Eye shadow primer is a can't-live-without-it product for me. Well, I could live without it, obviously, but my eye makeup wouldn't look half as good. Let's call it the Spanx of my makeup routine. For someone with very dry skin, it's a mystery to me how my eyelids remain oily, but somehow they do and that combined with how deep-set they are means eye makeup doesn't last whistling time on me without a base.
I've reviewed Urban Decay and Too Faced primers here in the past and others I've tried include Laura Mercier Eye Basics and, most recently, NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (read our full review of it here). Of those four, my favourites have been the Too Faced and NARS offerings - the Urban Decay packaging seriously let it down and I found the texture drying, while the Laura Mercier was too thick for my liking.
Here's the four qualities that make a primer perfect:
Advertised
- Smooth formula that blends easily and sets invisibly
- Enough 'slip' to make eyeshadow and liner application easy with no dragging or skipping of the brush or pencil
- Makes eyeshadow look more vibrant
- Keeps eye makeup fresh all day (a no-brainer, this one) with no sliding or creasing
As I type this, I'm wearing the NARS primer under eyeshadow that was applied about 10 hours ago and it still looks as good as new.
If you're a fan of eyeshadow primer, let us know which is your favourite and why!
