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Eyeshadow primer is the secret ingredient to a crease-free eye look that stays in place and lasts all day.
Our top pick, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, preps eyelids by creating a smooth and even-toned base that lets shimmer and matte shadows pop.
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Eyeshadow primer is the single, most game-changing item I've added to my makeup collection over the years. Plenty of product categories simply do not live up to the hype but this is one of the few that does; as a beauty journalist who has tested many of these products, including eyeshadows and eyeshadow primers, I would know.
Eyeshadow primer usually comes in a neutral color and has a slightly tacky finish that allows eyeshadows, be they shimmer or matte, to stick down and stay down. It's the best way to ensure your smoky eye will not budge - until you want it to, that is.
You can opt for an eye primer that matches your skin tone or choose one in a different shade to add a boost of color beneath powder shadows. There are even some color-free and bright-white options. Different kinds of primer will impact your finished look in different ways, but all of the formulas on this list will prolong and intensify your eyeshadow for hours.
When shopping for an eye primer, make sure you pick something versatile enough to work with most of the shadows in your collection - no one needs to own a dozen eye primers. Our five favorites should help you narrow it down.
Here are the best eyeshadow primers you can buy in 2019:
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If you want one versatile eyeshadow primer that you can use daily, opt for Too Faced Shadow Insurance. This is also what I personally use. It has a slippery, lightweight texture that blends seamlessly into my eyelids without tugging on the delicate skin.
This primer has a light beige color, but as you rub it in, the color mostly disappears (at least on my very pale lids). You only need a very tiny dollop for each eye, so a single 0.35-ounce tube lasts for a long time. While I can't quite attest to the "waterproof, crease- and fade-proof coverage for up to 24 hours" claim, I can say that this primer keeps my eyeshadow looking so good at the end of the night that I procrastinate washing it off.
I've noticed that eyeshadows with matte textures are a bit more difficult to blend in when used on top of this primer because it has such a grippy, tacky finish. But the added intensity and long-lasting vibrancy are worth it. Otherwise, this primer works equally well underneath powder, liquid, and cream shadows.
I don't mind splurging on beauty products when I know they're truly worth the extra cash. But sometimes you just need a great cheap find, especially on everyday staples. The Milani Eyeshadow Primer is a fantastic under-$10 option. It performs similarly to its pricier counterparts, but it won't have you wincing as you reach for your wallet.
This primer first came to my attention from watching Emily Noel rave about it on YouTube and I've since seen it recommended on Byrdie, Bustle, and Rank and Style. Reviewers have compared its eyeshadow-intensifying powers to those of more expensive cult favorites, like Urban Decay Primer Potion and Smashbox.
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer has a pale-nude base that claims to dry invisibly but keep in mind that it comes in only one shade option. "This stuff keeps my eyeshadow on with no creases or excess oil, and tremendously helps with pigmentation of pressed pigments and makes blending much easier," wrote one Ulta shopper.
Pros: Affordable, long-lasting, creates a smooth canvas for eyeshadows, works on oily lids
Urban Decay Primer Potion has an ideal texture to lock shadows in place for crease-free application on even the oiliest of eyelids.
When your eyelids are like two oil slicks in the center of your face, getting your glam-shadow look to stay put for more than 20 hours is a mere pipe dream. But Urban Decay Primer Potion can absolutely make long-lasting, Instagram-ready eyeshadow a reality. It's a thicker texture that sticks down and does not budge. If other eye primers tend to melt off your lids like butter, this one is the answer.
Primer Potion comes in a tube with an elongated doe-foot applicator that makes it easy to cover your entire eye up and to the brow bone in a single swipe. Just make sure you tap around the edges to blend it all the way in, otherwise you'll see a line of demarcation and it may be harder to cover that area with shadow. But once you get a smooth canvas, your shadow will go on seamlessly and stay on seemingly forever. Seriously, you might have to work a little harder to wash it off.
This primer comes in a few shades — there's the standard sheer nude option, Fix (a matte beige), Caffeine (deeper matte brown), Sin (pale shimmer), and Eden (redness-canceling matte). The original Primer Potion has a 4.6 Sephora rating based on 6,000 reviews and has been featured by Best Products, Total Beauty, Into The Gloss, and Allure.
Pros: Doe-foot applicator, various shade options, good for oily lids, cruelty-free
Cons: Have to blend quickly because once it dries down, it doesn't budge
I don't understand why so many primers come in a so-called universal (read: light beige) shade. Even "colorless" primers tend to have a kind of pale-nude tint that becomes invisible on fair-to-medium skin tones but likely looks rather opaque on darker lids.
NARS Pro-Prime Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base comes in five neutral skin-tone shades — original, light, medium, medium dark, and dark — so you can find an option that disappears into your lids, giving you a seamless base for shadows.
This fragrance-free, ophthalmologist-tested primer is formulated with deep-sea extract and antioxidant rice extract for an added boost of healthy skin care.
MAC's Pro Longwear Paint Pot is a subtle cream-based eyeshadow that you can wear alone or use as a primer to amp up the pigmentation of powders.
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot comes in a variety of neutral shades. You can wear this cream shadow on its own for a subtle one-shadow look, or layer it underneath a powder to amplify the staying power and pigmentation.
And on the occasion that you want to amp it up with something more complex, you can lay down your favorite shade of MAC Paint Pot as a base for other shadows. This eyeshadow-primer combo can be applied with fingers or a brush, depending on your preference.
Some of the more popular primer colors (according to a YouTuber, anyway) are Painterly (nude beige), Groundwork (neutral taupe), and Indianwood (metallic bronze). There are seven shades overall, six of which are available on the Macy's website.
MAC Paint Pots are universally raved by beauty enthusiasts and experts alike — they have been featured by Allure and Into the Gloss. Macy's shoppers give the product high marks, with 95% of customers recommending the product.
Pros: Multiple colors, can be worn alone or under other shadows, apply with fingers or brush
Cons: Dry formula better for oily lids, some shades may not work with all eye looks