Penny's UPDATE - Eye Shadow Primer

Hi all:
Hope everyone is well and enjoying their Sunday afternoon.

 

 

As promised, I’m going to start posting UPDATES to some of my previous posts. Most times I reply to individual questions about a particular product but then others who have the same questions may not get the answers they're looking for. So whenever there is something new to report even if its a previous posted product, I will try to post a new blog about it.

In my April 27^th blog I recommended Stila Prime Pot in Caramel ($20, Sephora)…I said it was the perfect primer (for those with dark lids like Penny)…well, it’s not so perfect. I think I may have jumped the gun on this one and I was wrong. (Stranger things have happened. LOL! Remember that Penny is on the ‘trial & error’ plan too). For those who do not have oily eyelids or a problem with eye shadow creasing, then this primer may still be a good buy for you. But I have since used this primer on warm days when my face tends to get oily and the primer did not hold up (see pic).  Here is my previous list of pros and cons…revised.

PROS:

• Holds my eye shadow in place all day
• Neutralizes the uneven skin tone on my lids
• Creates a smooth surface to work with
• Doesn’t crease
• Easy to apply (for Penny at least)
• Dries quickly

CONS:

• Creases if you have oily lids
• Only comes in 2 colors (Caramel & Tawny)
• Dries quickly (for some this can make it harder to apply)

(read full story...)
Right now Penny is back to using her NARS Smudge Proof Primer ($24, Sephora) to avoid frying pan eye lids at the end of the day (not a sexy look). LOL! The NARS clear primer works well and you only need a little bit. I was just hoping for one product to neutralize my lid color AND keep my eye shadow in place all day. The search continues. So it’s not a complete waste of money, I tried to put the Stila Prime Pot on top of the NARS primer to even out the skin tone on my lids, as I mentioned in my 5/5/11 post. It worked only slightly better (I couldn't get the 2nd pic to upload, sorry). Basically you can see my face was a little oily but my eyelid was more matte. The eye shadow creased only slightly, but the goal is to stay matte all day. 

I prefer to use Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow (in Cement, $22, Bloomingdales) as a base over the NARS primer. Both of these seem to work to keep my shadow on all day.

The other primers I would recommend are Sephora’s Perfecting Eye Primer ($14, Sephora) and Urban Decay’s Primer Potion Tube ($19, Sephora). When my NARS primer is finished I plan to try Urban Decay’s primer again (in Eden). It is the top rated amongst magazines and online always gets a 5-star rating among users. I like that it now comes in a “tube” and in colors (that may help neutralize Penny’s lid color).  The Original formula is a sheer nude; Sin is a shimmering champagne color; Eden is a tawny matte; and Greed comes in a gold shade. The Sephora primer is also good for its price point. I have friends that said it works fine. Penny tried their pen with brush applicator called Sephora’s Tricks of the Trade ($6, Sephora) and that worked too, but doesn't even out my lid color much.

If anyone has had a different experience (or similar) with the Stila Prime Pot or any of the primers mentioned, please share.  And always check the store’s Return Policy before making any purchase…always. J

Hope this was helpful.
Be blessed. Be beautiful.
P