Pre-mascara primer has been a relatively underused makeup product, but its benefits speak for themselves. Here’s what you need to know about this revolutionary eye product.
What Is a Pre-mascara Primer?
A pre-mascara primer, or a mascara primer for short, is a makeup product designed to be applied on the eyelashes before mascara. The goal of pre-mascara primer is to improve the volume and length of the eyelashes, keep them in place, and improve the overall effect of mascara once it is applied.
Why Should You Use Pre-mascara Primers?
It improves your eyelashes
Pre-mascara primers are very useful when it comes to altering the look of your eyelashes. Sure, you can definitely change the shape and look of your lashes through mascara alone, but when combined with mascara primers, you’re able to do so much more. Pre-mascara primers improve the look of your lashes by making them fuller, longer, and keeping them in place.
The primer makes your eyelashes look bigger by shaping them into their desired positions. You see, eyelashes are actually longer than you think, and the reason why they appear small or short is that they’re either curved in a way that makes them look small or the lashes themselves are thin. These two problems can be solved with primer, as not only does it add a layer of thickness to the lashes, but it also shapes the lashes to appear longer by moving them upward or downward more.
Aside from improving the size and volume of your lashes, it also keeps them in place. Mascara can lose its effectiveness over time, and this can result in your lashes returning to their original shape. With pre-mascara primer, you’re able to keep it in its desired position for much longer, which is vital in events and parties that take longer than expected.
It makes mascara look better
Mascara looks good on its own, but when combined with a primer, it looks much, much better. When mixed with bright colors such as violet or white, it creates a resulting look that is dark, but full and even slightly shimmery. This look cannot be recreated with traditional mascara, and so using primer for the sake of altering its looks is completely viable.
Alternatively, if you’re already content with the look of the mascara, then your best option is to get a primer that doesn’t affect the final look. These types of primers often have dark colors, such as black, so as not to interfere with the actual look of the mascara. You’ll want to get these primers if you’re primarily using the primer for its eyelash-improving properties.
Things to Consider When Buying a Mascara Primer
Pre-mascara primers are simpler than other makeup products to a degree, but you still need to pay attention to a few things before buying one.
Color
This has been mentioned quite a few times already throughout the buying guide and product list, so we’ll keep it brief, but for those who have just come to read this section, here’s a quick breakdown of the importance of primer color.
Primer, while not exactly visible after applying mascara over it, actually still has an effect on the final look. It blends, in a way, with the mascara, and the color of the primer actually affects what the mascara will look like. Bright colors will add fullness and make your lashes pop just a bit more. Alternatively, colors that are much darker, such as black, will do little to nothing in improving or altering the color of your mascara.
So, in a nutshell, it all boils down to this: if you want to alter the look of your mascara, go for brighter colors. If you like the way the mascara looks on its own, get a primer with black or darker colors instead.
Amount
Mascara primers aren’t exactly sold by the gallon. In fact, they’re actually sold in fractions of a fluid ounce, like many makeup products. This means that if you use it often, you’ll have to buy quite a few of these primers at a time. Depending on your frequency of usage, it may be wise to buy three or so primers at once, so that you won’t have to purchase so often and spend a lot on shipping fees.
Pre-mascara Primer Price Range
Pre-mascara primers cost less than $10 to $15, depending on the product. Some products offer a 2-in-1 package with both mascara and primer, and these can cost more depending on the brand.
