Alright, so I know it's not yet Wednesday here on the West Coast, but I thought I'd get a head-start because this week's question is a good one and I hope to get as many responses as possible. Do you hear me, lovelies? I neeeeed to see some answers here. I beg you!
What's your favorite eyeshadow primer?
Obviously, given the nature of this blog, I'd love to hear about your drugstore favorites, but if you are a die-hard UDPP or TFSI girl, then please share that as well. I am in desperate need of an eyeshadow base that works all the time, not just for certain shadows and most of the time (my beloved Sally Hansen Carmindy Fast Fix has been letting me down lately). So thank you, thank you in advance for contributing your ideas here!
I think the l'oreal hip paints and the e.l.f. mineral eyeshadow primer (not the e.l.f. studio primer) work great! I prefer the mineral eyeshadow primer though because it's cheaper, doesn't alter the eyeshadow color drastically, and is in easier packaging, a.k.a. doesn't explode product when you first open it.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I don't know any :( But I do hear that the ELF mineral primer is amazing - I use a MAC paint pot that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't... so I don't know about that one either - it is a bit on the shimmery side too: Rubenesque.
ReplyDeleteI love my elf mineral eyeshadow primer! My eyeshadow lasts all day and does not crease! I would highly recommend it :)
ReplyDeletePerfect timing, my dear. Looks like I'll be staking this post for primer suggestions all week hahaha :D
ReplyDeleteSo far, I'm thinking the e.l.f mineral primer is the popular fool-proof. I have got to check that one out.
i make my own primer...its super cheap, it works pretty well, and it matches my skin perfectly--no more awkward lines where the color of the base doesn't match your skin tone!
ReplyDeleteI have the ELF mineral primer but haven't tried it yet, haha. Oops.
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty die-hard UDPP fan, but I'll tell you the indellible creme eyeshadows from Mad Minerals are AMAZING as bases. I have exceptionally oily eyelids and I use the matte fleshtoned "Bare Necessity" or the more sparkly "Nude Frost" ALLLLL the ding dang time as bases. Bonus-- if you just wanna do colors, you can use the other colors w/o a base and they do not crease.
The only exception is if you're going to do something really sweaty (like dance your ass off), they might crease a smidge. But nothing all that bad. For example I wore one as a base for a wedding and after paaartying all night it was a teensy bit creased. Nothing that noticeable though bc I still got compliments on my eyes!
I think I've tried a gazillion primers, and the 2 that have become my go-tos are:
ReplyDelete*NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk
*Ulta's eye primer
Ulta's is amazing to me ... it's a cream product in the same pan as their shadows, and it goes on effortlessly, drying down to a silky finish. I adore it to no end!
And I use NYX's Milk when I need colors to really pop, as it's an opaque white that blanks out all skintone.
Both cheap, but incredibly effective :-)
I have been using UDPP and now find elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer working just as well or better! L'Oreal De Crease is not bad too :)
ReplyDeleteJesse's Girl has a dual-ended liner seal...Eyeshadow Transformer, it's called. But a little of this all over my lids intensifies my shadows and holds them in place all day long. It's relatively inexpensive, I think Rite Aid still carries it, or you can get it from the website. But it's the only primer I've bought twice. It lasts forever, too! And no fooling with cutting the packaging open when you think you're out. The product just pours from the tubes if you turn them over.
ReplyDeleteI'm an UDPP girl all the way, never tried any other because i haven't had the need to. works like a charm every time!
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for the ELF Mineral e/s primer! I also like the L'Oreal HIP eye paints, but they can be expensive unless you can take advantage of a BOGO sale and coupons.
ReplyDeleteYou must have read my mind because I was doing some research yesterday on what drugstore primer I should buy!
ReplyDeleteThe only one I've ever used is the UDPP. I read that both ELF and NYX are pretty good, but both available only online it seems. I was actually considering today trying out an old avon concealer (the stick/creamy kind) that didn't do it for me and seeing if that has any sort of priming properties, because I've heard that concealer can work just as well.
TFSI is pretty amazing, and it'll last you forever, so might be worth the splurge. I'm hoping to try the ELF one...I've heard great things about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm real crazy about my primer since I pretty much only use loose pigs so I've tried tons! The only (and I mean ONLY) one I like is Detrivore primer. It's amazing...seriously!
ReplyDeleteOh, and does the Carmindy stuff crease on you?? I've been trying it out and I've never had that problem before!
I've been using the e.l.f. Mineral eyeshadow primer recently and really liking it so far.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that e.l.f. just came out with an eyeshadow primer in their $1 line on their website. I've been stalking Target, hoping that it'll show up there as well. I really want to see how it compares to the Mineral primer. How awesome would it be if the $1 primer kicks all the other primers' butts? lol
I'm a die-hard UDPP fan, but I recently tried the bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer from Bare Escentuals and flipped. I couldn't believe I didn't know about it before considering my huge BE collection! I know it's not drugstore, but it's $16 and I don't think that's bad at all ;) It makes all of my shadows bullet-proof like UDPP.
ReplyDeletexo
i've been using l'oreal decrease. it's not too bad. i'm interested in trying the elf primer. sounds like it's not too bad either.
ReplyDeletekenzie, what do you use to make your primer?
I've tried UDPP, TFSI, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, Aromaleigh's E/S primer and Aromaleigh's Eye & Lip Primer.
ReplyDeleteTFSI is my favorite. UDPP creases on me.
i only use UDPP. but i only use light eyeshadow or do a cat eye but it pretty much always does the job! remember, let it dry, but not for too long!
ReplyDeleteI apparently have the greasiest eyelids (ew!) known to man because I've tried a lot of these suggestions and they don't work for me. L'oreal's Decrease was a joke, their HIP one seemed to work, but I can't find it anywhere anymore so I'm guessing it was discontinued. Benefit FYEye worked for a little while, but then STOPPED, same with Urban Decay. It's like I have to switch them out every so often.
ReplyDeleteA lot of responders seem to like elf...if I can find it, I'll try it, but I don't hold out much hope. :(
Forgot to mention earlier, at Lisa Kate's suggestion I ordered the Detrivore primer and will be trying that out.
ReplyDeleteI use the ELF Studio line eye primer. It came in wand form, with an eyeliner sealer in the other end. I didnt like that part, so I scooped it out and put it in a little pot. It is THE BEST primer ever! I used to be strictly a Laura Gellar girl, but this ELF primer works wonders. It's tacky enough in the beginning to hold the color, and I don't end up with shadow all over my cheeks. It's a creamy skintone, so I sometimes use it on the inside corners, if I don't have time for a lot of makeup.
ReplyDeleteIt is the BEST $3 I have ever spent on makeup. It lasts all day and I have even left sweaty clubs with perfect eye makeup!
Seriously, I prefer this to any other primer I have tried.
Um, WOW! Thank you all so very much for your amazing and thoughtful responses! I have soooo many new ideas to try out (which I will of course review in the future!).
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, have I been living under a rock or what? I didn't even know about the buzz surrounding the elf mineral concealer! But not to worry because I will have it next week and I will DEFINITELY post a review. :)
Second: Kenzie, you can't tease us by saying you make your own primer and then not tell how you do it! lol! I am so intrigued by this--please share the details!
Third: Lisa Kate, I was using Carmindy for a long time without any issues, but suddenly it just stopped working. It creases on me now, before I even apply the eyeshadow, and once I've got my eyeshadow on, my shadow creases within just a few hours. It's like it's just suddenly stopped working altogether for me. :(
Fourth: Audri, Jesse's Girl makes a primer?? I had NO idea. I need to look for this ASAP because I am all about a good, cheap primer and you can't get much cheaper than Jesse's Girl, right? :)
Again, thank you all for your comments--I am going to start with the least expensive and work my way up the ladder until I find an eye primer that works no matter what. I really want to eventually try each and ever suggestion that's been posted, since I'm totally obsessed with eye primers as it is. xo
TFSI FOREVER! I used to be all about ArtDeco and then it stopped working for me =(
ReplyDeleteMy fav is BE's Prime Time eye primer. I use this because there is some ingredient in both UDPP and TFSI that I am allergic to. But, it works great and doesn't irritate.
ReplyDeleteI like the NYX sticks, but the only thing that's ever REALLY worked for me is Mario Badescu Ceramide eye gel. I'll be buying it for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the new comments, ladies! It looks like that's another vote for TFSI, and another vote for BE! :) I'll add these to my list, for sure.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just want to let you guys know that I needed some instant gratification after all these recs so I went to Rite-Aid today and I bought the Jesse's Girl Eye Transformer that Audri raved about it! It was $5.99 and I cannot wait to try it out and report back! :)
udpp is the god (under more emolient bases, not as cool alone), mac paint pots (matte colors) are awesome and when i just need what i need at a better price... loreal decrease is the biznazz... loreal hip paints are cool,just not the shimmery ones.
ReplyDeletei've used a few different kinds of primers and UDPP is my favorite. I use mostly loose pigments and I don't have an issues with creasing or fallout throught the night. In fact sometimes its still there the next day ;-) I detest the packaging though
ReplyDeleteVictoria's secret pro fx eye primer is awesome! $8 and worth every penny
ReplyDeleteLooks like we've got two more votes for UDPP! :)
ReplyDeleteYummy411, I've read some bad reviews of L'Oreal decrease so that's why I haven't tried it...maybe I should reconsider! And can you believe I have never used the HiP paints as primer before? Which do you like better? Decrease or the paints? Thanks!
Anon: I wasn't even aware that VS made an eye primer! Thank you so much for the tip--I will totally pick this up at the next VS makeup sale. :)
I agree with yummy411 up there, UDPP is god. Works with everything but looks kinda funny on its own. I cannot stand the packaging, though! Cutting mine open was an undertaking I'd rather not repeat.
ReplyDeleteI recently bought an elf mineral eyeshadow primer, and put the elf on one eye and the UDPP on the other eye. When I got home from work and looked in the mirror, they both looked exactly the same. Neither had creased. I couldn't tell any difference in wear or color. Add that to the $3 price tag and sensible packaging, and UDPP has been eclipsed by elf in my stash. :-D Sorry UDPP, used to worship & love you, but there's a new kid in town.
femputer! Wow, that is one glowing rec! I'm so happy to report that I will be getting this primer next week and I'll review asap. :) xo
ReplyDeleteTFSI was my first non-drugstore purchase and I adore it! (I had previously tried the L'Oreal primer and it did nothing for my oily lids.) A tube of TFSI will last a VERY long time, so it's absolutely worth the $17 imho. :)
ReplyDeleteHeather, you're not the only one who didn't have luck with Decrease. I have seen many, many bad reviews of it myself. :( So I guess we have one more vote for TFSI! I think you're right--if it lasts forever, $17 is a pretty darn good investment! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party as usual. I'm another who does DIY e/s primer. Not having much luck. I've been trying different formulas since summer (still trying). What I've found out (from YouTubers) is that Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Face primer isn't 100%. Read so many reviews that led me to believe e/s couldn't be sandblasted off when wearing that stuff. So, I'm now wondering: are my DIY primers lasting as long as those UDPP or TF? Till I suck up the $$ to buy one of those primers I may never know.
ReplyDeleteAlso what I use after applying my DIY primer is a nude shade of matte baked e/s by Physician's Formula.
I've been using my Physician's Formula concealer (part of the double-ended duo) lately and I'm surprised that it works pretty well! Easy to dab and blend [when it hasn't dried on your lid] and it doesn't crease!
ReplyDeleteI used to think L'Oreal HiP Cream Shadow Paints were good b/c they don't crease, but they're too hard to blend. I recently bought the E.L.F. Mineral eyeshadow primer, it's pretty good!
ReplyDelete