Lipstick Masala

Recently, I’ve been asked by a lot of ladies whether eye makeup primer is really necessary. My answer? Only if you actually want to keep your makeup on. I understand choosing staple makeup items can be frustrating – every commercial, every magazine speaks of millions of products that you MUST have. There is regular makeup primer, eyelash primer, lip primer, you name it – I’m sure someone somewhere is even creating a body primer for lotion. But, ladies, believe me when I say fs there is one primer to buy, it’s eye makeup primer – prepping the eye area before you apply shadow really makes a world of difference.

There are two main benefits of eye primer:

1) Does your shadow either fade away during the day or crease so you have a cakey line on your lids? This doesn’t just happen to oily-skinned girls, we all have natural oils on our face that make our shadow almost melt away. Primer combats this in two ways: 1) It helps to protect your lids from oils by forming a barrier between your skin and the makeup. 2) Primer acts as an adhesive so your shadow sticks to the primer rather than your moisture-filled skin. Your shadow lasts longer and color stays truer.

2) Have you ever been disappointed because the color in the pan doesn’t quite come out the same on your lids? Eye primer provides a neutral canvas on which to apply your shadow. Everyone has undertones and discolorations in their skin that interfere with how the color appears on your lids (this is especially true for desi ladies) – the neutral primer evens out these undertones and allow for the true pigment of the shadow to show, deeper and richer than before. Do a test: Apply a streak of shadow on the back of your hand. Then next to it, apply a little primer and put the same shadow on top of that. See the color difference?

So, why can’t I use foundation? Well, you can if you don’t want to spend extra $$$ on another product, however, foundation is formulated to be lighter to allow your skin to breathe. It does not have as much hold as eye primer or concealer. So, while your skin tone may even out, the lasting power will be as though you are wearing nothing at all. What about concealer? Concealer is an acceptable replacement for primer, but because it’s created for the under eye area where there is no natural moisture, concealers tend to be creamier. This means that while your makeup may stay on because of the thick consistency, your shadow will most probably crease.

Here are some of our recommendations:

- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (pictures left) – this is the industry favorite and is best for loose pigments. We advise you to get in the “Original” (nude) and skip the “Sin” (champagne shimmer). Silicone based for smooth application. $17 urbandecay.com and sephora.com .

- MAC Cosmetics Paint pots in “Painterly” and “Soft Ochre” are very popular $16.50. We personally prefer the light feel of the paint tubes in “Untitled” and “Bare Canvas” $16.50. Skip the regular Prep+Prime product – we found it too cakey. maccosmetics.com

- A great drugstore dupe of the Urban Decay: Lumene Beauty Base Eyeshadow Primer. Can also be used as a lipstick primer. Lumene.com

- If you want to save $$$ and want to go for a dewey look, some suggest using Vaseline. We have not personally tried this – sounds too greasy, but it has worked for many. Another great alternative that we personally like is Chapstick – it’s less greasy and adheres better, plus it’s super cheap – check out our previous post on using Chapstick as a primer HERE.

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.**Application tip to remember: a little primer goes a long way – you only need a dab or two for the entire lid. Anything more will result in a cakey look, defeating the purpose of using a primer.**

We and the other readers would love some more ideas of primers that actually work! So, go ahead and share what you use in the Comments section