What is it with primers these days? They've been on my mind lately, given all the excitement at Blogdorf Goodman, with Cavewoman breathlessly reviewing 40 primers in 40 days. And then there was the anticipation, and the disappointment, of the Smashbox Bronzing Primer.

(And did I mention that I don't even wear foundation? But I still love the primers? Yeah.)

Seems there's a primer - or 40 - out there for your every need. Face, eyelids and lips can now be saved from migrating, settling, sliding, caking makeup, which is of course a good thing. But then there's the baffling issue of the eyelashes.

Ah, the lashes. We all want thicker, more voluminous ones, without sticking on falsies, so off to the lash primers we go. Let's review: I have tried about 10 lash primers, and generally experienced on or more of the following results:

a. Cakey white primer mixing with black mascara and turning it gray;

b. Whitish primer that does not dry "clear" as promised;

c. Primer that sticks my lashes together, forcing me to comb through them, which removes most of the primer before the actual mascara even goes on;

d. Primer that melds with the mascara and creates a scary, Tammy Faye Bakker spider-eye thing.

Needless to say, these are not the results I was looking for. Then I discovered a tiny, glorious tube by the name of Lash Strengthening Base Coat from Bourjois. Swipe a little on, go do something else, like your lipstick, while it dries, then top with your regular mascara. It's described as more of a "lash conditioner" than a primer, but who cares? It works better than any of the others I've tried. And anyhow, I've never really had a problem with "lash breakage," which it claims to protect against. Have you?

So I just ignore what's written on the package and use it as a primer.

The Strengthening Base Coat is designed to snap together with Bourjois mascaras, so if you use one of those, bonus for you. I, however, am forever loyal to L'Oreal Voluminous.