We all want thicker, fuller lashes and spend lots of time and money trying to make that happen. There’s one often-overlooked product that can really dramatize your lashes. Just like you use an eyeshadow or foundation primer, eyelash primers are an important step in your mascara routine.
Lash primer has many benefits to improve your mascara application, as well as make your lashes feel healthier. If you want fuller, thicker, and longer-looking lashes, make sure to add an eyelash primer into your routine!
What Is Eyelash Primer?
When you think of foundation primer, you imagine a base coat of product going under your foundation. When you think of eyeshadow primer, you think of something you put on before you play with your palette. Eyelash primer works the same way! It’s a base coat of product going on under your mascara.
Eyelash primer comes in a tube-like mascara and is applied almost the same way. The tube might be a different color to indicate its primer. The primer itself is usually white or clear, rather than black like mascara. Don’t be alarmed by this color as it will be covered by the color of your mascara.
Like any other hairs on our bodies, our eyelashes have cracks and unevenness. Eyelash primer fills in those cracks, which supports a smoother surface on our lashes. This smooth surface will make the mascara application much easier and more effective.
Using eyelash primer will make your mascara appear more prominent. It will create a look similar to eyelash extensions but at a fraction of the cost and time.
What Are the Benefits?
Eyelash mascara has numerous benefits for your lashes, both in appearance and in overall lash health. The benefits you receive from your primer depend on the primer you chose. For maximum effectiveness, choose a primer that will make your lashes look amazing, as well as make them healthier!
Thicker and Fuller-Looking Lashes
Lash primer coats your lashes in a thin layer of keratin. You’ve probably heard of keratin hair treatments and their uses are similar on your lashes!
Keratin supports smoother, fuller lashes. These smooth lashes appear thicker once mascara has been applied. If you choose to use thickening mascara, your lashes will appear thicker if you add primer!
Lash primers often include ingredients, like biotin, that can make your lashes look longer. Imagine the length you can achieve with a primer and a lengthening mascara!
Healthier Lashes
In addition to making your lashes pop, lash primer can also make your lashes feel even healthier. Talk about a bang for your buck! If you want to focus on healthy lashes, look for some of these ingredients in your primer.
- Peptides: This protein supports and moisturizes your lashes. It is included in Kaja Beauty’s Wink Lash Trio, along with avocado peptide for effectiveness.
- Vitamin E: This vitamin is rich in antioxidants and helps protect your lashes from environmental and air pollution.
- Vitamin B5: This vitamin supports hair follicles along your lash line, which will help create a fuller look.
Better Mascara Application
Is there anything worse than clumpy mascara? That look is not cute and we want to avoid it at all costs!
When you use a lash primer, your lashes are precoated and have already had a chance to smooth out before you use mascara. Your mascara will go on as smooth as butter with even distribution. No clumps here!
A smooth mascara application will also help you use fewer products. You won’t need to go over lashes again and again to get all the cracks and crevices. A smooth eyelash means less time and product wasted. I like the sound of that!
Long-Lasting Looks
Eyeshadow primer keeps your shadow on all day, and lip primer keeps your lipstick from smudging, so I bet you can guess what eyelash primer also does. If you guess that it keeps your mascara long-lasting then you’re right!
Applying primer helps keep your mascara from smudging and coming off throughout the way. We all know raccoon eyes aren’t in style, so help prevent that with a coat of lash primer.
How Do I Pick One Out?
Picking out an eyelash primer can be almost as overwhelming as picking out mascara. If you don’t know where to start, there are a few ways you can narrow your search.
Determine a Budget
Just like with any other makeup product, you can find high-end and low-end mascara primers. Determine what your budget is and look within that budget.
Try searching online so you can read reviews and sort by your budget. You can also head to your local department store or beauty supply store and speak to a salesperson for more assistance.
Stick With a Brand
If you already have a mascara brand that you’re loyal to, check to see if they have a primer available. These products will often be designed to go hand-in-hand, so you’ll maximize each one’s benefits if you use them together.
Pick a Set
The easiest and most cost-effective way to pick a primer to go along with your mascara is to find a set that includes them both! Kaja Beauty’s Wink Lash Trio includes a primer and not one, but TWO mascaras. A clear primer can be used with volumizing and lengthening mascaras to make your eyelashes pop.
How Do I Apply Primer?
Now that you’ve found your dream primer, there are a few more steps before you’re ready to apply primer and mascara like a pro!
First, make sure you’ve removed all previous eye makeup and mascara. Anything left on the lashes could cause clumps and that’s not a cute look. Use eye makeup remover or microcellular water to remove mascara without damaging your lashes.
Mascara should be the final step for your eyes, so make sure the rest of your eye makeup is done. If you want to make any changes to your eyeshadow or eyeliner, now is the time! Once you complete your mascara, it will be hard to go back and edit without smudging anything.
Primers can be white, clear, or other colors so don’t be alarmed when you first apply. Start at the base of your lashes and move the wand along to the tip, making a slight back and forth motion. This wiggling motion will help curl your lashes more and make sure they look even more voluminous.
Apply a coat of primer to all lashes and be ready to apply mascara immediately after. Try not to get distracted because if the primer dries completely, it will cause your mascara to clump and dry out.
Lash Primer or Lash Extensions?
You might be reading everything above and thinking that there is an easy way to get longer, fuller-looking lashes. Lash extensions might seem like the easy choice, but are they really more effective?
Lash extensions can be very expensive to maintain. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars a month on extensions, you can spend $30 every couple of months to stay stocked in fresh products.
There is also a much lower time commitment to using lash primer rather than extensions. Adding lash primer to your beauty routine only adds a couple of seconds, or however long it takes you to apply a coat of mascara. This is much faster than spending hours each month getting your lashes filled.
Most importantly, although they might make your lashes look incredibly long and healthy, extensions can actually damage your lashes over time. Lash primer can create the same look while avoiding damage and making your lashes feel healthier. The choice seems obvious!
Anything Else You Need To Know?
You should now know the basics of what lash primer is and how it works. Here are a few extra tips to make sure your lashes look amazing:
- Throw out your primer and your mascara every three months at least. This will keep the product fresh and make sure there are no bacteria in the tube.
- There’s no need to pump and pull the wand in the bottle. One pull-out will provide the right amount of primer or mascara, without risking air and bacteria getting into the bottle.
- To take an extra step to prevent clumping, use an eyelash brush immediately after application to help brush your lashes out.
Wrapping It Up
You should be an expert on eyelash primer now! You know it makes your lashes look thicker, fuller, and longer and can also make your lashes feel healthier.
You also know how to use your budget and brand loyalty to pick out a primer, as well as the best steps to apply the product. Keep your lashes looking healthy and primed and your eyes will be popping!
Sources:
Keratin Benefits and Results | Healthline