The Battle of the Eyeshadow Primers

        Eyeshadow Primers are everywhere. Almost every cosmetic brand has one in their line-up. But which ones to use?!?! There are expensive ones and cheap ones and ones with shadow built in and ones that shimmer and some are clear and some are flesh tone. So many choices and prices ranges. Are you confused yet by the hype of this one or that one? Do you remember a time when no one had ever heard of them because they didn't exist? Ugh!! What to do, what to do!?!?

        Well, to begin with, let's be honest. Do you use it because you really need to or because everyone else is and you feel like you have to as well to get your eyeshadows to stay put and not crease? And honestly for me I have only been using them for a couple of years now and I never had an issue with creasing or with fading of my eyeshadows. But I do find that for some shadows, because we all know that all eyeshadows are not created equal, they help them if they aren't quite as pigmented as they should be. They will make the shadows darker and give them a little boost, if you will.

        I am by no means an expert on eyeshadow primers, but I have been doing make-up for many years. I have used high end brands and low end brands and drugstore brands, etc,. I have to say that I have found that there are some drugstore/low end brands that are actually better than some of the high end brands. One brand in particular that I literally have been using since high school when I had no money and I still love their products today is Wet-N-Wild. I am a huge fan and love the quality of their eyeshadows, mascaras and lipsticks especially. And it goes to show that you don't have spend $20+ dollars on lipstick to get a good quality lipstick, etc,. So getting back to eyeshadow primers; which have I used and which do I prefer? Well, let me tell you.

        Here is a list of ones that I have tried and you tell me which you think I love and use on a daily basis. Spoiler alert, I tell you after this list. :)

   ~ Covergirl - Intense Shadow Blast Primer & Rich Shadow in one

   ~ Too Faced - Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

   ~ Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion

   ~ Lorac - Behind the Scenes Eye Primer

   ~ Smashbox - Photo Finish Lid Primer

   ~ e.l.f. - Essential Eyelid Primer

   ~ e.l.f. - Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

   ~ And a few others over the past few years but I don't really remember which ones. These are just the ones in my arsenal as of right now.

        I have found that really they are basically the same. They all do the same thing for me. Others may have different results because you're older or younger, have oilier skin or dryer skin, etc,. So not everyone is going to have the same results. But for me there's really only one that stands out, has not failed me, I use it daily, is the one I always reach for and is well worth the money. You may be surprised, but the e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is the best in overall value, quality and it does the job just fine for me.  Now for the best part it, costs only $3.00.

        I will say that I have and have used the e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer and it's also great. The Mineral Primer has vitamins A, E and C in it which gives it an edge over the Essential Primer. But the Essential Primer is only $1.00 so if you are on a really tight budget or would just like to try one for the first time, it is an excellent choice. If it doesn't work for you then you're only out $1.00. Which is why I tell people all of the time that if they aren't sure about something start out with a less expensive item to see if it is something that they may actually be interested in.

e.l.f. Mineral and Essential Eyeshadow Primers

 

        As to why I love the e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer. It is smooth and blends into my skin easily. I also run it through my brows so that when I put my brow pencil on it lasts longer and doesn't smudge. I also put it under my eyes and over other fine lines and wrinkles after I put my foundation on but before concealer or powder and it keeps the concealer and make-up from caking in them. I also feel it adds a little hydration as well. It has a creamy texture and is in my opinion better than the any of the other brands I've tried thus far. I do have an olive complexion and therefore I do tend to get oily very easily in my T-zone and eyelids when I'm wearing make-up. Not so much on my eyelids as in the rest of my T-zone, but they still get fairly oily when I don't have any make-up on. With the fact that it is mineral based and had the added vitamins A, E and C that also makes it that much better. But when you factor in the price...You've got a great deal!!

So the Clear Winner for Me is!!! e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

        Now again, I will say that out of all of those other primers that I listed earlier in this post, there aren't any horrible ones. The others are pretty much the same as far as the consistancy, how well they help the shadow last, how well they blend into the skin, keep the shadow from creasing, etc,. etc,. they are all pretty comparable and there aren't any other real stand outs for me. Your results may differ because as I mentioned earlier, everyones skin types are different. So tell me what your fave eyeshadow primer is and why. I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Huge Hugs from Me to You!!!!

Jewel S.