0.26 oz/7 g
Sephora: $24
John Lewis: £19
http://www.sephora.com/smudge-proof-eyeshadow-base-P261211
http://www.johnlewis.com/search/nars-eyeshadow-base?_requestid=1540656
http://www.narscosmetics.com/complexion/primers/~/smudge-proof-eyeshadow-base
Found on Nars Cosmetics website
This “lightweight” clear eyeshadow primer is said to help keep cream and powder eyeshadows “looking brilliant, fresh, and just-applied all day”. It “uses a unique polymer and mineral powder blend” and is fortified with “special deep-sea extract and an antioxidant rice extract”.
Ingredients
Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Carbonate, Peg-40 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Phenoxyethanol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Oryza Sativa [Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil Extract], Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Castor Oil Phosphate, Sea Whip Extract, Mica, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride).
I really like this primer. It makes my eyeshadows look much nicer, go on smoother, and last longer. I have used two others in the past, the cult-favorite UD Primer Potion (review here), and the insanely cheap ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (review here). This one out-performs both. For actual texture, this one is much silkier than the ELF one, and a bit silkier than the UD one. I do not get dry patches, quite the opposite in fact, but I think this is thick enough to help deal with those but still light-weight enough to blend seamlessly. I would recommend verifying this though, before buying this product. But as someone with oily eyelids, I can say that this helps a lot with creasing and fading. My eyeshadow looks nicer at the end of the day than with the ELF one and much nicer than the UD one. However, I must say that I do still get some fading. Much less than with other products I’ve tried, and with (horror of horrors) no primer, but my nevertheless it still occurs. By this point I have kind of accepted it as a fact of life. On the bright side, if you do not have extremely gross eyelids like me, this will probably blow your mind!
For packaging, it is the beautiful classic Nars aesthetic with the beautiful classic complaint: the rubberized material gets so dirty! Not that big a deal, but kinda annoying considering the price and the fact this complaint has been around since the beginning of time. Get it together, Nars!
I really do like this product, and it is the best thing I have found so far to help with my chronic fading problem (the struggle is real, y’all), but I’m a bit unsure about the price tag. This is the best product I have tried, but I’m not entirely sure it’s $21 better than the ELF one, which sets me a whopping $3 back. It does last an long time, so the cost is spread out over a while. Would I repurchase it? Yes, conceivably. After I try some other things. I would recommend trying the ELF one first, and if it doesn’t work go for this.
Rating: A
Beauty and the Freak 