Put it to the Test — Eyeshadow Primer

Ever since I started telling friends about Chic Critique, I’ve been getting great suggestions for new products to try.  One such product is Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion.  Here is the product description from the package details:

There’s a genie in this bottle and she fulfills three wishes:
eyeshadow that lasts, color that stays vibrant all day, and absolutely
no creasing.

It seems like every makeup product comes with a primer nowadays.  But is the primer revolution just another marketing ploy to sell more products?  Or are the primers really improving the effectiveness of the makeup they are supporting?  As usual, the results seem to vary from person to person and from product to product.

My friend who recommended the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer swears by the stuff.  She wrote this in an email:

Yesterday, I put on my Urban Decay shadow primer,
and then my Lorac eyeshadow. Went about my day. Had a shower before
bed. Didn’t remove my makeup before the shower, but washed my face with
(gack) soap. I got out of the shower and I STILL had eyeshadow on!
LOL! I had to remove it with cream.

Then I mentioned to my partner-in-crime, June, that I was going to try an eye shadow primer, and she said:

Eye shadow primer makes your eye shadow too bright, in my opinion, FYI.

Interesting.  Mixed reviews.  Of course that means I must Put it to the Test! 

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I don’t usually have any problem with my eye shadow staying on all day or creasing.  My biggest complaint is that sometimes my eyeliner pencil rubs off onto my eyelid, giving the appearance of poorly applied eyeshadow.  Perhaps the primer would prevent this annoyance?

I decided to use my new eye shadow primer on only one eye so I could compare the results.  I swiped the wand across my left eyelid, blended it in, and waited a couple seconds for it to set.  Then I applied my favorite Mary Kay eyeshadow and pencil eyeliner to both eyelids in my usual fashion. 

My first impression was that both eyes looked alike.  I didn’t find it made my eyeshadow too bright.  As I wore it throughout the day, I looked in the mirror to see if the left eyeshadow and liner were wearing better on the left eye.  I couldn’t see any difference.

At the end of the day, I took this picture.

Can you tell a difference?  (The primer is on my left eye, which is on your right, as you look at this picture.)  Besides the slight shadow on the left side of my face due to the camera angle, I can’t see any difference in the eye makeup.

My critique of Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer: Not worth it.

That said, don’t automatically discount this product if you have trouble with your eye shadow lasting through the day or creasing.  But if you are satisfied with your current eye shadow performance, I wouldn’t bother with primer.