Optimus Prime - 3 of My Favourite Shadow Primers

The oilier lidded lovelies amongst us or those wanting to give their eye make up a little insurance will be no strangers to the wonders of eye shadow primers. I have normal skin and thankfully that applies to my peeper lids too but, on occasion, mostly evening occasion when I've done some extra work on my eyes, I like to use a primer to keep everything in place until kebab time. 

Because I don't use primers as a norm, I haven't had need to go out and buy either the Smashbox Lid Primer or the Urban Decay Primer Potion but both have been very welcome accompaniments to other gift sets I've received so it's been sample sizes I've been loving. Mac Painterly, I waxed lyrical about before. If it didn't last for millennia, I'd probably have bought another by now. 

I've put together some pics of each with some swatches of MAC Club for comparison. You can see how intense the shadow is made using each as a base. 

Smashbox Photofinish Lid Primer - €22

As an accompaniment to Smashbox's world famous PhotoFinish Primer, this Lid Primer works a charm. It promises to reduce fine lines on the lids using soft focus pearls it provides the perfect canvas for eye shadows. It contains Phytomoist, a plant-based hyaluronic acid for ultimate moisture, which means its formulation is creamy and soft with no caking or drying. 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - €20

Probably the best known shadow primer of the lot, Urban Decay has a dedicated following from make up Artists to beauty junkies. The wettest of the three primers here, this potion applies moist but dries almost instantly to a soft, sheer base. Promising to do away with fallout and creasing of shadows, I love to use UDPP when I'm wearing a coloured eyeliner as it adds to the 'pop'. 

MAC Painterly Paint Pot - €21

My favourite of the lot and probably one of my HG products, MAC Painterly Paint Pot is a velvety soft cream that applies beautifully. Almost undetectable on my skin, I've been known to use this bad boy as a snakey concealer when caught out. Even though it's not drying in the slightest, shadow sticks to it like no other primer I've used - I'm talking waking up at 6am after a night on the tiles and still having my smokey eye shadow in place. J'adore. 

For all the staying power of each of these primers, there's still no issue with cleansing come the end of the day (or morning). Having used many alternatives, including Maybelline Color Tatoos and regular concealer, I continue to come back to these three when I want the job done right. 

Are you a shadow primer fan? Do you use these ones or others?

MAC Primed & Ready!

I've been waxing lyrical about my need for an eyeshadow primer for quite a while now. There's much love for ELF and it's pricier Urban Decay counterpart but finding myself in possession of a BT voucher, it had to be MAC. Painterly Paint Pot, get in mah bag!

I've heard some good reviews about these little fellas and for €21 a pop I'd like to think so too.

It's a creamy, malleable, ehm, cream..

Here we have (much loved) MAC Earthly Riches without & with the Paint Pot

You can see from the shot that Painterly instantly gives you much better colour payoff. You can detect shades there that are impossible to see without the primer. Good, eh?

No, not a stonking bruise

Not only did I leave both swatches in place for an hour, while making the din dins. This pic is also taken after several rubs with a tissue. It ain't moving!

Would I recommend? Without a shadow of a doubt, yes indeedy. It's a little pricey but the pot is deceptively deep, I've been using this for roughly 3 weeks now and as you can see from the swatch shot, it's barely touched.

Anything that can take me from a 7am site visit, through a day's slog and to my Mother's for late tea at 9pm to be asked 'Are you going out?' gets a huge thumbs up from me. No retouching, no creasing, no faffing about. Love.


Do you use a primer? What are you loving?