Last week we gave you the lowdown on Urban Decay's cult Primer Potion and Too Faced's increasingly popular Shadow Insurance. Xgirl rated the latter over UDPP, and I agree - it's absolutely my favourite eye primer. Inspired by Shu Uemura's new painting gel eyeliners - sadly unavailable here - I'm using it a lot recently to mix up bright-BRIGHT-bright shades that I can then apply as a graphic swipe across the eyelids with a fine brush.
But at least one of you was confused. "If I use face primer on my eyes will my eye lids fall off?," pondered reader Kitty in the City, adding "seriously, is the skin that different it needs a different primer?"
The answer is that it's not the skin, but the product formulation that offers a difference. But if you don't believe me, I got crack makeup artist Ken Boylan on the case. "A face primer is clear or has a tint in it, and most are made from a silicone base - that’s why they feel smooth to the touch, and this is why they fill in the pores and little lines when you put them on," he explains.
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While a face/foundation primer - like those in Smashbox's Photo Finish suite - is ideal for holding makeup on all day, using one on your lids isn't a good idea. Ken agrees: "I would not put it on the eyes as shadow would slip off and crease," he reckons.
Last words on the prime position? Mr. Boylan's got a bit of a recession tip for us: "personally, I think a good concealer and a dusting of powder works just as well!"
