9 Top Lash Primers to Pair With Your Favorite Mascara
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Putting on mascara is usually done at the tail end of your overall look. Still, it’s not any less important than other parts of the makeup routine.
It’s especially true nowadays when more people aim for that flawless “no-makeup” makeup look.
The makeup industry has progressed a lot in recent years, and there’s now practically a solution to your every need. And if you want to find something that can help make your mascara stay on longer, a lash primer is what you need.
Here, you’ll learn the importance of incorporating a lash primer into your routine.
And we’ve prepared a list of products so you can easily find the top eyelash primer for you!
- Has lash-conditioning properties
- Improves length of eyelashes
- Separates lashes for smooth mascara application
- Instantly boosts eyelash volume by up to five times
- Delivers full coverage
- Gentle on sensitive eyes
- Improves eyelash definition, curl, and length
- Enhances mascara color and shine
- Has an airy texture that easily coats every lash
Table of Contents
- 1 What Is a Lash Primer?
- 2 What to Look For in a Lash Primer
- 3 How to Use a Lash Primer
- 4 Top Lash Primers for Longer-Lasting Mascara
- 5 Top Overall Lash Primers
- 6 Top Lash Primer for Conditioning
- 7 Top Lash Primers From Drugstore Brands
- 8 Top Lash Primer for Asian Lashes
- 9 Top Lash Primer for Eyelash Extensions
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions
- 11 Start Using Lash Primers!
What Is a Lash Primer?
Your favorite beauty gurus have been telling you about makeup primers for a long time, and we trust that you’re taking their advice.
There’s a primer for your face, upper eyelid, and lips. But did you know there’s also a primer specifically for your lashes?
Primers are used to prep your skin before putting on makeup.
They serve as a base coating and are meant to smoothen the surface for better coverage and a flawless appearance. They also ensure your makeup lasts longer.
Lash primers do the same for your eyelashes.
With lash primers, applying mascara gives you a more voluminous look while preventing clumps and smudges. And the top lash primers are formulated to hold the curl of your eyelashes.
What to Look For in a Lash Primer
Good eyelash primers serve the common purpose of improving the effects of your mascara.
But a lash primer’s formula, ingredients, and how well they coat your eyelashes make some better than others.
Formula
Lash primers with a creamy texture are easier to apply evenly and won’t weigh down your eyelashes. Other products are designed to add volume to your eyelashes, and these tend to have a thicker consistency.
There are lash primers that come with added ingredients for extra benefits too.
Those with conditioning and nourishing properties typically include ingredients that protect, strengthen, and extend eyelashes for the long run.
Ingredients
Some of the top eyelash primers come with ingredients like vitamin E and collagen that improve your eyelashes’ overall condition. It would also help if you look for rich, natural oils that deliver hydrating and conditioning properties.
If you want to strengthen your eyelashes, a keratin primer can help!
Application
Lash primers that glide smoothly through every lash are your best bet to achieve an evenly distributed mascara. It’s also crucial to avoid clumps and smudges.
Applicators play a big part in correctly applying a lash primer too. If you can, look for lash primers with applicators that match the natural volume of your eyelashes.
Do you have dense lashes? You’d do well with a thick brush. Are your lashes finer and shorter?
Overall, an applicator with soft bristles should work great for everyone because it allows for easy and even coating of lash primers.
How to Use a Lash Primer
Using a lash primer is as easy as applying mascara! Make sure to follow these few simple steps to get the best out of it.
1. Always start by curling your eyelashes. It’s best to do this before applying lash primer or mascara to make sure that you’re defining the natural shape of your lashes.
2. Dip the applicator into the lash primer. Use the tube’s stopper to remove any excess product to avoid clumps.
3. Apply the lash primer starting at the roots of your lashes. Run the applicator’s bristles through your eyelashes in a zigzagging motion for even coating.
4. Leave the lash primer for 15 to 30 seconds before applying your mascara. Don’t let it completely dry out so your mascara will cling to the primer properly.
Here’s one more tip! If you’ll be using other eye makeup products, apply them first. This way, you can remove any product falling on your lashes that could get in the way of your lash primer and mascara.
Top Lash Primers for Longer-Lasting Mascara
Finally, here’s a list of some of the top lash primers.
Most of them are formulated to work for everyone, but there are lash primers crafted for specific needs.
Top Overall Lash Primers
Need help stretching your lashes for a more voluminous look? This is the lash primer for you!
Key benefits: Employs “magnetic technology” to stretch eyelashes, improves lash definition; creamy formula as a great base for mascara
Features:
- Vitamin B5 (panthenol) has conditioning effects and promotes lash flexibility
- Sunflower seed oil nourishes and hydrates the eyelashes
- Carnauba wax helps separate strands and improves eyelash definition
This lash primer has everything you need for longer, thicker, and healthier eyelashes!
PÜR Fully Charged Lash Primer boosts the volume and curl of your eyelashes. But what makes it even better is it’s filled with ingredients that make your lashes healthier.
This is the ultimate mascara base you need while keeping your lashes nourished and conditioned without parabens and gluten. Most of all, it’s a good eyelash primer that deserves extra credit for going the cruelty-free route!
A primer that adds volume and nourishes your eyelashes for long-term benefits.
Key benefits: Has conditioning effects for healthier eyelashes, keeps lashes separated so the mascara stays longer, improves eyelash length
Features:
- Peptides promote eyelash growth and improve hydration
- Botanical extract blend with hibiscus, pear, and asafoetida root for eyelash protection
- Rice bran wax improves eyelash volume
It lengthens your lashes while delivering hydration and antioxidant protection. The Blinc Lash Primer truly has it all!
There are so many things to love about Blinc Lash Primer. It delivers all the great benefits you want from a lash primer and then some.
Filled with natural ingredients, some users even say you can even sleep with it to maximize its lash-conditioning benefits!
This primer strengthens your eyelashes to prevent fallout and breakage. Don’t worry about clumps because it keeps lashes separated. Best of all, it promotes eyelash growth!
We also give Blinc plus points for making this lash primer paraben-free, fragrance-free, and cruelty-free.
Easily separate lashes for even application with this fan-favorite lash primer!
Key benefits: Delivers volumizing and lengthening effects; offers an instant lash lift; free of sulfates, phthalates, and formaldehyde
Features:
- Vitamin E strengthens and conditions eyelashes
- Carnauba wax for smooth application and a glossy finish
- Panthenol strengthens and retains moisture in eyelashes
You don’t have to worry about harmful ingredients while improving your eyelashes’ length, volume, and curl.
If you want to nurture your eyelashes while making them beautiful, go and get Lancôme Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Primer.
With microfibers and vitamin E as key ingredients, this lash primer helps improve the natural volume and length of your eyelashes. You’ll reap its benefits in the long run!
Its formula and applicator are perfectly crafted to separate your lashes upon application so you’ll evenly distribute your mascara while avoiding clumps hours after putting on your makeup.
Top Lash Primer for Conditioning
This lash primer will amplify your mascara to achieve a gorgeous wide-eyed look!
Key benefits: Water-resistant formula for longer wear; lifts eyelashes; ophthalmologist-tested and safe to use if you wear contact lenses
Features:
- Black tint so it can be worn by itself
- Buildable formula and coverage
- Ophthalmologist-tested and safe for people with contact lens
Round out your eye makeup with a lash primer that promises to add volume without the risks of getting clumps and smudges.
Estée Lauder calls this the Little Black Primer because it’s designed to be a “little black dress for lashes.” It has a black tint, so it adds volume to your lashes to achieve a fuller look.
The black tint also means you can wear it even without mascara. So it’s great to use when you’re in a rush or aiming for a subtle, bare-faced look.
It’s also one of the top eyelash primers to wear if you expect a long day ahead. It’s even formulated to stay on overnight safely!
Use this lash primer for an instant lash-sculpting effect with lash-conditioning and strengthening properties.
Key benefits: Instantly extends lashes, nourishes eyelashes for daytime use; has a large wand with soft bristles perfect for separating lashes
Features:
- Nano-peptide complex improves lash vitality
- Collagen helps boost eyelash volume
- Panax ginseng root extract improves eyelash thickness and promotes growth
You'll love a lash primer that boosts your eyelash volume with ingredients that permanently improve your lash fibers. LashFood Conditioning Collagen Lash Primer does exactly that!
What makes LashFood Conditioning Collagen Lash Primer one of the top lash primers is its sculpting effects. With the use of thickening microfibers, this lash primer instantly makes your lashes look longer and more voluminous.
You’ve likely heard of collagen’s great skincare benefits, but what you may not know is that it also does wonders for your eyelashes.
It promotes eyelash growth too, so you’re improving your lashes’ overall condition for good!
Top Lash Primers From Drugstore Brands
This one instantly boosts eyelash volume without weighing down your lashes.
Key benefits: Creamy texture for smooth application; thickens lashes from root to tip; cruelty-free
Features:
- Argan oil promotes eyelash growth
- Lightweight formula
- Coconut oil keeps eyelashes healthy and longer
If you already love Covergirl mascara, do yourself a favor and pair it with Covergirl Lash Blast Amplify Primer!
Finding an affordable makeup product with natural ingredients can be challenging. But Covergirl breaks that barrier with this lash primer.
This one promises to instantly amp up the volume of your eyelashes while conditioning every strand with its blend of rich oils.
The Covergirl Lash Blast Amplify Primer also has a lightweight formula, so its lash-conditioning ingredients coat all lash strands evenly and smoothly.
Dramatically improve your eyelashes’ length and volume instantly when you use L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Primer.
Key benefits: Amplifies eyelashes for a fuller look, improves lash length, nourishes eyelashes
Features:
- Beeswax acts as a protective, water-resistant barrier to retain moisture
- Jojoba oil conditions and thickens eyelashes
- Safe for sensitive eyes
Thin, sparse lashes can get a much-needed boost from this lash primer.
Part of the L’Oreal Paris Voluminous collection, this lash primer will give you full coverage when you apply even just a tiny amount. And it does the job of instantly boosting your lash volume even before you put on mascara.
Your best bet would be to use the mascara from the same makeup collection.
The brand says your lashes will look five times more voluminous than they usually do. It’s even formulated to be safe for people with sensitive eyes.
Top Lash Primer for Asian Lashes
This is the definition of a lash primer that enhances volume, curl, and length.
Key benefits: Increases lash volume times, improves overall lash appearance over time; gentle formula for sensitive eyes
Features:
- Cotton nectar protects and softens eyelashes
- Cornflower floral water improves the mascara’s color and shine
- Up to 24-hour Triple-Action Formula boosts eyelash curl, volume, and length
You’ll be glad to invest in this premium lash primer because not only does it boost lash volume and length, it also enhances the color of your mascara!
Research shows that Asian eyelashes, compared to white people’s, have “lower lift-up and curl-up angles.” It would require a little more effort to make it look fuller.
But that’s where Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer comes in handy.
This lash primer certainly lives up to Dior’s well-established name in the cosmetics business because most people who’ve tried it swear that it delivers what it promises — a visible and instant boost in lash volume.
That makes it the top lash primer for Asian lashes.
It has an airy texture, quickly coating every lash and preventing clumps. And it acts as a serum, too, for overnight eyelash conditioning.
Top Lash Primer for Eyelash Extensions
Even lash extensions can benefit from a primer to achieve the best results, which is precisely this product's purpose.
Key benefits: Removes makeup residue and excess oil for longer retention; helps lash extensions attach faster; works well for lash extension wearers with oily skin
Features:
- Allantoin has cell rejuvenation properties
- Water-like texture
- Clear formula for easy application
While this is fantastic to use on lash extensions, using the BL Lash Primer requires the expertise of a professional!
Let’s switch gears a bit because this one’s not your typical lash primer.
The BL Lash Primer is specifically used to prepare natural lashes for extensions. So, no, you don’t use it pre-mascara, and the brand doesn’t even recommend self-application.
Professionals providing lash extension services will find BL Lash Primer extremely helpful.
It will help easily attach each false lash in less time, and it’s advertised to improve adhesion and retention, making it the top primer for eyelash extensions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do I Let Primer Sit?
You can leave lash primers for a short time before putting on your mascara. Most formulas only need to stay for 15 to 30 seconds.
However, you should avoid letting the primer dry out completely because it could negatively affect your mascara.
Do I Curl My Eyelashes Before Applying Primer?
Yes. For both lash primer and mascara, beauty gurus advise that you curl your eyelashes before applying these products. Doing so will help sculpt your lashes better to achieve a fuller, voluminous look.
Can You Leave Eyelash Primer on Overnight?
Lash primers that are formulated with conditioning properties are generally safe to leave on overnight.
There are lash primer brands that will advise you to apply it before going to sleep too. This way, you’ll be able to maximize their nourishing ingredients and benefits.
But always read the label if you’re looking for a lash primer to apply overnight to avoid eye irritation and other adverse reactions.
Start Using Lash Primers!
Not everyone is born with thick and long eyelashes. Thanks to the evolution of makeup, we’ve achieved a fuller eyelash appearance with the help of our favorite mascara.
But makeup innovation doesn’t stop there, and now we have another makeup product we can rely on. Our eyelashes look fuller and more beautiful than ever with the lash primer.
What’s so great about lash primers is that they’re so easy to apply, and many are formulated to help mascara stay on longer. Some are even infused with beneficial ingredients that condition and nourish eyelashes, so there’s a benefit for the long run!
If you haven’t already, pick one from our list of the top lash primers, and give it a go!
Learn More About the Top Makeup Primers Here:
- 9 Korean Primers For All Skin Types
- 12 Water-Based Primers
- The 4 Elf Primers: Elf Primer Review (For Oily Skin)