The 10 Best Eyeshadow Primers to Lock in Your Look

Best Overall

NARS Eyeshadow Base

$26 at Sephora $26 at Ulta $59 at Walmart

Shades: 2 | Translucent: Yes | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

The brand is arguably most known for its award-winning complexion products, but we believe this eyeshadow primer from NARS deserves more attention. The thin, lightweight consistency blends onto the eyelids with ease to create a smooth, soft canvas for eyeshadow. While the original shade is completely transparent making it an excellent choice for all skin tones, the shade Light has a slight beige color to it which can help blur the appearance of veins on the eyelids.

Best for Oily Lids

e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty Eye Primer

$10 at Amazon $10 at Ulta $10 at Target

Shades: 1 | Translucent: Yes | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re thinking that this is a face primer, you’re right. But we don’t always play by the rules, and you don’t have to either. It was formulated to be a matte primer for the face, but the brand claims that it makes a great eyeshadow primer—and we agree. Our tester shared that the smooth, creamy texture blended over her eyelids easily and dried down quickly to a comfortable matte finish. Because of the matte finish and not overly emollient texture, it’s a great option for people with oily eyelids. We also love that it can be used on the face and eyes, helping to cut down on the amount of products you’ll need in your makeup collection.

Best for Color-Correcting

Rare Beauty Weightless Eye Primer

$21 at Sephora $45 at Walmart $21 at Kohls.com

Shades: 1 | Translucent: No | Long-Lasting: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Discoloration on the eyelids is extremely common, but it can be super frustrating when creating an eyeshadow look. That’s why tinted eyeshadow primers, like this one, are great for people who have veins or hyperpigmentation in the area. Aside from the creamy consistency and the velvety, comfortable dry-down, our tester raved about the color of this primer. She explained that the peachy hue worked to brighten up the area while simultaneously providing enough coverage to effectively even out her eyelids. She also noted how much she appreciated the packaging design. Because the tube has one flat edge, it won’t roll around on your vanity and potentially break.

Best for Brightening

ILIA Eye Primer

$24 at Amazon $24 at Sephora $24 at Nordstrom

Shade Range: 1 | Translucent: Yes | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sure, eyeshadow primers are meant to serve as a base for makeup and help to increase the longevity of your look, but why not throw other benefits in there too? This primer has a subtle pearlescence to it which gives the eyelids a brighter, more light-reflective look. It even looks pretty alone on the lids. But don’t worry, you can still apply matte shadows on top and achieve your desired finish. The lightweight texture and fast absorption were what stood out most to our tester, and she also noted that once dry, she couldn’t feel it sitting on her eyelids.

Best Coverage

bareMinerals Eyelid Primer

View on Sephora

Shades: 1 | Translucent: No | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The great thing about tinted primers is that they can help to address discoloration while also providing an additional layer of color that can boost the vibrancy of the shadows you apply on top. This option has a creamy beige color that works to cancel out discoloration as well as make eyeshadows appear more vivid. While it can certainly be used on all skin tones to up the intensity of whatever eyeshadow is applied on top, we would love to see the brand release more shades so that people can more closely match their skin tones if they desire. Aside from the even coverage it provides, our tester loved the silky texture and the quick-drying formula.

Best Lightweight

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Amplifying Eye Primer

$22 at Sephora $22 at Kohls.com View on Fentybeauty.com

Shades: 1 | Translucent: Semi | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The feeling of heavy product sitting on the skin is a makeup pet peeve for many, but with this ultra-lightweight product, you won’t have to worry about that. The formula is soft and airy to the touch, and it blends across the eyelids with almost no effort required. Our tester shared that the doe foot applicator made for a mess-free application, and once applied, she couldn’t tell that there was product on her eyelids. She also noted that while the primer has a milky, off-white color out of the tube, it dries down to a colorless finish on the lids.

Best Long-Lasting

Benefit Cosmetics Eyeshadow Primer

$48 at Amazon View on Sephora

Shades: 1 | Translucent: No | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

This tinted primer works to cancel out discoloration on the eyelids while enhancing the vibrancy of your eyeshadow, and most importantly, keeps your look locked in for the long haul. If you need your makeup to stay put for a special occasion, this is a solid choice. Our tester explained that she appreciated the level of pigmentation because while it doesn’t completely blank out the eyelids, it does provide enough coverage to create a pretty even canvas. Because it’s not full coverage, the shade is flexible and works for a variety of skin tones. However, we do think that adding one lighter shade and one deeper shade to the lineup would be ideal.

Best Waterproof

Laura Mercier Eye Basics Primer

$19 at Amazon $29 at Sephora $19 at Walmart

Shades: 6 | Translucent: Semi | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

If you have oily lids or you live in a rainy, humid climate, chances are a water-resistant eyeshadow primer could save you from some makeup mishaps. In addition to being water-resistant and crease-proof, it has a light, creamy texture that glides onto the lids with ease. Our tester appreciated how easy it was to apply and how it dried down quickly to a comfortable finish. She shared that she couldn’t feel it sitting on her lids, and her eyeshadow applied smoothly over it and stayed in place.

Best Budget-Friendly

Ruby Kisses Eyeshadow Magic Primer

View on Amazon $9 at Walmart

Shades: 1 | Translucent: Yes | Long-Lasting: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

If you’re looking for an affordable product to keep your eyeshadow locked in while intensifying the color payoff, you can’t go wrong with this colorless primer. The thin, transparent formula blends across the eyelids smoothly before drying down to a soft matte finish. Our tester appreciated the even consistency and the fact that it dried down quickly, but what sold her was that she saw a noticeable difference in the color payoff of her eyeshadow when applied on top of the primer.

Best Clean Formula

Milk Makeup Eyeshadow and Concealer Primer

$25 at Sephora $23 at Walmart $25 at Kohls.com

Shades: 1 | Translucent: Yes | Long-Lasting: Somewhat | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Products that can be used in multiple ways always earn extra points in our book, and this eyeshadow and concealer primer is no exception. It can be used to prep the eyelids for eyeshadow as well as prevent your concealer from creasing under your eyes, which if you’re like us, is a major makeup annoyance. The vegan formula contains hyaluronic acid to boost moisture, and the thin, transparent texture has a creamy texture that feels incredibly airy on the skin. In addition to the weightless feel on the eyelids, our tester shared that the angled applicator made applying the product in hard-to-reach areas simple.