Makeup Over 40

Eye shadow primer — what is it and why should you use it?  Here’s a question for you; have you ever put on eye makeup in the morning by the time lunch rolls around it had all either disappear or creep into creases?  If you’re like 99.9% of us, the answer to that question is yes!

Wouldn’t it be nice to put on your makeup once, and have it look good all day long, without having to touch it up?

Let me introduce you to your new best friend — eye shadow primer.

What is Eye Shadow Primer?

If you’ve never used (or even heard of) an eye makeup primer, then you are in for a real treat!  Here’s what this magical makeup does for you:

• Evens out the tone of your eye area, even to helping to hide things like small capillaries.
• Helps the eyeshadow stick to your lid area better.
• Helps to accentuate the eye shadow color; keeps color brighter and truer.
• Helps your eye shadow stay on all day and not do the dreaded “creep into the creases”.

You don’t have to worry about your eyeshadow anymore; with a primer, it will last all day (and with a good one, probably all night as well).

You don’t need a lot; smooth a tiny bit over your whole eye area (lashes to browbone) before you apply your eye makeup.

Different Types of Shadow Primer

There are quite a few companies who manufacture eye shadow primer these days, so there are plenty to choose from.  They come in small jars, tubes and applicators.  You can put on the primer with a wand, a makeup brush or (my favorite) a finger.

The consistency varies from very creamy to somewhat watery.  But don’t let creaminess (or lack thereof) fool you.  Both kinds work well, so it’s a matter of preference.

Where to Get Eye Shadow Primer (And Who Makes the Best)?

Before you go out and buy some eye makeup primer, you likely want to know which one to buy — who makes the best?  Here’s my criteria:

• Whose primer stays on the best, to prevent shadow from creeping into the lids and keep it looking great all day.
• Whose primer gives the best buy for your money.

I’ve recently been trialing five different eye shadow primers, ranging in price from $1 to $18.  All of them worked, but some worked better than others.  And while the higher-priced primers worked better in general, there was one very inexpensive one that worked far better than I expected.

I tested the venerable Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Prime Time Bare Minerals and a few from E.L.F. as well.   I’m finishing up the trials as I write this (I like to test each one several times), but there are definite winners and runners-up.  There are some others I’d like to test as well, like Eye Spackle, but I’ll wait awhile to buy anymore (I have enough for many months at the moment).

So, watch for the reviews, and meanwhile, if you really, really want to buy some right now, go for Urban Decay or Too Faced.  (And that’s all I’ll say until the full reviews come out.) 

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