Best Eye Primer for Over 40 Mature Eyes

“Good grief, why the heck do I need an eye primer?” Those were the words out of my mouth many years ago when I first heard about eye primers. I thought, okay, this is just another gimmick by the cosmetics companies to get me to spend more money on makeup! Fast forward about 10 years, and here I am… searching for the best eye primer! LOL

Aging sucks.  There’s just no other way to put it!  The skin around the eyes and on the eyelids is one of the first places you may notice the signs of aging.  All of a sudden, you’ve got crepey, discolored eyelids & and the eyeshadows and eyeliners that you’ve been using for years become more difficult to apply and to blend.  If you are in your early 40’s, you may not be experiencing it quite yet.  But at some point in the next few years, things are going to change.

Thankfully, there are things we can do to improve the texture and appearance of our eyelids and one of those things is to use an Eye Primer.  A good eye primer when applied to the lids of the eyes as a base ensures long-lasting and creaseless eyeshadow.  I recently tested ten Eye Primers from ten beauty brands in search of the “best” eye primer for mature eyes.  I tested both drugstore and high-end brands.  For my testing, I applied the same eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara over the eye primers to give each one a fair shot.

TIP:  There is No Need to buy a separate primer for your Lips.  You can use Eye Primers on the Lips under lipstick or gloss to prevent creasing, flaking, feathering and smudging!

The criteria for my Eye Primer testing was pretty simple.  To make the cut, I was looking for the following from each Eye Primer…

• Doesn’t Irritate Sensitive Eyes
• Provides a smooth base over the entire eyelid with no settling into the crease or lines
• Contain little to no shimmer
• Lasts All Day (at least 8 hours)
• Makes Eye Makeup last longer, extends the wear
• Eyeshadow still easy to blend over the Eye Primer
• Eye Makeup stays in place over the Eye Primer and doesn’t slip around

Not too much to ask, right??

Out of the Ten Eye Primers that I tested, only five met enough of the criteria above to be included in this list.  Ready to find out which ones made it and which one is #1?  Let’s get to it.  Here they are, starting with #5 on my Best Eye Primer list and ending with #1.

#5:  MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly

The Claim:

Non-caking, Non-flaking, Non-creasing.  Long-wearing, 24 hours. Water-resistant.  Stay-true color.

The Result: MAC’s Pro Longwear Paint Pot in the shade “Painterly” is actually an eyeshadow but for years has been a favorite among makeup artists for use as an eye primer.  This nude beige shadow is packaged in a small glass jar pot.  The texture is creamy and it is easy to apply.  Just take a little bit and tap, tap, tap it over your eyelid, then blend it in with your finger.  It didn’t settle into the crease and resulted in a nice smooth surface.  Eyeshadow was easy to apply over this primer and it did a good job of keeping my eye makeup in place all day.

Price: $25.00 USD 0.17 oz.
BUY IT NOW#4: The Beauty Crop Stuck On You Eye Primer

The Claim:  This soft and creamy eye primer makes your eyeshadow go so much further, it locks in color and prevents pigments from creasing, smudging or fading.

The Result:  This Eye Primer is very lightweight with a creamy texture.  You only need a little dab for the entire eyelid.  It goes on smoothly and does have a nice brightening effect.  Stuck On You doesn’t settle into the crease or lines and eye makeup applies easily over it.  Eye Makeup stays in place and lasts all day.

I would recommend waiting a couple of minutes after applying this before starting with your eye makeup.  It’s so creamy that it needs a minute or two to set.

Price:  $16.50 USD
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#3 Cover Girl Lid Lock Up Eyeshadow Primer

The Claim:  Gives you all-day, crease-proof eyeshadow security. Prep your lids to maximize the wear and intensity of your shadow.

The Result:  Cover Girl Lid Lock Up Eyeshadow Primer is packaged in a tube with an applicator wand.  It is a creamy primer that dries to a flesh toned color that provides good coverage of any discoloration on the eyelids.  The consistency of this primer is a bit sticky which makes blending eyeshadow over it more difficult.  The primer doesn’t crease or settle into lines and did make the eye makeup last all day without moving. But the sticky texture of this primer kept it at #3 on the list.  Still a good option for the price!

Price: $8.99 USD .2 Oz.
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#2:  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Original

The Claim:  A primer for indestructible, all-day eyeshadow,  Eyeshadow Primer Potion delivers everything you could possibly want in an eye primer: No creasing. More vibrant color. Smoother application.

The Result:  Packaged in a squeezable tube, Urban Decay’s Primer Potion in Original is a beige colored silky primer that dries to a transparent finish.   It applies and blends beautifully and doesn’t crease or settle into lines.  The staying power is good and it does seem to extend the wear of eye makeup.  It also enhances the pigmentation of eye shadows.  My only complaint with this Primer is that it I wish there was a little bit more color to it when it dries.  It’s very sheer and doesn’t cover ALL imperfections such as veins and freckles.  But overall, this primer checks all the other boxes and that’s why it’s #2 on the list!

Urban Decay Primer Potion comes in several other formulas including an Anti-Aging formula that claims to fight wrinkles and improve tone and texture over time.  It also claims to instantly wake up tired eyes and minimize the appearance of redness, crepiness and other imperfections.

I obtained a sample of the Anti-aging Formula from Sephora.  I didn’t use it long enough to tell if it does anything to improve tone and texture over time.  Otherwise, I don’t see any benefit in this formula over the Original.  It basically does the same thing but costs $2.00 USD more than the Original Formula.

Price:  $27.00 USD 0.33 oz.
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#1 on the list of Best Eye Primers for mature skin is Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer. This is the perfect eye primer for over 40 eyes!

#1:  Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer

The Claim:  Featherweight eye primer that locks down shadows for 24 hours of crease-proof, budge-proof, waterproof wear and true color payoff.

The Result: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, for me, was pretty much perfect.  Packaged in a squeezable tube, the consistency and texture of this eye primer is lightweight and creamy and applies effortlessly.  It provides a nice, natural looking base that dries to an almost colorless look.  Although there is no noticeable color, it still covers imperfections and discoloration and doesn’t settle into the crease or fine lines.  The staying power is excellent, lasting all day long and eyeshadow doesn’t move.  The waterproof formula stood up very well to the 100% humidity we are currently experiencing here in South Carolina.  Quite simply, I couldn’t find a thing wrong with this Eye Primer and that’s why it came in at #1 on the list!

Price:  $26.00 USD 0.35 oz.
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Do you have a favorite Eye Primer?  Have you tried any of the Primers on my list?  As always, I would love to hear from you!  Please leave your comments below.  I really appreciate you stopping by & reading!

Until next time…

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