Definition of Eye Primer and Top 12 Best in the Market

Lately, with the cosmetic world buzzing and booming, I am sure we’ve all heard of the famous eye primer and all of its wonderful uses and benefits that people can’t seem to get enough of. For an ordinary girl who barely wears makeup, an eye primer is something of mystery and wonder, with zero knowledge and idea on its uses and functionality.

With that said, since eye primer is something that’s is getting a lot of attention amongst the millennial, let’s take a look at what it’s about and all of its amazing benefits and function:

An eye primer is a cosmetic and makeup product that ensures your eye shadow or liquid eyeliner stays in place and intact for a longer period of time, as well as preventing your applied eye shadow from creasing on your eyelids. They generally come in a gel-like formula that melts away on your eyelid upon blending.

Even though a lot of time people have it difficult differentiating an eye primer and a face primer, with many convinced the two actually does the same thing, it can be far from true. The difference is in the chemical formula with most face primer is rich in silicon and water to fill in the pores or any imperfections the skin might have, while an eye primer feels slightly tackier and contain a slight grip to help make your eye product of your choice last longer.

Since the world is a global village, and we come from different background, culture, and region, we also come with different skin tone and color. Our skin tone is characterized by the skin color underneath the outer skin that is visible to us, this undertone color makes up your actual skin color.

The three most popular recognised skin undertone colors are: warm,cool and neutral. And to find out what your actual skin undertone is, all you need to do is take a shower and wash off any chemicals and makeup products completely from your body, wait for 10-15 minutes to completely dry, and your body to dry. Find a place or angle that emits natural light, find a sitting area where you can carefully observe and look out for the color of the veins underneath your skin, especially in your wrist and arm area. If you can't tell if your veins are green or blue, you may have a neutral skin tone. If you have an olive complexion, you likely fall into this category. If your veins appear green, you have a warm skin tone, and If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone.

Individuals with warm skin tone look great in earthy colors, such as oranges, bronzes, golds, peaches, brick reds, earthy greens, mocha browns and ivory. But below we can take a look at some of the eye primer that are ideal for individuals with a warm skin tone:

Gabriel warm beige eye primer prepares your eyelids for your chosen color, whether you create smoky eyes for a night out, glitter effects for something sassy or ordinary eye color for everyday wear. The nude beige shade keeps colors truer all day and night, while jojoba seed oil lets the natural minerals glide on smoothly. Simply apply this product over your eyelids with your fingertips as you get ready for your day. Perfect for individuals with warm and oily skin tone.

This primer is rich in Vitamin E which soothes and calms the delicate eye area. It contains a volatile lockdown eye shadow pigments for amazingly long wear. This anti-aging, antioxidant primer blends perfectly with powder or cream eye shadow products.

Individuals with cool skin undertones have veins that can appear bluish in color, and they look great in white, black and silver jewelry. The best eye color for them is blue, grey, dark brown or black. Most Asians and Latinos are known to have a cool skin tone.

Below is a list of eye primer that is suitable for ladies with cool skin tone.

If you don’t want a coloured product, Nars’s offering is your best bet. It goes on (with a stick sponge applicator) slightly white but dries clear, completely mattifies oily lids and holds even cream eyeshadows all day. Best eye primer for all skin types, especially cool skin tone.

This thin, creamy base has become our go-to for sheer ease of application (it warms on your fingertips and glides over easily) and for the fact that it makes an excellent eraser for any mistakes you make applying your shadow. It also amplifies the color of eyeshadow applied over the top and stops nude colors appearing patchy.

Neutral skin toned can pretty much get away with a lot of colors and looks, if your skin tone doesn’t fall within warm and cool, then it’s obvious you are on the neutral skin side. Below are some great eye primers for individuals who are neutral skin toned:

Apply this primer to the eye lid to prepare, smooth and perfect the eye area for longer lasting eye shadow looks. Perfect for neutral skin toned ladies. 

This is a popular product for good reason. It holds shadow on oily eyelids even in serious heat, blends out imperfections and seriously ups the intensity of eyeshadow pigmentation. It has a sponge wand applicator and comes in six shades, from caffeine (great for darker skin tones) to sin, which adds a champagne shimmer to shadow applied on top.

If you love to wear eyeshadow and can do without colors unto if your eyelid, then you already familiar with the importance of a good eye primer. While there are plenty of formulas that claim to ban creases, provide long-lasting wear, and decrease fallout, we know spending a fortune on another makeup bag essential isn’t always in the cards. If you’re looking for a primer that won’t break the bank, we’ve compiled six of the best drugstore eye shadow primers that are inexpensive and totally under $10.

This drugstore eyeshadow primer cost $9, and it’s long-lasting and friendly on the eye. It accentuates the saturation and pigment of your eye look by not only keeping it intact but also drying to a neutral shade that evens light skin tones and looks invisible under your shadow of choice.

This is the best-of-the-best drugstore eye shadow primer from Covergirl. And according to said reviews, it will last through almost anything. 

Revlon’s ColorStay collection has made a name for itself within crème-de-la-crème drugstore fodder, and this eye-enhancing primer is no different. Designed with good-for-the-skin ingredients, it will last a whopping 24 hours (like, wow) and promises to blend and smooth with non-greasy, non-drying abandon. Essentially, it’s perfect in each and every way.

Even though when purchasing an eye primer, you are mostly concern with its function and durability not about how luxurious or expensive it cost. An eyeshadow primer of $5 dollar will probably do the same thing as an eyeshadow primer of $50 but a luxury brand item may last longer or better in terms of performance. If you wish to pamper yourself and stay on the luxury side, we hear you. Here is a list of some of our favorite luxury eyeshadow primer:

This sheer primer combats excess oil all day, so you’ll never look greasy and your beloved eyeshadow won’t crease.

Unlike most primers, NARS' base is completely clear. Use it with your favorite eyeshadow and expect the most brilliant color payoff.

Try Tartes’s Colored Clay CC eye primer stick if you prefer the applicator-free approach.

Here are a compilation of good tutorials on eye primers to learn how to apply it the correct way.

Primers are the most important component of every makeup, especially if you want it to stay long and last. It's role is to hold on to whatever you apply on your face without it getting smudged, creased or wiped out.

An eye primer keeps your eyeshadow from cleaning off when on vigorous activities, it stays on you for a very long time and helps in giving your face the lasting effects required. Coming in different colors or completely transparent (colorless), it can take a jelly, liquid or cream form. Make an eye primer a must have in every makeup bag. Use it well and it will level up your makeup look and style!