little white truths

I must have been using this eye primer for something like six months now, and I've kept meaning to review it but have wound up lost in other posts.

But today is the day. And I do have quite a bit to say about it so please bear with me. Hopefully my comments will be useful!

As far as I can see on Mecca's website, Urban Decay has three different versions of this eye primer: the original, the coloured version (of which there are five shades, some containing shimmer) and this anti-ageing version.

The full-sizes of each contain 10g of product, but thankfully you can also buy the original and anti-ageing versions in smaller sizes (6g), which is what I did because eye primer lasts forever - and given that the shelf-life of this product is only 6 months, I don't think you'd ever get through a large one in that time unless you're a makeup artist who works on multiple faces a day.

If only all brands offered their eye primers in two sizes: it needs to be done. Especially because eye primers do deteriorate (and often thicken or separate) over time, so in my experience, you can't expect an eye primer to last for say two years, as you can for example with many foundations.

Moving on.

Urban Decay claims/product details:

Now if you do the math on the two sizes, you're paying $3.90 per gram for the large one and $3.50 per gram for the small one. Another reason to buy the small one: it's better value!

There's a photo of the wider side of the wand:

Verdict

This eye primer is ok but I do have issues with it so I wouldn't buy it again.

It's a standard, creamy eye primer that comes in a tube. You apply it with an applicator, and I've heard quite a few people complain about the applicator (many have cut theirs off) but I personally like it: I find that each side deposits the right amount of product for one eye and I'd prefer this to a squeeze tube because sometimes I dispense too much with standard tubes. I don't with this.

I normally run each side of the applicator over each eye and I get just enough time to blend each side out in turn before it sets. I don't use much per application and I do suggest using less because if you use too much, you may run into problems when it comes to blending it out.

On that, if I apply even a little too much, I find that clumps of product set along my eyelid and really bugger up my eyeshadow. I've also found that this primer can cling to dry skin, so be sure to hydrate your eyes first: otherwise this will go on patchily and then your eyeshadow will too.

In terms of performance, I do think the product helps eyeshadow adhere but I don't think it helps much with longevity. Indeed, since I've been using it, I've noticed that my eyeshadow doesn't last more than four or five hours - which of course isn't good enough and I'd likely get a similar wear-time if I didn't use primer at all.

I guess the other thing to note is that my eyelids tend to get quite oily as the day progresses when I'm wearing this, which isn't something I've experienced before because I have dry skin. This could explain why the primer isn't doing much for longevity. And yes my eyes are hooded so there's a lot of rubbing going on in my eye area throughout the day, but I have found eye primers that work better than this does.

On the claims: no this doesn't treat visible signs of ageing or blur the look of imperfections; yes it does have a creamy, weightless texture; yes the wand does offer a controlled application; no this doesn't neutralise redness, treat fine lines or create a flawless canvas for eyeshadow to adhere to; and no this absolutely doesn't give me twenty-four hours of eyeshadow wear.

Overall this product is ok but it's not great and I wouldn't buy it again. If you want a good alternative, I like Too Faced's Shadow Insurance (reviewed here) - and while I haven't tried Urban Decay's Original Primer Potion, I want to try it eventually so I can compare it to this one. But for now, I recommend the Too Faced.

Not the best.