional Makeup HD Eyeshadow Base Concentrated Eye Primer
NYX Professional Makeup HD Eyeshadow Base Concentrated Eye Primer

On a budget? Invest in your eye look with this affordable primer from NYX Cosmetics. This studio-grade primer is excellent for intensifying eyeshadow pigment and color to make any eye look stand out.

With a doe-foot applicator, this product goes a long way, prevents shadows from creasing, and has excellent staying power. Plus, the lightweight formula makes your skin appear more even and smooth.

Key Benefits

  • Affordable
  • Cream-based
  • Doe-foot applicator
  • Intensifies shadow pigment and color
  • Crease-free
  • Long-lasting
  • Lightweight formula

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer
Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer

If you aim to have long-lasting, flawless eye makeup, Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer is a way to go. Crafted with quality ingredients such as pearl powder, this primer helps enhance eyeshadow’s pigment, giving it a bold and more vibrant look.

Its lightweight formula is non-greasy, so you don’t need to worry about constant touch-ups or feeling heaviness around your eyes. In addition to evening out skin tone, this primer formula combats oily lids and creasing while evening out skin tone.

Key Benefits

  • Clear shade
  • Prevents oily lids and creasing
  • Lightweight formula
  • Evens out skin tone
  • Long-lasting
  • Non-greasy
  • Brightening
  • Locks eye makeup in place
  • Waterproof
  • Paraben-free and cruelty-free

e.l.f. Luminous Putty Primer

e.l.f. Luminous Putty Primer
e.l.f. Luminous Putty Primer

Get a radiant complexion with the e.l.f. best-selling Luminous Putty Primer! This primer goes beyond the ordinary, delivering a soft and luminous base for your makeup application while providing long-lasting daily wear.

Infused with hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen, it helps plump and hydrate skin while keeping it looking healthy. Plus, it is made from skin-loving ingredients without toxins, so it’s safe for sensitive skin.

Key Benefits

  • Infused with hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen
  • Plumps and hydrates skin
  • Delivers a soft, radiant base
  • Lightweight formula
  • Long-lasting wear
  • 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and leaping bunny certified
  • Affordable

Frequently Asked Questions

What is eyeshadow primer, and why is it important?

Eyeshadow primer is a product used to create a smooth base for the eyeshadow application. This product is an essential step in creating long-lasting, flawless eye makeup.

It helps to even out your skin tone, conceal discoloration, and prevent creasing and fallout. Also, it’s beneficial for those with oily lids, as it provides an oil-proof base that will not move or smudge throughout the day.

How do I apply eyeshadow primer?

To apply an eyeshadow primer, wash your face with a face wash and then pat dry with a towel. Once your skin is clean, use your finger or a brush to apply the primer onto your eyelids and blend it using circular motions.

Let the primer dry completely before applying eyeshadow. Once it’s applied, you can add additional layers of eye makeup without worrying about the longevity of the look.

What are the best eyeshadow primers for oily skin?

Some of the best eyeshadow primers for oily skin are Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Primer, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer.

Can eyeshadow primer be used alone?

Of course! You can use it alone to create a clean, matte look with natural coverage and minimized texture.

How long does eyeshadow primer last?

Eyeshadow primer usually lasts around 8-10 hours, depending on the type of primer and your skin type. Some products also offer longer duration, such as Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer with a 24-hour lasting hour.

Conclusion

All in all, if you want your eyeshadow to look its best, you need to start with good eye primers. Moreover, if you have oily lids, eyeshadow primer products will help you create beautiful, long-lasting eye makeup that will make you feel confident all day.

The seven we’ve listed are some of the best on the market, so you’ll surely find one that works for you. From affordable to higher in price and sheer coverage to full coverage, these products are perfect for any preferences.

So what are you waiting for? Try one of these primers and get a flawless look every time!

Author

  • Rebecca Moses

    Depending on the day, you’ll find Rebecca in a well thought-out ensemble that she handcrafted herself, or in hiking and rock climbing gear. An avid outdoorswoman, cyclist, and cat lover, Rebecca reminds us all on the Groom+Style team just how much we need to get outdoors. She’s worked in spas and salons off and on before going full-time with the G+S team. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-moses-3158b914b/