Eyeshadow Primer Review
Being a complete makeup junkie my collection has gradually started to include multiple types of eyeshadow primers. Today I am going to discuss the different types of eye primers, their effectiveness and my preferences.
My collection! (left to right) First Row: elf Eyelid Primer, elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, elf Studio Primer and Liner Sealer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion
Second Row: Mac Paint Pots in Painterly, Perky, Girl Friendly and Artifact
Third Row: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Bunny Hop and Recess
I personally love how eyeshadow primers ad staying power to your eye shadows and liners, keep them from creasing and stop liners from smudging.
There seem to be two basic types of eyeprimers, ones like Urban Decay Primer potion and Too Faced Shadow insurance that have no coloration to them when blended into the skin and ones with coloration in them such as the paint pots by mac. I personally like to use coloured ones to ether neutralize the blue/purple tones on my eyelids or to increase the vibrant colours of the shadows I am going to apply. If I am just going to wear an eyeliner and no shadow I like to neutralize the blue/purple tones on my lids by using a skin toned primer and if I am going to wear an eyeshadow intense look I like to have a base that is clear to give extra staying power and follow that with paint pot that matches the eyeshadow colour to give the colour some extra strength and once again to increase the staying power.
NON-Coloured Primers (go on clear)
| Packaging | Product Discription | Pros | Cons | Price | Should I Try it? | ||
| ELF Eyelid Primer | Wand in a tube. Actual tube has a texture so fingers with lotions wont slip. | Thin and slightly oily. Blends into skin without adding colour. | -$1USA-Cheap! -packaging is nice | -oily in texture -Probley can not get all the product out of the tube, but it was a buck | $1USA | NO! spend the extra on the studio primer if you have to try an elf one | |
| ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer | Wand in a tube. Handle/top has a minimal texture to it to prevent slippage. | Thicker than the Eyelid primer, and slightly tacky. Blends into skin without adding colour. | -$3..Cheap! -Lots of product in tube for price -makes eyeshadow last longer than alone. | -Not as good at Urban Decay's -Not as Good as Too Faced's | $3USA | YES. it's $3 if you hate it it was $3 | |
| Urban Decay Primer Potion | Wand in a tube. Sample size is a cylinder, regular is a curved bottle | Thicker than both the ELF primers listed above. Tacky, almost sticky. Blends into skin without adding colour. | -Makes shadow last all day is amazing -can be bought in many colour options (glittery, tan, pink) | -Packaging is wasteful -expensive | $18USA $24CAD | YES | |
| Too Faced Shadow Insurance | Is a squeeze tube. | -Thicker than the Urban Decay but is less tacky. Blends into skin without adding colour. | -Squeeze tube makes it so you can get the most out of the product -Makes shadow last all day. -Really good | -Expensive -Doesn't blend as well as the Urban Decay | $17USA $22CAD | YES |
Coloured Primers
| Packaging | Product Discription | Pros | Cons | Price | Should I Try it? | |
| ELF Studio Eye Primer & Liner Sealer | One side has the primer in a stick and the other has a clear liquid with a eyeliner pencil in it for making shadow into eyeliner | Creamy and looks like a concealer in stick form. Tacky and in a Caucasian nude tone. Great coverage | -CHEAP! $3 for it and the liner. Provides great coverage and conceals well without being greasy or oily -Minor creasing in the hottest weather and the longest days -better than using a concealer, it isn't greasy or slick | -Only comes in flesh tone | $3USA | YES- it's cheap and works well for what it is (I like it on the just eyeliner days) |
| MAC Paint Pot | A glass pot with black plastic lid | Creamy product that comes in many colours (matte & frost). Painterly is caucasian matte skin tone. Gives great coverage | -Coverage is great -colour selection is wonderful -painterly conceals blue tones on lids -coloured versions ad pop as a base colour -can be worn alone as a shadow/liner-keeps shadow on a long time. -Made in Canada | -....none? | $20Cad | YES - there is a colour for you out there and it works great |
| Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/ Liner | A glass pot with black plastic lid | Smooth and more slick than paint pots. Comes in many colours (all frost). Not thick coverage but can be layered for a buildable colour. | -ads a great colour base -can be worn alone as a shadow/liner -makes shadow stick longer than alone | -only comes in frost -creases slightly -colours aren't that visible | $19USA $24Cad | ...maybe.. test it in the store first and see if you really like any of the colours first. |
Paint Pots:Top left to right: Painterly Paint Pot, Perky Paint Pot
Bottom left to right: Girl Friendly Paint Pot, Artifact Paint Pot
Creaseless Cream Shadow/liner: Left to Right: Recess, Bunny Hop
(sorry my lighting sucks)
Elf Primers: top - eyelid primer, middle - Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, Bottom - Studio Primer and Liner Sealer
Top - Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Bottom - Urban Decay Primer Potion
Conclusion:
Overall I like both the clear versions and the coloured based versions of eyeshadow primers. I think they work best when used together through layering of a clear with a coloured one over for maximum crease resistance and shadow preservation.
I think it is best to try out some samples or trial sizes before shelling out big bucks for any product like this. In the clear wand versions I personally like the Too Faced Shadow Insurance the best. I like the fact it is thicker than the other brands, not oily, not as sticky and most importantly I like bottle the best. I feel the traditional bottle for the UD Primer Potion is just too wasteful. As well as I also find it just as effective for keeping the shadow from creasing and keeping it on all day as the UD version. It really was a toss up between the two, but the packaging was the thing that swung me Too Faced's way.
I do still like the ELF Mineral eyeshadow primer, I think it is very good and budget friendly. It does fall slightly short of the UD and TF versions, but not too far behind. Their Eyelid primer on the other had, I would not recommend, it really is not that good.
As the creamer coloured based version go I LOVE LOVE LOVE my paint pots. Perky (a peachy shimmer version) is by far my most beloved while Painterly is the most used because it is a great skin toned shade that neutralizes blue/purple tones on the eyes. I also love the ELF studio Primer and eyeliner sealer for the primer part. Not only is is priced right it does a very good job of keeping everything where it should be and neutralizing eyelid colours. If I could recommend just one coloured primer it would be the Painterly Paint Pot by MAC.
I am sorry if this went on too long, but I guess there was a lot to be said for eyeshadow primers.
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