As much as I loved wearing eyeshadows to enhance my eye color and eyes I didn’t know that there were so many other products out there that help keep my eyeshadow on all day without creasing, smudging or fading away. Finding the right eyeshadow primer can really be overwhelming. Through a lot of trial and error, I was able to determine what eye primer works well with the various eyeshadows out in the market.
How to get your eye shadow to stick and last all day?
- Why does my eye shadow crease
- Do you have to use an eye shadow primer
- Can a concealer be used as an eyeshadow primer
- What is the best eyeshadow primer
- How to make your eyeshadow pop
- How do I use an eyeshadow primer
- How to use a setting spray as a base
- How to keep glitter eyeshadow in place
I found each of these ways to apply the eyeshadow played a different role in the way that my eyeshadow held during the day.
A lot of people out there don’t realize these different methods when applying eye shadow with different finishes and can actually make a huge difference in an eye make up look.
I will explain how these different eye shadow primers play a role in keeping it on all day and further in the post I will explain about the different various primers that help with the eye shadow lasting all day.
Why Does My Eye shadow Crease?
Eye shadows usually crease because of our natural oils secreted by our eyelids and mix in with our eye shadows causing a hot mess. The constant eye motion of blinking is another reason why our eye shadow creases because we are constantly blinking during the day this can also move the eye shadow all over the lid. The best way to prevent eye shadows from creasing by using a good primer that will sit well on the eyelid and keep eye shadows stuck on which last all day.
Do You Have To Use Eye shadow Primer?
When it comes to eyeshadow primers I found it was completely necessary to have. As seen in the image below the liquid eyeshadow I used completely creased and crumbled at the end of the day. I was really surprised because this particular liquid eyeshadow promised to last all day. Instead at the end of the day, it crumbled and creased. It’s important to have a primer under eyeshadow so that the finish of the eyeshadow is kept fresh and crisp looking all day. There is nothing worse than to be out in public and your eyeshadow looks crumbled, creased and faded. It’s always best to wear an eyeshadow base as it will keep it stuck to your eyelid.
The image clearly shows how it has been creased flaked and faded, this is where the eyeshadow base would work well.
Can A Concealer Be Used As An Eyeshadow Primer?
When I took makeup courses one of the first things we learned was an eye shadow concealer it’s a good base for eye shadows to blend on smoothly. The best way for this kind of concealer to work was to find a base colour to put on top of the concealer once it is placed on the eyelid. This eye shadow colour would usually match my skin colour or I could use a matte powder foundation which would serve the same purpose. What this would do is get the neutral colour to stick to the concealer which makes it easier for other eye shadows to blend on top. I found this technique would make my eye shadows blend nicely and give a smooth and natural look. It gave a nice wash of colour to the eyelids for an everyday look.
Step 1: Apply concealer to the eyelid
Step 2: Blend out the concealer and add a skin-toned eye shadow on top of the concealer
Step 3: Apply the eye shadow on top with the eye shadow brush
What Is The Best Eyeshadow Primer?
Cream eyeshadows can also be used as a base the one that I use every day, the one that I usually go to most of the time is MAC’s Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Rubenesque. These eyeshadows can be worn on their own or with an eyeshadow. They don’t crease and usually stick to the eyeshadow beautifully while bringing out undertones of eyeshadows.
There are many products out on the market when it comes to eye shadow primers. The one I mostly use is Too Faced Eye shadow primer and Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin. The formulas come in two forms one being an invisible matte finish and the other having a shimmery sheen to it. The two different primers have two different finishes when it comes to the finish of the eye shadow application. The invisible matte finish will work well with both shimmer and matte eye shadows where the shimmer primer would add shimmer to the matte eyes shadows and bring out shimmer and make a shimmer shadow which in turn would make it more metallic, to which the end goal effect is to make your eyes pop!
How To Make Your Eyeshadow Pop?
The last way to intensify the eyeshadow and prevent it from creasing is usually a good mixing medium. The best mixing medium would be Mac’s Fix plus. This mixing medium works well when using loose pigments it can really make the pigments either more metallic or bolder in color. This also works well with pressed pigmented eyeshadows depending on the brand and make the cosmetic company. This is also known as foiling eyeshadow
NYX Jumbo Pencil in milk (which it can also be used as an eyeshadow) which is a white base it can really intensify and brighten eyeshadow pigments. The eyeshadow base being white neutralizes the color of our skin color and any redness on the eyelid area. The white base automatically brightens the eye area which intensifies eye shadow colors and allows them to pop and speak loud.
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Slate can be used as a black base it works well when it comes to popping duo-chrome eyeshadows. The dark base can bring out certain colors in duo-chrome eyeshadows. I found that it gives more depth to eyeshadows and can really be shifting an eyeshadow color. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil really intensify eyeshadow depending on what finish you are looking for.
Step 1: Apply NYX Jumbo eye pencil in milk all over the eyelid.
Step 2: Blend out the NYX Jumbo pencil in milk
Step 3: Apply the eye shadow on top of the eyelid
Follow the same procedure with the NYX Jumbo eye pencil in slate which is in the colour black shown in the image below
The Image below shows the difference between a dark colour base, and how it makes your eye shadow have more depth. The white eye shadow which is on the right side brightens up the eye shadow
left eye has the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Slate(dark primer) The right eye has NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
How Do I Use Eyeshadow Primer?
When it comes to the precise application of using a concealer as an eyeshadow primer this would be best for a wash of color and an excellent way for eyeshadows to stick on the concealer. I am going to give you a step by step process of applying the concealer.
First Step: Use the concealer all over your eyelid, just simply brush on the concealer using a concealer brush making sure that you do cover your eyelid.
Second Step: Use a base color (eyeshadow the same color as your skin), make sure that the base colour that you do use matches your skin tone, which would create a smooth canvas to work with
Third Step: Apply the eyeshadow on top of the base, once your happy with the eyeshadow colour that you have picked just simply apply it on top of the base
When it comes to cream eyeshadows being used as a primer it could be used in two ways on the eyelid, either on its own or with an eyeshadow.
First Step: Apply the cream eyeshadow all over the eyelid, take the cream and rub it over the eyelid with your finger it won’t be a problem just so long as you have washed your hands and dried them before applying the cream
Second Step: Apply the eyeshadow on top of the cream eyeshadow, just simply apply the eyeshadow on top of the cream with your brush
Eyeshadow primers usually come in a cream like liquid consistency. It comes in two finishes one being a matte finish which makes eyeshadows bold and stick on the eyelid for a long time. Then we have the eyeshadow primers with a shimmer finish which could either bring out shimmer contents of an eyeshadow or make them more metallic be depending on the eyeshadows finish.
First Step: Apply the eyeshadow primer all over the eyelid, once again just simply apply the primer over your eyelid using your finger again making sure that your hands have been washed and dried
Second Step: Apply the eyeshadow on top of the eyeshadow primer, and just simply apply the eyeshadow on top of the primer itself.
The Difference Between A Pressed Pigment And A Loose Pigment
When it comes to eyeshadows you can get two different types of them, they are:
- Pressed Pigment
- Loose PIgment
Pressed Pigment
This is a more common type of eyeshadow being used, its where the pigments have been mixed with some binding agents to give it a more compact feel until its solid which otherwise is pressed together which forms a more solid product. To give some examples of the common pressed pigments are products such as:
- MAC eyeshadows in a palette
- Maybelline eyeshadow palettes
- Colour pop eyeshadows
Loose Pigment
This is where its an eyeshadow in it’s the truest form being a fine loose powder. Without the binding agent added to it which makes it more bonding and turning into a pressed pigment, it can lose its intensely colour. Some examples are:
- MAC pigment
- NYX Loose pearl eyeshadow
- Lise Waiter eyeshadow pigments
How To Use A Setting Spray As A Base
Lastly, setting sprays can be used not only to set makeup but can be used to intensify an eyeshadow. I found that the colors of an eyeshadow becomes more bold and brighter and also intensifies any loose pigment eyeshadows. Its also known as foiling eyeshadows, the setting sprays give the eyeshadows an almost liquid metallic look, which is kind of a liquid look.
You can use the setting sprays with a pressed pigment or a loose pigment, a pressed pigment is where it is pressed together, and a loose pigment is an eyeshadow that is in it’s the truest form where it looks like dust.
First Step: Spray the setting spray on the tip of an eyeshadow brush, just take the setting spray and take your brush and spray some of it on the tip of the brush
Second Step: Dip the wet eyeshadow brush in a loose pigment or pressed pigment eyeshadow
Third Step: Apply it on the eyelid or on top of any type of eyeshadow primer
The above is an image of a loose gold pigment without a setting spray and a basic primer
The above picture is an example of a loose pigment used with a setting spray which gives the pigment more intensity
How To Keep Glitter Eyeshadow In Place
When it comes to eyeshadows we know to use primers. If you even tried to use a regular eyeshadow primer to get glitter shadows or glitter to stick to your eyelid you will know it’s a complete fail. There can be a lot of mess when it comes to glitter eyeshadows. After doing some research on various primers I found Two Faced Glitter primer to work the best in keeping glitter on the eyelid. There was no creasing or glitter and best of all no messy fallout. The glitter primer goes on invisible and smoothes out any fine lines. Its formulation isn’t very sticking but its enough to get the glitter to stick to the eyelid preventing fall out and to stay on all night. It’s always best to consider a primer made specifically for glitter when applying glitter to the eyelids.