Monday, May 25, 2015

Primer vs. Primer: Comparison and review of e.l.f Mineral/Studio Eyeshadow Primer and Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (plus Wet N Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Here is a quick comparison of a couple of high and low end eyeshadow primers to supplement my previous post on the subject. This time we have e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, which sells for $3 for 0.15 oz., and Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, which sells for $25 for 0.26 oz. (I got a mini tube as a gift-with-purchase). The e.l.f. primer is labeled "Mineral" on the tube, but confusingly listed under "Studio Eyeshadow Primer" on their website. It's the same product. I have it in Sheer.

I swatches these two primers next to Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer in the shade that is ridiculously and unhelpfully named For My Primas. It's the sheer version with no shimmer. This is my favorite primer, so it serves as a good basis for comparison. You can see it compared to other primers in the old post.

These are the things I look for in a primer, in order of importance, since I have fairly oily eyelids: (1) prevents creasing; (2) prevents fading/prolongs wear time; and (3) intensifies the color/opacity of the eyeshadow. So these are the criteria I use to judge a primer, which you can keep in mind if some of them are of less importance to you.

Here are swatches of the same eyeshadow alone and over each of the primers. I gave away the blue Covergirl shadow that I used last time, but I still have this equally crappy one, because the gorgeous color keeps me hanging on: Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Turquoise Tempest. As you can see, it barely shows up at all without primer, so it's a serious test for a primer.

Comparison swatches (left to right) with no primer, over Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer, e.l.f. Mineral/Studio Eyeshadow Primer, and Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base.
Comparison swatches (left to right) with no primer, over Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer, e.l.f. Mineral/Studio Eyeshadow Primer, and Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base.
You can see from the swatches that the WNW outperforms both the e.l.f. and the Nars in terms of intensifying the shadow. It also outperforms the other two in both other categories as well. No creasing and little fading for 8 hours+.

The e.l.f. primer helps with creasing a bit, but it's not great. By that I mean I can go an hour or two before creasing instead of 15 minutes without primer. It does not make eyeshadow last much longer in general - most of it has worn or faded away after a few hours. It also only slightly improves the pigmentation of eyeshadow. It isn't completely transparent, either. It has some pale pigment in it, which affects the color of the eyeshadow, making it a little lighter. It's hard to tell on my very pasty arm, but if you look at the few millimeters surrounding the swatch, you may be able to see a light halo. This could be a problem for people with darker skin than mine.

The Nars primer does prevent creasing pretty well, so that's good. It helps prolong the wear of the eyeshadow a bit, but not all day. And the intensification of the eyeshadow color is good but not great. It's completely transparent when it sets, and it does create a smooth surface for your eyeshadow, if that's something that's important to you. I don't really care about that, personally. I like that it's not sticky, but I don't particularly need smoother eyelids.

I can't really think of any good reason to spend $25 on this Nars stuff, unless you really like a completely transparent or smoothing primer and have a hard time finding one. It has a lot of positive reviews out there, so I guess it's doing something for someone. I wonder if they are from people who haven't tended to use primers in the past (since it's certainly better than nothing) or who are mega-fans of Nars.

This e.l.f. primer should be skipped entirely. If you want a super cheap primer, go for the $1 e.l.f. version (also reviewed here), which is much better  If you want a very cheap primer, buy the Wet N Wild. I still haven't found anything better, especially when you take the price into account!

12 comments:

  1. That damn Nars primer has been one of my biggest beauty disappointments. My lids are pretty oily and it didn't come close to lasting through the day like my beloved Too Faced primer does. Not to mention you get quite a bit less product compared to other primers. Where do you get the Wet N Wild primer from? I've been curious about trying it but haven't seen it stocked it my local drugstores.

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    1. I got my last tube at CVS, but only the bigger store near me had it, not the smaller one. I've also seen it at Walgreens. You can get it from drugstore.com or Amazon, but then you might have to pay a couple more bucks for shipping. Still cheaper than Nars, though!

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  2. I really wanted to love the WnW primer, but it caused the skin on my eyelids to become very dry and peel. Never had that issue with my skin before or after using this product.

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    1. Wow, that sounds awful. I wonder what caused that. Have you found another primer that works for you?

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  3. I'm not sure why it caused the skin on my eyelids to flake and peel but I tossed it anyway and moved on to Urban Decay's anti-aging primer. It's a lot more emollient to me and I've had no adverse effects. The thing is, if I don't blend it with a brush it leaves color on the lid when I prefer that there is none. I had planned to use up the tube and move on to NARS primer but after reading the review here I'm not sure that that's the right choice either.

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    1. I liked the UD primer I used, but it was meant to be tinted (Eden), and I haven't tried the regular sheer one. I also thought Too Faced was better than Nars (it was also very sheer), and I've heard good things about Milani, but haven't tried it.

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  4. I've tried several primers, both budget-proof and more expensive and for me on of the best are the UD Primer Potion and the Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer. Not saying that a cheaper primer can't be good though.

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    1. Yes, those are good ones! I found them about equal with the WNW, but since the WNW is so much cheaper, it's my pick.

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  6. Bought & tried WnW eye primer based on your review...love it & my shadow stays put all day! I'm a long time fan of Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Eye Treatment as well...apply that to my lids prior to the WnW primer...works for me!

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  7. I had to circle back on this discussion and share with you a winner. A few months ago, I told you how WnW caused excessive dryness to my lids and urban decay's anti-aging primer left a brownish tint after it dried down. I even tried Tarina Tarintino's Dollskin primer after finding it at Marshalls for $3. It was a total fail. I'm proud to say that I've discovered the primer that my super oily lids have been waiting for their whole lives. It's not cheap at 22 bucks but it's the most effective formula I've come across. No creasing or oiliness for me after wearing it for more than 12 hours. Check out MAC's Prep and Prime 24 hour extend eye base. I'm telling you, you'll thank me later.

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  8. Thank you! That sounds like a good option for people who have trouble finding a primer that works.

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