Let's Talk About All the Best Makeup for Dry Eyelids
I’m the go-to guide gal and routine queen here at Adore Beauty. I have a background in media and communications, and over 3 years experience in the beauty industry.
When I’m not answering all of your burning questions, you can find me spruiking underrated products to my co-workers and trying to figure out what our best bloody mascara is.
Those in-the-know will tell you that nailing the perfect eye look is all in the prep.
The delicate skin surrounding your eyes is thinner than the skin on the rest of your face, making it vulnerable to dryness and flaking.
Taking your eye look from 0-100 is all about finding the right eye creams, primers and makeup formulas that won’t irritate or dry out this sensitive area.
When you start with skin care and self care you can expect a flawless finish that won’t highlight flakiness or cling to dry patches for effortless and smooth application.
More Than Makeup: Prep Your Skin
So, you’re probably up to speed with the fact that moisturiser is the key to alleviating dry skin. You might not know that one designed specifically for you eye area might help you avoid irritation and milia.
Moisturisers formulated for the eye area also contain ingredients that help deal with eye-specific issues such as dark circles and puffiness. Here are some of our favourites.
Soothe Tightness and Redness
Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream has been designed to soothe sensitive, dry or irritated fragile eye area skin. It nourishes while puffiness and dark circles are reduced. Rich in Avène Thermal Spring Water with soothing and anti-irritant properties, combined with soothing alpha-Bisabolol, it soothes skin irritation, tightness and redness.
Brighten the eye with a Vitamin C serum
The Biologi Bk Rejuvenation Eye Serum is a lightweight serum that hydrates and brightens without causing milia. This serum formula contains natural Vitamin C from Australian Kakadu Plum. Packed with antioxidants, this natural formula helps to diminish dark circles, fine lines and pigmentation and redness. Perfect for mature or uneven skin tone, this serum hydrates and plumps the skin.
Prepare your under eye area with the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream. It’s an exfoliating cream that contains Lime Pearl AHA’s to boost moisture and firm the eye area. This anti-ageing formula reveals brighter, clearer skin and is best for drier skin types. This illuminating, anti-fatigue formula is incredible at reducing puffiness with its cooling applicator.
How Can Primer Help Dry Eyelids?
A primer for your face can really improve your makeup application game, and in the same way a special eyelid primer can help your eye makeup glide on more smoothly.
Eye primers help to add moisture to the skin, and use creamy formulas so that eye makeup won’t cling to dry patches. These are our best eyelid formulas for seamless application.
Creamy & Illuminating
theBalm Put a Lid On It Eyelid Primer creates a seamless canvas for your eyeshadows, locking colour in place for a fresh, just-applied look that lasts all day long. Featuring light-reflecting properties to brighten and peptides to minimise the signs of ageing, this eyelid primer is the perfect base for all of your cream and powder shadows.
Prevent Creasing
The Heir Atelier Eye Primer is a high performance that helps lock in eye shadow and keeps eyelids looking flawless. This nourishing formula contains Vitamin E, Carnauba Wax and Silica to protect, repair and hydrate the skin. Not only does it create a great base for makeup, but it will help to treat the skin underneath be it dry, irritated and/or flaky. It also helps to neutralize dark tones and works with every skin tone.
For flawless results, try the Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Eye Primer. This tinted formula glides on the skin, ensures products apply perfectly, and keeps the skin underneath comfortable. It’s an excellent base that helps to improve the performance of products applied on top of it. Suitable for all skin types, this primer also smooths texture and hydrates the complexion.
Eye Makeup Formulas for Dry Skin
If you have dry eyelids, look for cream or gel formulas, over formulas that are excessively powdery that might cling to patches.
Creamy formulas are also incredibly easy to blend and smudge, offering a perfectly imperfect finish. We love these ultra blendable formulas that simply glide on.
Longwear Cream Shadow Stick
Effortless and high impact-that's the essence of Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick. This do-it-all formula glides on tug-free and can be used to shade, define, smoke up and highlight eyes. In subtle to eye-popping shades that last for up to 8 hours without creasing, flaking or fading, it's a stroke of genius. Just swipe on and go.
Brush On Gel Eyeliner
Skip the stiff pencils and trial out the Napoleon Perdis Sketch Pot Gel Eyeliner. This smooth gel formula glides without clinging and offers a rich, pigmented colour for all day wear. Suitable for sensitive eyes, this eyeliner will be good for dry eyes that experience irritation. It’s blendable and versatile and great for creating a look for any mood.
The Perfect Base
The M.A.C Cosmetics Pro Longwear Paint Pot is a multitasking cream product that can be used as an eyeshadow base or as a standalone cream eye shadow. It’s extremely creamy and hydrating while also being very longwearing. Coveted by beauty lovers for its versatility, this product can be a sheer wash of colour or built up for a smokey look.
Making Creamy Eye Makeup Last
Because of their emollient formulas, cream formulas tend to slip, slide and fade. If your eyelids are naturally dry, you may find that cream products stay put on you longer than if you had normal or oily skin.
However, applying a setting spray will help to extend this wear and leave a moisturised, dewy finish. Using a setting spray is also a great way to refresh your makeup if it tends to get dry and flaky.
Benefit Porefessional Super Setter Spray is a photo-ready makeup setting spray to keep your makeup flawless on even the most important days of your life. This setting spray extends makeup wear and controls excess shine resulting in fewer touch-ups throughout the day.
The iconic setting spray with a dewy finish
The M.A.C Cosmetics Prep + Prime Fix+ is perfect for setting and refreshing any eye look. Those with dry skin will love these skin loving ingredients designed to revive the complexion. A true multipurpose product you can use this spray to prepare and hydrate the skin before makeup, intensify pigments or simply set the product in place.
Glow Up
The ICONIC London Prep-Set-Glow is the ideal formula for dry skin in need of some extra glow. Cucumber, Green Tea and Vitamin E to nourish and amp up the hydration. Packed with light reflecting particles, this formula is great for skin lacking in dimension. This vegan formula also boosts vitality with the inclusion of caffeine.
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