While I'll only occasionally reach for a complexion primer, I do think an eye one is pretty much an essential if you want to get the most out of shadows and pigments. If you're oily-lidded, then they're a Godsend for longevity and getting liner and shadow to stick around past 11am, and they can add intensity to wishy-washy powders as well. It's always worth having one on hand.
Out of preference, Too Faced's Shadow Insurance is the one I seem to turn to most often (I like its consistency, packaging and what it does), but we've taken a gander at a lot more on the blog over the years:
- Guerlain Ombre Eclat Eyeshadow Primer
- Mavala Eye-Lite Eye Base
- Benefit Stay Don’t Stray
- Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials
- Make Up Store Mixing Liquid & Blend and Fix
- Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion
- NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
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And there are tons out there: Art Deco's shadow base and Mac Paint Pot in Painterly are just two more that get a huge amount of love. Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy is a big cult fave too and you can even use most cream shadows and gel liners to act as a key for shadow too. So the question today is this: what eye shadow primers do you rate, and why?
