Indeed. Smashbox has developed primers for the lid, under the eyes and the lashes, and is introducing one for the lips in 2013, according to the company. Urban Decay and MAC each offer eye, lip and lash primers that claim to help eye shadow, lipstick and mascara last longer after application. According to Nick Gavrelis, the vice president for global product development for MAC, the company’s primer category has doubled its sales within the last year.

Deborah Lippmann, a manicurist, includes a nail primer ($14) as a part of her collection, intended to be applied before base coat (yes, a primer for the primer), which she promises will help polish adhere more evenly, stay on longer and dry faster. “I want customers to think about nail care the same way they think about skin care,” Ms. Lippmann said, “and this primer cleans the nails of dirt and oil which is just what you want to do with your face before putting on makeup.”

Living Proof, a hair care company in Cambridge, Mass., that counts Jennifer Aniston as an owner, recently introduced one of the first hair primers on the market. Costing $20 a bottle, the serum-like light-textured product, intended to be massaged into the hair before using sprays or gels, comes with the hefty claim that it will help hairstyles last twice as long between shampoos.