11 best eyeshadow primers that’ll keep your glam in place all day (even in the heat)

Eyeshadow primers are one of those products that you don’t quite realise just how good it is, until one day, you’ve used up an entire tube and don’t have back-up. Or you simply forget to apply it one day. Either way, it’s always a good way to learn the very important lesson of never applying eyeshadow without prepping and priming your lids.

Oily-skinned gals will already know just how good primer can be to stop the eyeshadow you meticulously applied slipping and sliding around half way through the day. But, even if you’re not somebody with excessively oily lids – and you haven’t ever used an eyeshadow primer – trust us when we tell you that it’s a product you really shouldn’t be sleeping on.

Is eyeshadow primer necessary?

Simply put, yes, we reckon it is. As makeup artist Jesse Walker told us, “Eyeshadow primers are fantastic at increasing the longevity of your eye makeup, particularly if you have oily eyelids or are sweating throughout the day. They can also increase the intensity of your powder shadows, meaning you can use less product whilst still achieving strong colour payoff.”

So, essentially, aside from neutralising and prepping lids ready for the most flawless shadow application of your life, a good eyeshadow primer helps the colour last all day long, stops it from creasing (which, let’s be honest, is one of the most annoying things that can happen, right?) and ensures the colour stays true all day long. Plus, if you’re wearing metallic, glittery or bright neon shades then a primer will help make those colours pop even more than you thought possible.

In short, consider eyeshadow primer a must-have in every make-up bag. If you’re not sure of the best eyeshadow primer to add to your collection, let us walk you through a selection of our tried and tested favourites.

Best eyeshadow primers for 2022 at a glance:

• Best eyeshadow primer = Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Eye Primer, £22, cultbeauty.co.uk
• Best eyeshadow primer for oily lids = Too Faced Shadow Insurance 24h Eyeshadow Primer, £20, cultbeauty.co.uk
• Best invisible eyeshadow primer = Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, £19.50, urbandecay.co.uk
• Best weightless eyeshadow primer = Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Weightless Eyeshadow Primer, £17, spacenk.co.uk
• Best affordable eyeshadow primer = NYX Professional makeup Eyeshadow Base High Definition, £6, boots.com
• Best eyeshadow primer kit = Makeup By Mario Master Eye Prep & Set, £23.50, cultbeauty.co.uk
• Best eyeshadow primer for sensitive skin = Beauty Pie Eyeshadow Primer, £9 (for members), beautypie.com
• Best eyeshadow primer for bright eyeshadows = Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Base, £22, lookfantastic.com
• Best eyeshadow primer for hooded eyes = ELF Shadow Lock Eye Primer, £3, superdrug.com
• Best eyeshadow primer for crepey eyelids = Max Factor Miracle Prep Eyeshadow Primer, £7.99, boots.com
• Best eyeshadow primer for mature skin = Elizabeth Arden Advanced Eye Fix Primer, £21, elizabetharden.co.uk