The Best Eye Primer for Mature Skin in 2026: 10 Formulas That Stop Creasing, Caking, and Midday Regret

The Short Version: What Actually Works on Mature Lids

If you want the answer before the science lecture: Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Primer is the safest bet for most mature lids. It is explicitly formulated for mature and oily skin, dries matte without turning your eyelid into a desert, and costs around $16. For a creamier, hydrating grip, Milk Makeup Hydro Grip is the better call. If you need tint and coverage more than grip, Laura Geller Spackle Waterproof neutralizes redness and visible veins while holding shadow in place.

The drugstore crowd is not doomed. The essence Jelly Grip Under-Eye Primer Stick costs roughly $5 and handles the delicate under-eye area better than many prestige concealers. NYX Ultimate Shadow & Liner Primer is a tacky, glue-like base that survives a ten-hour day for under $10. And Wet n Wild MegaLast remains the cheapest primer that does not feel like a practical joke.

Below, the full breakdown: why mature eyelids behave differently, how to match a primer to your lid type, ten ranked picks with prices and trade-offs, a comparison table, and the return policies that matter if the first tube disappoints you. That last part is not filler. A primer you cannot return is a $28 lesson in reading the fine print.

Why Your Eyelids Betray You After 40 (and What a Primer Can Do About It)

The skin around the eyes is thinner than anywhere else on the body. That is not a beauty-editor exaggeration; it is anatomy. Eyelids also have fewer oil glands than the rest of the face, which means they do not retain moisture as well as your cheeks or forehead. Add roughly 15,000 to 20,000 blinks a day and the result is a lid that is simultaneously drier, looser, and more textured than it was a decade ago.

Here is where the average eyeshadow behaves badly. On bare, mature skin, pigment clings unevenly. It catches on dry patches. It slides into the first crease it finds and stays there, drawing a dark line exactly where you least want attention. A primer does not “anti-age” your eyelid. It creates a flexible, slightly tacky film that gives shadow something to grip, so the pigment sits on top of the skin instead of diving into it. That distinction matters. A primer that is too thick or too matte will dry out the lid and emphasize every crepey line. A primer that is too slippery will let shadow migrate into the hooded fold by lunch.

The best formulas for mature skin walk a narrow line: enough grip to hold pigment, enough flexibility to move with the lid, and enough hydration or soft-focus technology to avoid a cracked, dusty finish. Notice that the word “anti-aging” on the package is not a guarantee. Some of the best performers in this guide do not use that label at all. They simply have the right texture for thinning, crepey, or hooded skin.

How to Choose an Eye Primer for Mature Skin Without Wasting $28

Start with the lid, not the label. “Mature skin” is a broad church, and a formula that rescues a dry, flaky eyelid can turn an oily, hooded lid into a slip-and-slide. The useful question is not “What is the best eye primer for mature skin?” but “What is my lid doing right now?”

Dry, Crepey Lids

Look for a cream or gel primer with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, shea butter, or peptides. The texture should feel cool and slightly wet on application, then set to a flexible tack rather than a tight matte. Avoid anything described as “ultra-matte” or “oil-control” if your lid is already thirsty. Those formulas can make fine lines look deeper because they pull moisture away from the surface. A hydrating primer plumps the lid slightly, which softens the appearance of crepey texture before shadow goes anywhere near it.

Hooded Lids and Transfer

Hooded eyes need grip and resistance to transfer. The fold of skin that covers the crease acts like a windshield wiper every time you blink. A creamy, emollient primer will make the situation worse. Choose a lightweight liquid or gel that dries down tacky and stays put. Long-wear claims are worth reading here, but the texture matters more than the number on the box. If the primer never fully sets, your shadow will end up on the hood by mid-morning.

Discoloration and Visible Veins

A tinted primer is the efficient answer. It evens out the lid tone so you need less concealer and less eyeshadow to get an opaque look. That reduction in product weight matters on mature skin because every extra layer increases the chance of creasing. Peach and beige tints neutralize blue and purple veins; a universal beige works for most light-to-medium skin tones. If your lids are already even, a clear primer gives you more flexibility with shadow color.

Oily Lids That Still Crease

Oily mature lids are a special circle of hell. The skin is thin and textured but also produces enough oil to dissolve shadow from underneath. Look for a silicone-based primer with a soft matte finish. Silicone gets a bad reputation, but in this specific case it creates a water-resistant barrier that stops oil from breaking through the pigment. Elizabeth Mott and M·A·C both lean on this approach. If you prefer silicone-free formulas, expect to reapply or set with a thin layer of translucent powder.

The Best Eye Primers for Mature Skin in 2026, Ranked

The ranking below is based on texture, wear time, behavior on mature lid types, price per gram, and whether the formula creates any new problems (dryness, pilling, sensitivity). No primer is universal. The “best” one is the one that matches your lid.

1. Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Primer — Best Overall for Mature Skin

Price: about $16 for 10 g. Format: cream. Finish: matte. Best for: mature, oily, and combination lids.

Elizabeth Mott built this primer specifically for mature and oily eyelids, and the formula behaves accordingly. It is a silicone blend that dries down matte without the tight, shrink-wrapped feeling of older long-wear primers. Pearl powder adds a subtle skin-tone-correcting brightness, which helps with visible veins and discoloration. A tiny amount—literally a pinhead—is enough for one lid. Use more and you will feel it sitting on the skin, which defeats the purpose.

The grip is the selling point. Shadow and liner stay put through a full workday, and the formula does not migrate into fine lines the way creamier bases can. Reviewers in their late 30s and beyond consistently mention using it under concealer as well as eyeshadow, which tells you something about its flexibility. It is not the most hydrating option on this list. If your lids are very dry or flaky, Milk Hydro Grip is the gentler choice. For everyone else, this is the most reliable starting point.

2. Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion — Best Anti-Aging Formula

Price: $28 for 10 ml at Sephora. Format: cream. Finish: satin. Best for: fine lines, creping skin, and anyone who wants a proven long-wear base.

Urban Decay’s original Primer Potion essentially invented the category in the early 2000s. The Anti-Aging version is the one to consider for mature lids. It is beige-tinted, which helps neutralize discoloration, and it contains dermaxyl (a ceramide-peptide complex) and kalpariane (an algae extract) that provide moisture while the primer holds shadow for up to 24 hours. That 24-hour claim is marketing math performed under ideal conditions, but the practical wear is genuinely long. Eight to ten hours is realistic on most mature lids.

The texture is thicker than Elizabeth Mott’s, and that cuts both ways. On dry or crepey lids, the extra cushion is welcome. On very oily lids, it can feel heavy by the end of the day. The tint is also a commitment: if your lid tone is deep, the beige base may look ashy. Urban Decay sells a mini size, which is the smart way to test it before committing to the full tube.

3. Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Eye Primer — Best for Dry and Dehydrated Lids

Price: $25 for 0.29 oz on Amazon, or around $22–$26 depending on the retailer. Format: clear gel. Finish: natural, slightly radiant. Best for: dry, dehydrated, and textured lids that need hydration before grip.

Hydro Grip is the primer for people who have given up on traditional long-wear bases because they make the eyelid look older. The clear gel glides on with zero tugging, leaves a slightly tacky surface, and feels like nothing once it sets. It contains hyaluronic acid, so it hydrates the lid while it grips. For dry-skin folks, it is a genuine relief. It also works under the eyes as a concealer primer, which is useful if your under-eye area is crepey and prone to caking.

The trade-off is oil control. On very oily lids, the gel texture can feel a little slippery at first, and shadow may not lock down as aggressively as it does with Elizabeth Mott or M·A·C. If your lids are dry and your main problem is flaking and texture, Hydro Grip is the better choice. If your problem is oil breakthrough, keep reading.

4. Laura Geller New York Spackle Waterproof Eye Primer — Best Tinted Primer for Mature Skin

Price: $24 for the illuminating under-eye version; the waterproof eyeshadow primer is often around $20–$24 depending on the retailer. Format: cream. Finish: smoothing matte. Best for: discoloration, visible veins, and uneven lid tone.

This is the pick if you want the primer to do some of the color-correction work for you. The Spackle line has a devoted following among mature shoppers because the tinted formula neutralizes redness and darkness without requiring a separate concealer. The waterproof version holds up well against humidity and teary eyes, and the creamy texture spreads easily over crepey lids without dragging. Laura Geller also sells an illuminating under-eye primer that reviewers praise for softening the look of wrinkles.

One caveat: the universal tint is not universal. On very fair or very deep skin tones, it may not disappear seamlessly. Buy from a retailer with a generous return policy (more on that below) if you are unsure. And do not confuse the under-eye illuminating primer with the waterproof eyeshadow primer—they are different products with different jobs.

5. NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base — Best for Hooded, Transfer-Prone Eyes

Price: around $26–$28 at Sephora. Format: cream-to-powder. Finish: matte. Best for: hooded lids and shadow that transfers into the crease.

NARS Pro-Prime is the quiet overachiever of the category. It does not have the loudest marketing, but makeup artists recommend it repeatedly for hooded and mature lids because it sets to a genuinely smudge-proof finish. The texture is lightweight and dries down quickly, so it does not add bulk to the eyelid. On hooded eyes, that matters: a heavy primer plus a heavy shadow is a recipe for creasing.

It is less hydrating than Milk Hydro Grip and less tinted than Laura Geller. What it does best is lock pigment in place. If your shadow consistently ends up on the hood of your eye by 2 p.m., this is the primer to try before you blame the eyeshadow.

6. M·A·C Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base — Best Long-Wear for Oily Mature Lids

Price: around $24–$28 depending on the retailer. Format: lightweight liquid. Finish: matte. Best for: oily, hooded lids and 12-hour wear days.

M·A·C’s eye base is a professional staple for a reason. It is thin, almost watery, and sets to a matte finish that grips shadow without feeling like a mask. The 24-hour claim is aspirational, but the real-world performance is strong: ten to twelve hours on an oily mature lid is achievable. It does not provide much hydration, so it is not the first choice for dry or flaky eyelids. Pair it with a hydrating eye cream underneath if your lids are both oily and dehydrated, which is more common than the beauty industry admits.

7. essence Jelly Grip Under-Eye Primer Stick — Best $5 Fix for Crepey Under-Eyes

Price: roughly $5 in the US; around €3–€4 in Europe. Format: cooling jelly stick. Finish: dewy, slightly tacky. Best for: under-eye concealer creasing, dry under-eyes, and mature skin on a tight budget.

This is technically an under-eye primer, not an eyelid primer, but it belongs in the conversation because mature under-eyes are just as troublesome as lids. The jelly stick contains hyaluronic acid and panthenol, and it creates a hydrated, slightly grippy base that stops concealer from settling into fine lines. Shoppers call it a “holy grail” for crease-free concealer, and the price makes it an easy experiment. The cooling sensation is a nice bonus at 7 a.m.

Do not expect it to hold a full smoky eye on an oily lid. It is not built for that. It is built for the delicate, dry, crepey skin under the eye, and for that job it outperforms products that cost five times as much.

8. NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow & Liner Primer — Best Budget Grip

Price: around $8–$10 for 8 ml. Format: liquid. Finish: tacky matte. Best for: long days, humid weather, and anyone who wants serious grip without a prestige price.

NYX Ultimate is the primer you buy when you want shadow to stay put through a summer barbecue and a nap. The formula is noticeably tackier than most prestige primers, which is either the secret sauce or a sensory annoyance, depending on your tolerance. Once you press shadow into it, the tackiness disappears and the pigment locks down. In testing, it held a full eye look for over ten hours with no fading or patchiness. It comes in four shades, which is more shade range than most primers offer.

The tackiness can feel intense if you are used to silicone-heavy primers. Use a thin layer and let it set for 30 seconds before adding shadow. If you have very dry lids, the tacky finish may feel tight by the end of the day.

9. Wet n Wild MegaLast Eyeshadow Primer — Cheapest Primer That Actually Performs

Price: around $6 for 10 ml. Format: cream. Finish: whisper-thin tacky. Best for: budget shoppers and hooded lids that need crease control.

Wet n Wild MegaLast is the primer equivalent of a cheap umbrella that refuses to break. The texture is lightweight and creamy, and it dries down to a thin tack that keeps powder and cream shadows vibrant for eight-plus hours. In testing, it held shadow from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. without a single crease, even on hooded lid areas. The tube lacks a doe-foot applicator, which makes the first few uses a guessing game. Squeeze a pea-sized amount onto your fingertip and warm it before applying.

It is not as hydrating as Milk Hydro Grip and not as tinted as Laura Geller. But for $6, it is an absurdly competent primer. If it works for your lids, you have saved enough money to buy a better eyeshadow palette.

10. Red Apple Lipstick Prime Time Eye Primer — Best Clean Option for Sensitive Mature Eyes

Price: around $24–$28 depending on the retailer. Format: cream. Finish: natural. Best for: sensitive eyes, clean-beauty shoppers, and anyone who reacts to silicone or fragrance.

Clean eye primers are a small category, and many of them sacrifice performance for ingredient purity. Red Apple Lipstick’s Prime Time is one of the few that holds shadow reasonably well while avoiding gluten, parabens, and synthetic fragrance. Reviewers on mature-beauty forums mention using it on hooded lids that usually reject “natural” primers. It is not a 12-hour industrial-strength grip. It is a comfortable, skin-friendly base for everyday wear, and for sensitive eyes that is often the more important metric.

If you have rosacea or eyelid dermatitis, patch-test first. “Clean” does not mean “hypoallergenic,” and essential oils can still irritate sensitive skin.

Best Drugstore Eye Primer for Mature Skin: The Sub-$12 Shortlist

Drugstore primers used to be a compromise: you saved money and accepted a creasy mess by noon. That is no longer true. The three formulas below perform as well as prestige primers for most mature lids, and one of them costs less than a coffee.

The strongest all-rounder is NYX Ultimate Shadow & Liner Primer. It has the grip of a much more expensive product, a usable shade range, and a price that hovers around $10. If your main problem is shadow fading and transfer, start here. The tacky texture takes a minute to get used to, but the wear time justifies the learning curve.

Wet n Wild MegaLast is the budget champion for hooded lids. It is thinner than NYX, dries down faster, and costs around $6. The lack of an applicator is annoying, but a clean fingertip works fine. essence Jelly Grip is the specialist for the under-eye area rather than the lid. If your concealer is the thing that creases, buy this instead of a new concealer. It hydrates the under-eye with hyaluronic acid and panthenol, and it creates a smooth enough base that concealer stops diving into fine lines.

What about Milani Stay Put Eyeshadow Primer? It is a longtime drugstore favorite and typically costs around $10.99. The formula is reliable, but it leans matte and can feel drying on very crepey lids. If your lids are oily, it is a solid choice. If they are dry, Wet n Wild or essence is the gentler route.

Tinted vs. Clear Eye Primer for Mature Eyes: A Practical Answer

Choose tinted if your lids are discolored, veiny, or uneven in tone. A tinted primer does two jobs at once: it evens out the lid and it grips the shadow. That means you can skip a layer of concealer, which reduces the total amount of product sitting in your fine lines. Laura Geller Spackle Waterproof and Urban Decay Anti-Aging are the strongest tinted options in this guide. Prime Prometics PrimeEyes Eye Brightener is another tinted option specifically designed for hooded and mature eyes, with a cream-to-powder finish that lifts and brightens tired lids.

Choose clear if your lid tone is already even and you want your eyeshadow colors to show up true. Clear primers are also more forgiving if you change your makeup look often. Milk Hydro Grip and NARS Pro-Prime are clear or near-clear, and they work with every shadow color in your collection.

The third option is a tinted primer that you wear alone, with no eyeshadow at all. On low-effort days, a tinted primer plus mascara is a complete eye look. On mature skin, that minimalist approach often looks fresher than a full shadow application, because there is less product to settle into texture.

Best Eye Primer by Problem: Crepey, Hooded, Dry, Over 60

Generic “best” lists are useless if your specific problem is crepey eyelids or a hood that eats eyeshadow by 10 a.m. Here is the short answer by complaint.

Crepey eyelids: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip. The gel texture and hyaluronic acid content plump the lid slightly and create a flexible base that does not crack. Avoid thick matte primers, which make crepey texture more obvious.

Hooded lids: NARS Pro-Prime or M·A·C Prep + Prime. Both set to a genuinely transfer-resistant finish. The goal is to stop shadow from migrating into the fold, and these two do that better than creamier formulas.

Dry eyelids: Milk Hydro Grip or essence Jelly Grip. Hydration first, grip second. A dry lid will reject even the best shadow if the primer does not address the flaking.

Over 60: Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later or Urban Decay Anti-Aging. Both are formulated with mature skin in mind, and both have a texture that does not exaggerate fine lines. Elizabeth Mott is the better value; Urban Decay is the more hydrating option.

Oily mature lids: Elizabeth Mott or M·A·C. Silicone-based formulas create a barrier that stops oil from dissolving the pigment. Powder-based primers are a false economy on oily lids; they can turn chalky by the afternoon.

Comparison Table: Price, Format, Finish, and Who It's For

Price per gram tells a different story than sticker price. Elizabeth Mott at $16 for 10 g works out to $1.60 per gram. Urban Decay at $28 for 10 ml is $2.80 per gram. Wet n Wild at $6 for 10 ml is $0.60 per gram. The cheapest primer per use is not automatically the best value if it does not perform, but the gap between drugstore and prestige is smaller in this category than in almost any other makeup product.

Buyer Protection: What Happens If the Primer Doesn't Work for Your Lids

A primer is a gamble. Your eyelid texture is unique, and a formula that thousands of reviewers love can still pill, flake, or sting on your skin. The return policy is part of the product. Here is how the major US retailers handle opened beauty returns in 2026.

Ulta and Target are the safest bets if you want to test a primer without risk. Ulta accepts gently used beauty within 60 days, and Target accepts opened beauty within 90 days with a receipt. Sephora’s 30-day window is shorter, but the policy explicitly covers gently used products, and online returns come with a free prepaid label. Walgreens is the weakest link: opened cosmetics are handled at the store manager’s discretion and often refunded as a gift card rather than cash.

Here is the part the “free returns” marketing does not mention. A return is not free if you have to drive to the store, wait in line, and accept store credit instead of a refund to your card. The retailer is not running a charity; the cost of generous returns is baked into the price of the products that do not get returned. That is not a reason to avoid returning a bad primer. It is a reason to buy from a retailer whose policy matches your risk tolerance.

Where to Buy and What Delivery Actually Costs

Most of the primers in this guide are available at Ulta, Sephora, Amazon, Target, and the brands’ own websites. Drugstore picks (essence, NYX, Wet n Wild) are also stocked at CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. Availability fluctuates, especially for newer launches, so check the retailer’s site rather than assuming your local store has it.

Shipping thresholds are where the math gets interesting. Ulta offers free standard shipping on orders over $35 for members, and Sephora’s free shipping threshold is also $35 for Beauty Insider members. Amazon’s free shipping depends on whether you have Prime and whether the seller is fulfilled by Amazon. Target offers free shipping on orders over $35 or free same-day pickup for Drive Up and Order Pickup. If you are buying a single $16 primer, you will likely pay $5–$7 in shipping unless you add something else to the cart. That changes the effective price of the primer from $16 to $21–$23.

“Free shipping” is not free. It is a pricing decision. The retailer either builds the shipping cost into the product price or sets a minimum order that encourages you to spend more than you planned. If you only need one primer, compare the total cost—product plus shipping minus any coupon—across retailers. A $16 primer with $6 shipping is a $22 primer. A $20 primer with free shipping is cheaper. The sticker price is not the price you pay.

Payment options are standard: credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and buy-now-pay-later services like Klarna and Afterpay at Ulta and Sephora. Amazon offers its own installment options on eligible items. There is no special financing trick that makes a $28 primer cheaper. If you need to split a $16 purchase into four payments, the problem is not the primer.

New Launches in 2026 Worth a Look

The eye-primer category does not move as fast as lipstick or foundation, but a few 2026 launches are relevant for mature skin. butter LONDON Sheer Wisdom Serum Shadow is a peptide-infused eye shadow and primer hybrid that targets mature lids and doubles as a soft beige shadow for no-makeup days. Nikol Beauty Eye Primer was reformulated in 2026 and launched in a rose-silver compact; the brand claims it is the product founder Nikol Johnson has relied on for more than 15 years for mature eyes. Prime Prometics PrimeEyes Eye Brightener is not brand new, but it has gained traction in 2026 as a tinted, hooded-eye-friendly primer with a cream-to-powder finish.

Newness is not a quality signal. A reformulation can improve a product, but it can also break the thing that made the original work. If you loved an older version of a primer and the brand has “improved” it, read the recent reviews before repurchasing. The 2026 version may be better, or it may be a different product wearing the same name.

How We Evaluated These Primers (and What We Ignored)

We ranked these primers on five criteria: texture on mature skin, wear time on different lid types, behavior around fine lines and crepey texture, price per gram, and the availability of a return policy that protects the buyer. We did not rank on packaging, fragrance, or the aesthetic appeal of the tube. A pretty primer that creases is still a bad primer.

We also ignored the word “anti-aging” as a ranking factor. Some of the best performers here do not use that label, and some products that use it are simply silicone primers with a peptide added for marketing. The relevant question is whether the formula creates a flexible, grippy base that does not dry out or exaggerate texture. If it does, the label is irrelevant. If it does not, the label is a distraction.

Wear times are estimates based on published reviews, brand claims, and the general behavior of similar formulas. We did not conduct a clinical trial, and we did not invent statistics. If a brand claims 24-hour wear, we report the claim and note that real-world wear is usually shorter. That is not cynicism; it is how makeup works on actual human eyelids.

Three Application Mistakes That Ruin a Good Primer

Using too much. A rice-sized amount per lid is enough. More primer does not mean more grip; it means a thicker film that can pill, flake, or crease under the shadow. If you can feel the primer on your lid after it sets, you used too much.

Not letting it set. Primer needs 30–60 seconds to dry down and become tacky. If you apply shadow immediately, you will drag the primer around and get patchy coverage. Apply primer to both lids, then brush your teeth or make coffee. That is enough time.

Applying primer to a dirty or moisturized lid without waiting. Skincare needs to absorb before primer goes on. If your eye cream is still wet, the primer will slide instead of grip. Wait a minute after moisturizer, then apply primer, then wait again before shadow. Three short waits, better wear all day.

FAQ: Straight Answers for Mature Eyes

What is the best eye primer for mature skin with crepey eyelids?

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip is the best starting point for crepey lids. Its clear gel texture and hyaluronic acid content hydrate the lid and create a flexible base that does not crack into fine lines. Avoid thick matte primers, which can make crepey texture look worse.

Do older women really need a separate eye primer?

Yes, if you wear eyeshadow or eyeliner and your lids are dry, hooded, or textured. A dedicated eye primer creates a smoother, grippier base than face primer or concealer. It also reduces the amount of shadow that settles into creases, which is the main reason eye makeup looks older than it needs to.

Can I use a drugstore eye primer instead of a high-end one?

Absolutely. NYX Ultimate Shadow & Liner Primer and Wet n Wild MegaLast perform as well as many prestige primers for under $11. The main trade-offs are texture (NYX is tackier) and packaging (Wet n Wild has no applicator). If the formula works for your lids, the price difference is not a quality difference.

What is the difference between tinted and clear eye primer for mature eyes?

Tinted primer evens out discoloration and visible veins, so you need less concealer and less shadow. Clear primer lets your shadow color show up true and is more flexible for different looks. Choose tinted if uneven lid tone is your main complaint; choose clear if your lids are already even.

How long does eye primer actually last on mature skin?

Most quality primers deliver 8–10 hours of wear on mature lids. Brand claims of 16 or 24 hours are based on controlled conditions and should be read as upper limits. If your primer fails before eight hours, the issue is usually the formula not matching your lid type, not the primer “wearing off.”

Is silicone in eye primer bad for mature skin?

Not inherently. Silicone creates a smooth, water-resistant barrier that helps shadow grip and prevents oil breakthrough. Some people prefer silicone-free formulas for sensitivity reasons, but silicone is not the enemy. The problem is a formula that is too thick or too matte, not the silicone itself.

Can I use face primer on my eyelids instead of eye primer?

You can, but it is a compromise. Face primers are designed for larger pores and different oil distribution. They may be too slippery for the eyelid or contain ingredients that irritate the eyes. A dedicated eye primer is formulated for thinner skin and is tested for use near the eye. The difference matters if your lids are sensitive.

Which eye primer is best for hooded eyes over 50?

NARS Pro-Prime and M·A·C Prep + Prime are the strongest choices for hooded mature eyes. Both set to a transfer-resistant finish that stops shadow from migrating into the fold. If you prefer a drugstore option, NYX Ultimate Shadow & Liner Primer is a close second for a fraction of the price.