The 7 Best Eyeshadow Primer For Oily Lids

Perhaps you’ve been in this scenario once or twice. The moment you finally perfect that winged eyeliner and shimmery eyeshadow, look just to peek in the passenger side mirror twenty minutes later and see your masterpiece creased within the folds of your eyelids.

The best eyeshadow primers for oily lids include Maybelline New York Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base, Smashbox 24-Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Eye Primer.

The number one enemy for anyone who wears makeup is oil, especially when a winged eyeliner is involved. If you relate to the pain of a creased, smudged, or disappearing eyeshadow fiasco, then keep reading to find out what makes these seven primers for oily lids the answer to your eyeshadow prayers.

Do You Need A Primer For Eyeshadow?

Do you need a primer for eyeshadow? Yes. Can you still pull off a fabulous three-shade eyeshadow look without a primer? Probably. Do you want to risk it? No.

Although not necessary, Eyeshadow primer can be a game-changer for people living with oily or sweaty eyelids. We have all dealt with hot summer weather, getting caught in the rain, working out with full glam, or even a twelve-hour day with no touch-ups.

Using a primer can significantly prevent your eyeliner from winding up somewhere across your forehead and your eyeshadow from making you look like you got punched in the eye.

We all try to perfect the art of a fantastic makeup face in ten minutes or less, and adding another step to your already perfected routine may seem like a nuisance. However, it will be worth the extra twenty seconds, in the end, to ensure you don’t walk around all day looking like you have a black eye.

What Does Eyeshadow Primer Do?

Essentially, an eyeshadow primer acts as a base for your product to stick to. A primer targets eyelids and helps these products become more vibrant while adhering to the delicate skin area, whether eyeliner or eyeshadow. A primer also combats factors such as oil, dryness, water, or sweat that might try to crease, smudge, and cause eye makeup to disappear.

There are a couple of notable things an eyeshadow primer does,

  • Helps eyeshadow last
  • Smoother application of product
  • Keep eyeliner in place
  • Prevents creasing or smudging
  • Brighten the color of eyeshadow

If you already have oily skin, make sure your moisturizer and eye cream aren’t oil or cream-based. Try using a moisturizer and foundation from the best makeup products for oily acne-prone skin so it doesn’t add to the oily texture of your skin and eyes.

Best Eyeshadow Primer For Oily Lids - What does eyeshadow Primer do

How Do I Choose Eyeshadow Primer?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when choosing an eyeshadow primer. For starters, you want to make sure you choose the right shade. Tinted, color-corrector, dark, and transparent primers are available for all eyelid needs.

Next, you want to identify what type of primer finish you desire. Typically, people with oily eyelids go for a matte finish to create a drier base for the eye makeup product, while others may go for a satin/shimmer, transparent, or gel-based primers.

Lastly, you want to choose the texture of the eyeshadow primer, which comes in a cream, gel, stick, or liquid form. Creams can be applied with a brush or your finger and tend to feel heavier, while gels and liquids feel lightweight and cause more oil to form to already oily eyelids.

The 7 Best Eyeshadow Primer For Oily Lids

Before using any of these seven best eyeshadow primers for oily lids, you need to start with a clear canvas. Ensure your face is clean, dry, and free of any oily residue from cleaner or moisturizers.

You will then want to spread eyeshadow primer lightly all over the lids and lightly tap into place, making sure not to pull at the eyelid once you feel you have enough product, which is typically less than you think; it’s time to add the magic!

Here are the seven best eyeshadow primers for oily lids.

Primer 1

Maybelline New York Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base – $17.99

Customers rave about this long-lasting eyeshadow primer that stays put till washed off. Another great find is the slight shimmer application that allows it to stand alone as an eyeshadow or make colored shadows pop like never before. With its guarantee to prevent all fading, creasing, smudging, and flaking, it is no wonder it’s rated at almost five stars.

Overall product features include,

  • Zero creasing, flaking or bulking
  • Long-lasting eye makeup primer
  • Creates a smooth surface for easy eyeshadow application
  • Matte primer enhances color vibrancy for extended wear
  • Can wear the primer alone for a matte look
  • It stays on until it’s washed off with soap & water
  • Slight shimmer allows to wear it alone as a shadow

Primer 2

Smashbox 24-Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer – $22.00

Everyone has heard of Smashbox at least once in their life, and its no doubt why this primer is a fan favorite. With its list of ingredients that don’t include animal testing and are free of the most harmful toxins, this eyeshadow primer is tough to beat. The site states this primer is sweat and humidity-resistant and can withstand even the hottest summer nights dancing until the sun comes back up and looks good.

Overall product features include,

  • Maximizes color vibrancy
  • Prevents fading budging, fading, and creasing
  • Sweat and humidity-resistant formula
  • Vegan, cruelty-free eyeshadow primer
  • Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, and phthalates

Primer 3

Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Eye Primer – $13.00

This eyeshadow primer from the well-known Anastasia of Beverly Hills raves, being amazing on even the toughest fines lines and imperfections. Free of just about everything harmful to the delicate skin of the eyelids and cruelty-free, it is easy to see why it was voted one of the best eyeshadow primers of 2021. Customers state that this primer lasted longer than any makeup they apply and withstood even jumping into a pool without their eyeliner running.

Overall product features include,

  • Water-resistant and long-wearing
  • Cream formula glides on smoothly
  • Ensures makeup is smooth and blendable
  • Smudge-free wear
  • Great for matte, metallic, and shimmer shadows
  • Enhances vibrancy, color payoff, and durability of shadows
  • Reduces the appearance of fine lines
  • Squeeze tube allows you to dispense the perfect amount of product
  • Cruelty, paraben, gluten, phthalate, oil, and alcohol-free
  • Vegan, Ophthalmologist reviewed, and Dermatologist tested
  • Noncomedogenic

Primer 4

KVD Beauty Shake Primer High-Impact Invisible Eyeshadow Primer – $35.00

Kat Von D is known for making tattoos disappear with her incredible foundations and concealers, and she definitely does not disappoint with this eyeshadow primer. The saying a little goes a long way rings true for this product with its two hundred or more application promises. Advertised for its transparent application after drying, customers boast that their eyeshadows have never looked more vibrant or lasted longer since using the KVD high-impact eyeshadow primer. This primer is on the higher price tag of all the primers on this list, but according to its five-star reviews, it is well worth the few extra dollars to have a perfectly winged eyeliner that stays perfect.

Overall product features include,

  • Boosts vibrancy of eyeshadow
  • Enhances the actual color of eyeshadow
  • Vegan and cruelty-free liquid eye primer
  • Invisible after applying
  • Over 200 applications in each bottle
  • It contains essential ingredients, not weighed down by binders or fillers
  • Silicone, alcohol, and talc-free

Primer 5

LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Shadow Primer – $23.00

Inspired to help remedy her client’s skin issues, pro makeup artist Carol Shaw created the brand LORAC. This eyeshadow primer formula is a blend of natural botanicals and antioxidants that are stated to assist with soothing skin irritations and rejuvenating the skin. A primer that also acts as a concealer adjusts to skin discoloration and smooths away any imperfections allowing eyeshadow to be the center of attention.

Overall product features include,

  • Lightweight, gentle, and durable
  • Does double-duty as a concealer
  • Oil, fragrance, and paraben-free formula
  • Crease-resistant, smudge-proof
  • Adjusts discoloration in eyelids and any imperfections
  • Easy-to-spread dries quickly
  • Infused with gentle natural botanicals and antioxidants to soothe and rejuvenate skin
  • It blends out to have a clear matte finish

Primer 6

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer – $24.00

Too Faced is a trendy name among Instagram beauty and make-artists everywhere, and it’s easy to understand why with its promise to last twenty-four hours. Among its long wear abilities, this eyeshadow primer also states to conquer just about any makeup mishap known to eyeshadow extraordinaire’s everywhere. A full-coverage, waterproof primer that resists the oiliest eyelids and a good cry is undoubtedly at the top of the best eyeshadow primers list.

Overall product features include,

  • It prevents smudging, creasing, melting, fading, blurring, and oil-slicked eyelids
  • Eyeshadows stay put all-day
  • Waterproof wear for up to 24 hours
  • Contains Vitamin E and Silicone
  • Full-coverage
  • Formula evens out the skin tone and smoothes outlines
  • It makes eyeshadows more vibrant and long-lasting
  • Cruelty and paraben-free

Primer 7

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Primer – $4.68

By far the most affordable of the best eyeshadow primers for oily lids, Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow primer has not disappointed in quality either. Claiming to make any eye makeup look last twenty-four hours on a budget price is a dream come true. For oily eyelids, a primer that is lightweight, non-greasy but yet doesn’t dry this sensitive skin area seems like a win-win for all shadows out there. Crease and color-stay promises have customers everywhere running to scoop up this eyeshadow primer that also states to work on any skin tone.

Overall product features include,

  • Color stay technology
  • All-day vibrant color and crease-proof wear
  • Wears up to 24 hrs
  • Creates a smooth base for shadow
  • Custom sheaf butter care complex
  • Non-drying, non-greasy formula
  • Works on all skin tones
  • Lightweight formula
  • Creamy, without oily slickness

Final Thoughts

The moral of the story, do yourself a solid and prime those eyelids before going in with your favorite eyeliner and eyeshadow combo. You’ll never get those thirty minutes it took to perfect that line back, but you may get more than thirty minutes out of that fabulous green shimmer eyeshadow you put on.