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My Eye Primers: The Verdict!

It has taken me a long time to put this altogether, but I have finally done it! I decided I wanted to share my thoughts on eye primers I had tried and it turned out that I had ten, so I thought I would test them and find out which one worked best for me. I have split them into two categories (High End/Low End) and I aim to rank them from #1 to #10 on which is the longest wearing. Let’s look at the primers I will be testing.
HIGH END
URBAN DECAY PRIMER POTION
PRICE: £17.50
SIZE: 10ml
SHADES: Original, Anti-ageing, Freebase, Eden, Fix, Minor Sin, Sin and Caffeine
APPLICATION: Squeeze tube without a nozzle, but also has a sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Non-creasing, gives you vibrant eyeshadows
WHERE TO BUY: UrbanDecay.co.uk (UK) & Sephora (USA)

I like to think that this primer is my favourite as I love the packaging (purple is my favourite colour). It is potion bottle inspired and it is the first primer I remember ever seeing and wanting. The packaging design has changed a lot over the years and I have to say that this is the best yet. There are two ways of applying this primer. The formula is soft and not too thick and it is very easy to apply both ways. Your eyeshadows look very vibrant and they stay perfect for hours. It is not completely crease-proof but I do trust it, maybe 8 hours plus.
TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE
PRICE: £20.00
SIZE: 11g
SHADES: Original & Glitter Glue
APPLICATION: Squeeze tube with a nozzle
PROMISES: Intensifies colour, crease-proof, fade-proof, waterproof, up-to 24 hours wear
WHERE TO BUY: Debenhams (UK) & Sephora (USA)

The packaging is very nice and I actually have the old version. The newer version is a little fancier. It is easy to squeeze and the formula is quite thin, smooth and kind of feels oily, but it’s not. It does make your eyeshadows more vibrant and increases the wear time. It definitely isn’t crease/fade/water proof and would not last anywhere near 24 hours on me! It does put up a good fight though. I get around 7 hours wear with this primer.
THEBALM PUT A LID ON IT™
PRICE: £17.50
SIZE: 11.8ml
SHADES: Original
APPLICATION: Squeeze tube with a nozzle
PROMISES: Eyeshadows will last all day
WHERE TO BUY: FeelUnique.com (UK) & Sephora (USA)

This is the second tube of this I have had because my first one degraded and I couldn’t be sure if the product inside was affected by the tube being damaged. So for the purpose of this review, I re-purchased it! I like the packaging design and it is easy to dispense and apply. The formula is soft like it contains silicone and it kind of almost feels oily. The primer also has an artificial kind of scent. You eyeshadows do last a long time, but I wouldn’t say all day. I suppose it depends on how long your average day is. I got around 8 hours plus wear with this primer.
BENEFIT STAY DON’T STRAY
PRICE: £22.00
SIZE: 10ml
SHADES: 01 Light/Medium & 02 Medium/Deep
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Can be used under concealers, vibrant colour, non-creasing
WHERE TO BUY: BenefitCosmetics.co.uk (UK) & Sephora (USA)

The packaging is very nice and the tube is quite thick. It is very easy to apply and the formula has the consistency of concealer. It dries like a concealer would and it leaves a matte wash of colour on your lid. I haven’t tried it under a concealer, but it does increase the vibrancy of your eyeshadows. It definitely will crease and fade eventually. I got around 5-6 hours wear with this primer, which is kind of disappointing, but I think it is because it has the consistency of a concealer and not a regular eye primer.
LORAC BEHIND THE SCENES
PRICE: £17.00
SIZE: 15.3g
SHADES: Original
APPLICATION: Squeeze tube with a button nozzle (like a squeeze tube lipgloss)
PROMISES: Anti-crease formula, increases longevity, colour correction and fills in lines.
WHERE TO BUY: QVCUK.com (UK) & Sephora (USA)

The packaging is simple and it is easy to squeeze and dispense the product. The formula is silky and creamy in texture. It dries fast and clear. It is not completely crease-resistant, but it does give you long lasting colour protection and vibrancy. I got around 8 hours wear with this primer.
LOW END
E.L.F STUDIO SHADOW LOCK EYELID
PRICE: £3.00
SIZE: 5ml
SHADES: Sheer
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Provides a smooth base, long-lasting and crease-proof.
WHERE TO BUY: EyesLipsFace.co.uk (UK) & Target (USA)

I have had two tubes of this and the packaging does vary, depending on whether you buy it singularly or as part of a gift set. The original packaging is very slender and simple. It does give you a nice smooth base to apply your eyeshadows and it is long lasting, but I wouldn’t say it is crease-proof. I believe that given a certain amount of time, eyeshadows will crease eventually regardless of what base you have applied! The formula is lightweight and very thin in consistency. I get around 6 hours plus wear with this eye primer.
MUA PRO-BASE
PRICE: £2.50
SIZE: 7.5ml
SHADES: Nude
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Provides a smooth base, vibrant eyeshadows, crease-free
WHERE TO BUY: MUAstore.co.uk (UK)

The packaging for this primer is simple, but it does look nice. It has actually been re-designed since I bought my tube. Once applied to your eye, it does give you a smooth base to work with and it does make your eyeshadows look more vibrant. The formula is smooth and lightweight. It isn’t crease-free but it can last 7 hours plus.
RIMMEL EXAGGERATE UNDERCOVER SHADOW
PRICE: £4.99
SIZE: 6ml
SHADES: Original
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Preps & smoothes, up-to 18 hours wear, crease-proof, smudge-proof
WHERE TO BUY: Boots (UK) & Ulta (USA)

I bought this primer so I could test it out because I knew it would be an inexpensive option that would be widely available in the UK. The packaging is quite simple and it is easy to apply. The formula is lightweight and made with silicone. It is quite thin in consistency, which I don’t really like because it feels like you have rubbed it away once you have blended it onto your eye! It only lasted around 5 hours on me before my eyeshadow started to fade (faded fast), so it is definitely not crease-proof.
ABSOLUTE NEWYORK EYESHADOW
PRICE: £4.99
SIZE: 7.9g
SHADES: Original
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Neutralises area, vibrant colour, boosts wear time
WHERE TO BUY: AbsoluteNewYork.com (USA)

I received this primer in a Glossybox and I hadn’t heard of the brand before. The packaging is simple but appealing and it is very easy to apply. The formula is soft, lightweight and has a greyish tint, but it dries clear. It provides a smooth base for eyeshadows and it enhances the vibrancy of the shades. I was quite surprised that this lasted more than 8 hours on me! It probably would have lasted much longer, but I don’t need to wear make-up longer than that.
NYX HIGH DEFINITION
PRICE: £6.00
SIZE: 8g
SHADES: Original
APPLICATION: Doe-foot sponge stick applicator
PROMISES: Smoother appearing skin, increases vibrancy
WHERE TO BUY: NYXcosmetics.co.uk (UK) & Ulta (USA)

This is the second tube of this that I have purchased because my first tube was faulty. The sponge tip had broken off and was inside the tube! The packaging is very nice and simple like most of the drugstore type primers. It does prep your eye area and give you a smooth base to apply your eyeshadows to. It also increases the vibrancy of your eyeshadow, but it is not completely crease-proof. The formula is lightweight, but creamy when first applied. I got around 6 hours wear time with this primer.

THE RESULTS
To determine which one of my ten eye primers is the longest wearing, I took it in turns to wear two different ones at the same time (one on each eye). It was a long process, but I think you’ll find that my results are conclusive below.

1st Place - LORAC
2nd Place - ABSOLUTE NEWYORK
3rd Place - Too Faced
4th Place - theBalm
5th Place - Urban Decay
6th Place - Rimmel
7th Place - NYX
8th Place - MUA
9th Place - e.l.f
10th Place - Benefit

My little test only really determines which primer made my eyeshadows last longer. If you want vibrancy or something more out of a primer then the winner would be different. My personal choice is still the Urban Decay primer, even though it didn’t come close to being first place.

The Most Expensive - Benefit Stay Don’t Stray (£22.00)
The Least Expensive - MUA Professional Eye Primer (£2.50)
Most Attractive Packaging - Urban Decay Primer Potion
Least Attractive Packaging - e.l.f Eyelid Primer
Biggest Size - theBalm Put A Lid On It (11.8ml)
Smallest Size - e.l.f Eyelid Primer (5ml)

I hope you find these mini reviews helpful. I think it is really trial and error when it comes to finding your perfect eye primer. I do find that the higher end ones perform better than the lower end ones, but I think the other qualities/properties and ingredients have something to do it. If you have a cheaper eye primer that is very long lasting, but it doesn’t feel smooth on your lid, that will affect how you feel about it. It just goes to show that you can’t judge products by the price of them, but if they are expensive you should expect them to be more.

Which one of these is your winning eye primer?

♥ ♥ ♥
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