Looking Good: Eyeshadow Primer for Work

One of the negatives about makeup is that it’s so easy to get it wrong. Too heavy-handed and it can look overwhelming; a slight misapplication can look sloppy; too light and it’s gone in an hour—I takes patience and practice, imo. One big thing for me is that if you’re going to wear makeup in a professional setting it needs to look appropriate and be applied well. A big problem I see (and I categorize it as a problem because it can be distracting) is smeared eyeshadow/liner.

Eyelids can get oily, even mine and I have a super dry skin. I hate to admit that I’m often distracted by people at work and networking events that must have put on a shadow in the morning and then by mid-day all of it has faded or caked into their crease. I know that, personally, I hate for that to happen to me because I don’t want my makeup to be a distraction at work (and makeup disasters are totes distractions). Makeup in a professional setting should just highlight the good, tone down the bad, and help you looked polished and ready to lead.

So with all that said, I use my Holy Grail primer to make sure my shadow stays in place. And let me just say—Paints by MAC is the most amazing primer!

Yes, I have tried Urban Decay, Too-Faced, and Nars.  They are all good formulas and work well. But, I always go back to this primer. Paints, which I get in Sublime Nature, has a slight tint to it as opposed to the other primers on the market that are a translucent cream. The color is almost the exact shade as my lids, so it doesn’t interfere with any other eyeshadow. On days where I’m just wearing liner, Sublime Nature gives my eye a little more definition. And Paints comes in an assortment of colors, so it’s easy for (most) everyone to find a shade.

Most importantly, this thing WORKS!   Here’s the proof:

The left side is my eye in the morning, and the right is my eye after 8 hours of work.   You can tell that my foundation has disappeared, but my eye makeup stays steady.

And that’s why I love it, because my eyeshadow does not budge—it lasts all work day, through the nights out, through gym sessions—it’s hardcore.

It costs about $20, and is 0.23 oz. Like most great products a little goes a long way. I use mine every day (sometimes twice if I’m changing my look) and it easily lasts me over a year.

What’s your favorite primer?