Eye makeup not staying put? Pigments not as vibrant, shimmery, and beautiful as you thought they would be? Chances are you may be in need of a good primer and a good base. For those of you going 'say what?' here is an introduction and tutorial on the purpose, types, and use of primers and bases wif lots o pictures (cuz I am a visual person and cuz a large block of text is kinda boring)
*takes a bow* *dodges a tomato* Hey! No throwing food! I haven't even started yet!
*takes a bow* *dodges a tomato* Hey! No throwing food! I haven't even started yet!
Primer
What is a primer?
A primer is applied before your makeup in order to help the makeup stay in place and increase it's longevity. There are different types of primers including eye primers, foundation primers, eyelash primers, lip primers, etc. This post will be focusing on eye primers
Brands?
There are many brands of eye primers on the market, I use either Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original shade) or NP Set Cosmetics Eye Primer. Many primers can be rather pricey (a full size bottle of UDPP is $18, mine is a travel/trial size that came with a palette I bought) but for those on a budget E.L.F. has a primer that I have heard works well and is only $1. You may be able to find the E.L.F. primer at Target or Gordmans otherwise it is available online on e.l.f.'s website
Sooo how do I use it?
Primer is the very first thing that goes on you eyelid. Word to the wise: you only need a teeny tiny bit. If you use too much it will crease thus defeating the purpose of using it. Its always better to put not enough and add a lil more if necessary than to have to much and have to start over.
STEP 1: Wash - First things first (this one is kinda a no brainer) wash your hands, obviously it's always a good idea to wash your hands when you are going to be touching your face, especially when it's around your eyes. Gotta protect to peepers!
STEP 2: Apply - Dab a very small amount of the primer onto your eyelid (either using a wand if your primer has one or your fingertip) You should use just enough to, when blended, cover the area where you plan to apply pigment with a thin layer, generally you are NOT supposed to really see the primer so don't glob it on. If you use too much primer it will cause your pigment to crease, which defeats the purpose.
TIP: I generally dab it on in a few different spots instead of just one spot as it makes the next step easier.
STEP 3: Blend - Using your fingertip spread out & blend the primer until it covers your eyelid. As for how high up you want to go with the primer, that's up to you. I generally go all the way up under my eyebrow so even the color I choose for the highlight stays put, after all my primer is sheer so you can't see it if it isn't totally covered by pigment.
STEP 4: Get low - (optional) Dab a small amount along your lower lash line and blend it across said lower lash line. This is useful for when you plan to use a pigment as a liner.
STEP 5: Watch paint er I mean primer dry - Before you do anything else to your eyelids give the primer time to dry, go get dressed; do your hair; do your lips or face; eat a cookie; whatever just give it time to dry (time required will vary by brand)
Note:Primers come in a variety of shades and colors. Some, like the Urban Decay Original Primer Potion I use, go on sheer. Some have a tint to them and some have a shimmer to them. Also, different primers work better for different people depending on thinks like how oily or dry your eyelids are. My advice would be to do some research and when you decide on one, if possible purchase it from Sephora where (unlike pretty much all other stores) if you try and do not like a product you can return it, even though it has been opened.
STEP 2: Apply - Dab a very small amount of the primer onto your eyelid (either using a wand if your primer has one or your fingertip) You should use just enough to, when blended, cover the area where you plan to apply pigment with a thin layer, generally you are NOT supposed to really see the primer so don't glob it on. If you use too much primer it will cause your pigment to crease, which defeats the purpose.
TIP: I generally dab it on in a few different spots instead of just one spot as it makes the next step easier.
STEP 3: Blend - Using your fingertip spread out & blend the primer until it covers your eyelid. As for how high up you want to go with the primer, that's up to you. I generally go all the way up under my eyebrow so even the color I choose for the highlight stays put, after all my primer is sheer so you can't see it if it isn't totally covered by pigment.
STEP 4: Get low - (optional) Dab a small amount along your lower lash line and blend it across said lower lash line. This is useful for when you plan to use a pigment as a liner.
Note:Primers come in a variety of shades and colors. Some, like the Urban Decay Original Primer Potion I use, go on sheer. Some have a tint to them and some have a shimmer to them. Also, different primers work better for different people depending on thinks like how oily or dry your eyelids are. My advice would be to do some research and when you decide on one, if possible purchase it from Sephora where (unlike pretty much all other stores) if you try and do not like a product you can return it, even though it has been opened.
Primers can be used with or with out a base.
*dodges a pineapple* 0.0 Please don't throw pointy things!!! I no like pain!
BASE
What is a base?
A base (specifically an eyeshadow base) is something used to bring out a pigment's shimmer and to bring out and the pigment's true color. The base goes on after your primer.
Brands?
There are many brands that have bases. I use NYX's Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils as bases. They are available in a wide variety of colors (using a different color base changes the look of your pigment so don't be afraid to try a few different colors) and are very affordable. At Ulta and on NYX's website they sell for about $4.50 each but they can also be found on ebay for cheaper. NYX also has a base that is around $7 but I have not tried it seeing as the pencils work wonderfully for me.
How do I use it?
STEP 1: Same as the first step for primer. Wash your hands (esp. if you haven't done that yet).
STEP 2: Apply a small amount of the base to your eyelid. You can use a brush (specifically an angle brush), your finger, or in the case of the NYX pencils the pencil itself as you would with an eyeliner. I usually apply straight from the pencil and I do so in a few, for lack of a better term, dash marks on my eyelid. As with the primer you can dot a little on under your lower lashes
STEP 3: Using your finger blend the base until it is sheer and covering all of the area in which you intend on applying your pigment(s) (pardon the poor image quality on this one, I didn't have enough hands to use my camera so I tried using my webcam, it didn't work very well :/)
TIP: it can be helpful to use a free finger to gently pull the skin of your eyelid, especially while blending in order to get your base evenly applied even in areas where there would normally be a crease or fold in the skin
STEP 4: Apply your pigments :D
*dodges another tomato* Well ya can't please em all!
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